Implementation Checklist
  • 27 Jan 2025
  • 3 minute read
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Implementation Checklist

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Article summary

The implementation checklist is a project plan you can follow to build out essential operations in Slate.

πŸ’Ύ Download a copy and check off rows as you progress.

Phase I: Preparation

πŸ”— Associated article: Phase I: Preparation

Step 1: Establishing Your Team

πŸ”— Associated article: Step 1: Establishing Your Team

  • Select Slate Admins

  • Select steering committee members

  • Initiate conversations with IT about integration with SIS

  • Initiate conversations with academic departments and other campus stakeholders

  • Schedule regular team meetings

  • Attend a Getting Started Community Conversation

Step 2: Get Slate Certified

πŸ”— Associated article: Step 2: Get Slate Certified

  • Provision user accounts for Fundamentals course attendees

  • Register for Fundamentals of Admission and Enrollment in Learning Lab

  • Complete Fundamentals of Admissions and Enrollment

Step 3: Reviewing Current Processes

πŸ”— Associated article: Step 3: Reviewing Current Processes

  • Define project scope and catalog your processes, needs, expected integrations, and deadlines

  • Document current processes

Phase II: Roadmap

πŸ”— Associated article: Phase II: The Roadmap

  • Review Roadmap best practices

Roadmap Step 1: Slate Essentials

πŸ”— Associated article: Roadmap Step 1: Slate Essentials

Initial configurations

  • Review configuration keys for high-level settings for your instance

  • Set up DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

  • Update default message group name from placeholder

Users and permissions

  • Customize the existing roles (Academic Advisor, Admission Counselor, and Admissions Inbox) as needed

  • Create additional roles and permissions

  • Establish population-based permissions

  • Add realms to your database

  • Enable multi-factor authentication

  • Add users, manually or by import

The person record

  • Customize the person record dashboard

  • Update the information on the custom tab

  • Customize the standard person record tabs

  • Create custom interactions

  • Learn how the Opt Out tag works

  • Create tags

Fields and prompts

  • Review field settings

  • Make adjustments to existing custom fields to suit your process

  • Create additional custom fields

  • Review prompt settings

  • Make adjustments to existing custom prompts to suit your process

  • Replace placeholder values for entry_term in 4 year models, term in 2 year models

Forms

  • Customize the Request for Information (RFI) Form, including form communications

  • Create Origin Sources

Queries

  • Familiarize yourself with the query elements

  • Explore the pre-configured queries and create more to suit your needs

  • Configure the Data Export - SFTP (Slate to SIS) query

  • Configure the Document Export query

  • Configure the Voyager: Domestic Travel Planning query (4 Year model only)

Automation

  • (Optional) Customize person record search criteria with person index/header rules

  • (Optional) Adjust, add new person status rules as needed

  • Customize existing staff assignment rules, create new ones as needed

Branding

  • Update the default β€œSlate University” branding

Other data structures

  • Consider creating a custom dataset

Roadmap Step 2: Outreach

πŸ”— Associated article: Roadmap Step 2: Outreach

Deliver foundations

  • Familiarize yourself briefly with Deliver capabilities

  • Whiteboard a communication plan

  • Configure existing system emails, and optionally add your own

  • Customize the existing email template, or create your own templates from scratch

  • Create a drip marketing campaign

  • Create additional mailings as needed using dynamic content blocks and Liquid markup

  • Configure Inbox for email communications

More Deliver features

  • Send real-world print communications with Slate Print

  • Develop a calling campaign with Slate Voice

  • Learn how to engage applicants with Slate Video

  • Purchase Slate Credits as needed.

Events

  • Configure existing event templates

  • Create additional templates as needed

  • Configure existing event template communications

Interviews & appointments

  • (2 Year only) Configure Academic Advising Session interview template

  • Create additional interview templates as needed

  • Have users add their external calendars in Availability

Roadmap Step 3: Historical Data Migration

πŸ”— Associated article: Roadmap Step 3: Historical Data Migration

  • Import historical person records

  • Use Consolidate Records to handle duplicates

  • (Optional) Import historical applications

Roadmap Step 4: Processing applications

πŸ”— Associated article: Roadmap Step 4: Processing Applications

Configuring periods and rounds

  • Configure placeholder periods and rounds

The Slate-Hosted application

  • Configure, add, remove application pages as needed

  • Configure existing application creation form and its communications

  • Configure application submission requirements

  • Review application logic

  • Configure Slate-hosted recommendations

Imported applications

  • Configure application source import

  • Configure recommendations import

Additional application configurations

  • Configure the standard applicant status portal

  • Create additional application communications in Deliver as necessary

  • Customize application status, fee rules

  • Configure application sharing with Slate.org

Collecting application materials

  • Create materials collected as part of the application.

  • Create checklist items.

  • Automate checklist assignment via rules.

  • Optional: Create a missing checklist item recurring email.

  • Optional: Import Financial Aid Checklist items.

Reader and worfklows

  • Customize the application review workflow

  • Customize Reader Portal Dashboard

  • Customize Workflow Views

  • Configure Reader permissions

  • Customize and activate bin movement rules

  • Customize, create new Reader review forms

  • Create additional workflows as necessary

Decisions

  • Review, customize decision codes

  • (Optional) Create decision reasons

  • Customize letter templates

  • Customize decision reply form

  • Customize the decision notification system email

  • Configure, activate decision reply form rules

  • Configure, activate decision rules

  • Add financial aid letters and decisions

  • Test your decision release process

Roadmap Step 5: Integrations

πŸ”— Associated article: Roadmap Step 5: Integrations

Sending data to your SIS

  • Configure data export to your SIS

Managing recurring imports with source formats and Upload Dataset

  • Add and configure standard source formats from Source Format Library as necessary

  • Create custom source formats as necessary

  • Create service accounts for integration access as needed

Managing document imports with Batch Acquire

  • Use the Batch Acquire tool, or create a custom Document Import Processor source format

Managing duplicate records

  • If you haven’t already, familiarize yourself with the Consolidate Records tool

Payments

  • Establish how you will collect Payments through Slate: using Slate Payments or a third-party provider

Roadmap Step 6: Reporting & wrap-up

πŸ”— Associated article: Roadmap Step 6: Reporting and wrap-up

  • Add Ping to institutional websites

  • Build reports, dashboards as necessary

  • Conduct training for end-users

  • Prep for go-live

Phase III: Year one & beyond

πŸ”— Associated article: Phase III: Year one & beyond

  • Refine existing processes

  • Add more Slate functionality

  • Train staff

  • Practice good Slate Stewardship

  • Get Slate Certified Professional

  • Submit a Summit proposal!

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