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OSU Extension

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

Commitment to the Customer Experience

Why Use A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System and Integrated Reporting?engagement graphic

  • Improves continuity for the customer experience
  • Contributes to compliance (Race, Ethnicity, Gender data)
  • Creates efficiencies in sharing impacts
  • Provides accessible and actionable real-time data
  • Integrates with the Ohio State Enterprise Project

Current Status
OSU Extension administration determined Salesforce was the preferred CRM based on adoption by Ohio State’s Enterprise Project and other land-grant university Extension teams. The initial discovery prioritized the Master Gardener Volunteer (MGV) program as the initial pilot due to the urgency of transitioning the MGV volunteer management system that was being discontinued. That project was recently launched for use by coordinators and volunteers.

Spring-Summer 2021
A series of 20 discovery sessions were held. More than 100 people in various CFAES/Extension units participated to inform decisions on developing a multi-year roadmap that links processes, platforms, and people. A roadmap has been drafted. Implementation and adoption will be prioritized by functional area based on impact, urgency, risk, complexity, and budget. Existing and new investments will be leveraged for the project.

The units engaged in discovery included CFAES External Relations, Government Affairs, Advancement, Extension Publishing, workforce development, reporting, data integration, e-learning, operations, events, Extension communications, Knowledge Exchange, partnerships, Master Gardener Volunteers, Ask Extension, and IT. During the meetings, participants shared information about the current state of functions and technologies to inform decisions about the future state of an integrated system that leverages the best of CFAES.

Resources
The following resources were made available in preparation for the discovery session meetings:

This project aligns with OSU Extension leadership’s focus on strategic action.

To submit questions, contact Julie Fox, director, Strategic Initiatives and Urban Engagement.