Build for Stability, Invest in What Makes You Stand Out

In the rush to modernize and innovate, many institutions fall into one of two traps: they either obsess over perfecting their core systems or they leap into strategic initiatives without a strong data foundation. Because Systems of Record are such a significant investment, there’s a natural desire to extract every ounce of value, often by over-customizing or trying to make the system do more than it should. But the days of building overly customized processes and overly tailored configurations in the System of Record are behind us. These activities don’t differentiate your institution; they drain time and resources. The truth is, you need both a stable, standardized System of Record and a thoughtful, flexible System of Differentiation to truly move your institution forward.

Your System of Record, often your Student Information System (SIS) or other ERP, is the backbone of your tech ecosystem. Its primary job isn’t to dazzle; it’s to ensure accuracy, compliance, and reliability. This is where standardized processes should live, with a strong focus on data integrity, integration, and governance. This is the foundation on which everything else is built. You want it stable. You want it clean. You want it to quietly do its job without surprises.

But your System of Record alone won’t help you stand out. That’s where your System of Differentiation comes in—platforms like CRMs, student engagement tools, or student services solutions that allow you to reflect your institution’s unique brand and strategic goals. These are the tools you tailor and adapt to create personalized, engaging experiences for students and employees. They’re your opportunity to turn data into action and action into value.

It’s important to invest first in stabilizing your System of Record, but don’t overdo it. Many institutions get stuck here, chasing perfect data, overengineering governance models, or waiting for every workflow to be polished before moving forward. Others fall into the trap of trying to replicate outdated processes and systems exactly as they were before. This is a new world; your job isn’t to rebuild the past, it’s to guide people forward. Systems of Record thrive on standardization and stabilization. Lean into the opportunity to adopt best practices and proven processes rather than clinging to customizations that no longer serve you. Then, use your teams’ lived experiences not to recreate the old, but to drive innovation in the areas that matter most. You don’t need perfect data, you need purpose-ready data. Start with the fields that matter most for the use cases you want to power, and build from there.

Once your foundation is solid, shift energy into your System of Differentiation. This is where you create meaningful differentiation by acting on your data, improving services, and crafting experiences that demonstrate your institution’s value and distinctiveness. This is also where innovation becomes visible to your students, staff, and faculty. The combination of a stable System of Record and strong Systems of Differentiation is what enables real impact, it’s how you drive student success, improve retention, and create sustainable revenue through better engagement and service delivery.

Systems of Record and Systems of Differentiation aren’t competing priorities, they’re partners in progress. One grounds you; the other propels you. The institutions that thrive are the ones that know when to stabilize—and when to act.

You May Also Like

• AI in Teaching and Learning: Pedagogy at Scale…And the Stakes if We Get it Wrong
• Curiosity > Coding: What Really Matters for Careers in the AI Era
• [Webinar] “Navigating the Ambiguity”: Through Radical Efficiency and Agility

Originally posted by Novita Rogers on LinkedIn. Be sure to follow her there to catch all her great industry insights.