How to procure a new research management system
Complex decision gives institutions a valuable opportunity to make plans and decisions for the future, writes Kathryn Smith
Procuring a research management system can be daunting, but it is also an opportunity to lay the groundwork for successful implementation. The decisions you make during procurement will directly influence how successfully the new system is implemented, how well it’s adopted, and how effectively it’s utilised within the institution.
So, how can you use the procurement phase to maximise success?
Get early input from your all your stakeholders
Speak to your stakeholders at the earliest opportunity to find out what they need from the system. Not everyone will be able to get exactly what they want but needs that come to light after the decision has been made will be much harder to address.
By bringing stakeholders onboard at an early stage, not only will you identify all the requirements, but you are kickstarting the engagement work that will need to happen once you have procured your system.
Early engagement is also an opportunity to flag any dependencies from different individuals or teams that might impact your timelines and to manage expectations about what improvements the new system can realistically produce.
Review your processes and data
The success of the implementation will depend not just on the technical capabilities of the system but how these interact with your processes and workflows. Before you start making decisions about requirements you need to know what your current processes are and whether there is scope for modification.
You also need to think about any existing data you want to transfer to the new system and its current state. Do you want to be able to import historic data and, if so, how much time and resource are you prepared to invest in getting that ready?
Understand your complexity tolerance
The more complex and specific your processes, the more you may require customisation of the system during the implementation phase.
Greater complexity and specificity of processes have a number of consequences:
- You may have a smaller pool of potential suppliers who can meet your needs;
- Your implementation may take longer;
- Your implementation costs may be higher; and
- You may have a greater ongoing maintenance cost.
You need to decide how willing you would be to modify your processes to fit in with a new system and which parts are so important to your institution that they are worth additional complexity (and potential cost).
Focus on the requirements that matter
Some functionality will be common across all the systems you are considering, and some areas of differentiation may not be important to your institution. You need to identify which points of difference will actually help make your decision.
Developing a set of requirements is time consuming and you need to be sure that these are detailed enough to differentiate between suppliers. To optimise your time, spend the greatest amount of effort on specialist requirements that are not offered by all suppliers and make the greatest difference to you as an institution.
Be realistic about timings
Even with excellent planning, the process of procuring and then implementing a new research management system can be very long. It is important that all stakeholders understand this, and that adequate time is given to each of the stages. Some stages, such as contract negotiations can take a surprisingly long time.
Make sure you ask suppliers about implementation timings, providing as much detail as possible about what you want to achieve so that they can provide an accurate estimate of the timescales and identify who needs to be involved at each stage and whether they will have the capacity at the point you need them.
Below are some indicative estimates of how long you might spend on the different stages (although this could vary considerably between institutions):
- Project scoping and requirement gathering (one to two months);
- Market research and supplier engagement (two to three months);
- Tender preparation and publication (one to two months);
- Tender evaluation and supplier selection (two to three months);
- Contract negotiation and award (one to two months);
- System implementation and testing (three to six months); and
- Training and go live (one to two months).
The process of procuring a new research management system can be complex but it is also a valuable opportunity to make plans and decisions that will help you in the future. Engaging stakeholders early, reviewing your current processes and data, and being clear about your priorities and limitations will help ensure the system you choose meets your needs. A thoughtful, strategic approach to procurement not only ensures a smooth implementation process but also increases the chances of successful adoption and long-term impact.
Procuring a research management system: getting it right first time, will take place on 17 July 2025 at 11:00am. Research professionals can sign up here.
Kathryn Smith is a product manager at Jisc.
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