CIO Spotlight

University Automates Financial Processes, Improves Accessibility By Switching From On-Premises System to NetSuite

Saint Louis University (SLU) is one of the top centres of academic excellence in the Philippines. Founded in 1911, its outstanding reputation attracts students and scholars from around the world. SLU has more than 30,000 students, including elementary, high school, and college levels. However, until recently, the historic institution was being run with historic systems.

Last year it made the decision to upgrade to NetSuite ERP from its legacy, on-premises management system. The deployment has automated financial processes saving countless hours of time, reduced paper usage to near zero, improved accessibility, enabled flexible working, and created a scalable platform on which the business can continue to grow.

Central to the success of SLU’s switch to NetSuite was CIO, Jonathan Ramirez. We talked to him about the implementation process, life as a CIO, how his role has evolved, and the skills he needs to succeed in today’s world.

Q&A

Describe your role?

Jonathan Ramirez: I'm the navigator, bridging the gap between the old and the new technologies. Because we have systems that date back to the 1980s.

What are your key responsibilities?

Ramirez: I provide the IT vision and develop and execute IT projects. Specifically, I create the roadmap for SLU, supporting the business by providing assessments, especially with old technologies. This includes technical advice, proof of concepts (POCs), and determining whether a new system can be rolled out or not.

Which stakeholders do you work closest with?

Ramirez: Finance, definitely. But also the wider leadership team, departments and board.

Do you have specific targets or goals set by the business?

Ramirez: To convert the legacy systems into current technologies with integration. If it’s not converted, I make it practical and adaptable by producing a middleware so it can easily communicate. I look for new systems and approaches to provide the IT vision. Do we go for open source? Do we go for other products or other vendors that would provide the same solution? NetSuite is an open system and supports integration goals, which is a big part of why we chose it.

Do you have specific targets or goals you set yourself?

Ramirez: I get involved with the current trends and this is useful for my forecasts, especially with exploratory research and developing POCs. So, once I get in touch with the vendor, I always ask, "Do you provide a POC so I could prove its value before we go any further?” I always aim to drive value for the business.

How do you as CIO serve your company, customers and colleagues?

Ramirez: For the company, I provide technical support in terms of the IT direction. I provide options and solutions with a cost-benefit analysis. As for the customers, I provide guidelines and, of course, initiate solutions to simplify their transactions. And with my colleagues, I provide a strong culture of change.

What three soft skills are most important for your role?

Ramirez: A drive for problem-solving, creativity, and persuasion. The CIO role is about having the creativity to understand how a solution is going to work, and having the persuasive communication and collaborative skills to sell it to top management.

What three hard/tech skills are most important for your role?

Ramirez: Being a programmer is one, because it’s about finding logical solutions. Accounting is also important to bridge the gap between a programmer and the business, especially software that is financial in nature. A programmer’s ability to understand the accountant's language is actually a great challenge. In fact, a lot of great software has been rejected because a programmer couldn't understand the accountant's needs. The third one is teaching. I taught. This is important for conveying ideas and information, especially when creating presentations to persuade management on value propositions.

How has the role of CIO evolved in the past 10 years?

Ramirez: The role requires versatility to adapt to the ever-changing IT terrain, which has been evolving so much. It's about understanding that the solution right now is not the solution tomorrow. The solution right now is cloud, and tomorrow it might be more than that. With NetSuite and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, it's vast, so practically everything is provided. The CIO role has in turn become more creative and strategic.

Has understanding how a business operates become more important for a CIO?

Ramirez: Of course. Previously, all you needed to understand is the operations, but right now you have to really dig deeper and see the micro-detail of how everything works, especially for the assessment of resources. It’s important to have a strong business acumen to inform and influence.

Do you think collaboration has become a central part of the role of today’s CIO?

Ramirez: Yes, collaboration is vital if I’m to match the senior management vision with the implementation. In the past, it was more of a problem-solving role, but now I’m involved in creating the vision and then selling that vision to the key stakeholders. Collaboration is a big part of this.

Do you think today’s CIO needs to be a strong communicator in a way that wasn’t as important in the past?

Ramirez: Definitely. Since there are a lot of fallacies about what IT covers within the organisation, this must be communicated properly. Also, you might have a great solution, but if you don't know how to actually communicate it and collaborate with concerned stakeholders, the idea becomes useless.

Can you describe the process of selecting a new technology?

Ramirez: I explore new technologies and their efficacy with a POC. I then consult our finance circle, which includes many stakeholders because our target is to always make it cost-effective. Finally, I communicate this with top management for support and to get their buy-in.

What three things are most important for a CIO to consider when choosing new technology for their business?

Ramirez: Adaptability is one, so that I can easily integrate systems. Then the cost and benefits. And of course, the ease of use is important.

Has the role of CIO in technology purchasing changed in recent years?

Ramirez: Yes, because the CIO knows the cost-benefit analysis best and this must be communicated well. The CIO now has to remain hands-on throughout the entire process and be responsible for ongoing operational costs, not just the initial purchase decision.

To what extent does your company see technology as a way to better serve your employees and customers/students?

Ramirez: We actually have a very strong vision for a digital campus. Everything will be integrated with a single sign-on (SSO). The organisation is really supportive of getting behind cloud tech and digital technology.

What are the advantages of having an open system like NetSuite?

Ramirez: Primarily, the integration using APIs. A job that is normally done by several people can be automated; that's a good thing for us.

Has NetSuite made your life and role easier?

Ramirez: Yes – it’s helped me to save time, especially when reporting and analysing data for board of trustees meetings. Having the data at my fingertips with NetSuite means that I can focus on being strategic and developing persuasive cases for investment. NetSuite takes care of the details.

What are the three biggest benefits of being in the cloud vs on-premises?

Ramirez: The low cost of the upgrade and maintenance is one. Considering all costs, including things like air-conditioning for server rooms, this cloud solution costs less. Also, there is a reduced manpower requirement and improved accessibility. And finally, NetSuite supports flexible working; I can access the system any time of day, wherever I am.

What real-world improvements has your business experienced since switching to NetSuite?

Ramirez: The daily routine of pulling and pushing for the reports, so stakeholders can access information easily. I save about one day per month for this task alone. We’ve also been able to reduce paper use to almost zero and save countless human hours by automating financial processes.

How has NetSuite improved collaboration?

Ramirez: Notifications in NetSuite make it easier to collaborate and convert tasks, compared to working over email. It simply tells you what your role is to process and sign things digitally.

What advice would you give to an aspiring CIO?

Ramirez: To be open-minded and to continuously explore, and in the words of Steve Jobs: Stay hungry.

What skills do you predict will become more important for CIOs to develop in the future?

Ramirez: You’ll need to have the logic of a programmer, the numbers to work with finance and accountants, and then the persuasive and communication skills of someone to sell your ideas and vision.

Do you think the role of CIO will continue to evolve?

Ramirez: Definitely, because the solutions are evolving to provide versatility wherever you are. Businesses have already become entirely hybrid or hyflex – for us, that’s combining face-to-face and online learning. Future CIOs must be across any new technology that’s going to enable their business to grow and increase efficiency.

Are you excited about any upcoming technology?

Ramirez: Yes, I’m excited about blockchain technology. We’re actually involved with one of the blockchains in the United States to convert our registrars. The aim is to be able to scan and convert things, and make the digital signature accessible to everyone.