Recipes for success: Navigating ERP transformation and preparing for what’s ahead

At Oracle AI World 2025, Amanda Duval-Norwood, Chief Human Resources Officer from Harper College, joined Baker Tilly Director Courtney Csik in a panel discussion on navigating ERP transformation in higher education. From origin stories to lessons learned, the session offered a candid look at the challenges and triumphs of implementing Oracle Cloud, highlighting how institutions can successfully manage complex digital transformations in highly regulated environments.

Origin stories

Csik: What prompted your organization to pursue an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) transformation?

Duval-Norwood: Harper College’s back-office transformation began in 2021, leveraging our long-standing relationship with Oracle. The college transitioned to Oracle Cloud, going live with Human Capital Management (HCM), Financials (ERP) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial implementation was minimal, given the circumstances. When I joined in mid-2022, I was tasked with optimizing the system. This led to the rollout of Oracle Recruiting and Journeys modules in 2023. We also deployed Fusion Data Intelligence (FDI), though adoption is still in progress. Over the past 18 months, our focus has been on identifying underutilized features within HCM and introducing them to campus. This year, we successfully transitioned to Redwood and we are now exploring EPM on the ERP side. The community has responded positively and there’s growing excitement around future enhancements aimed at improving user experience.

Csik: Why did you choose Oracle as your solution?

Duval-Norwood: Oracle’s suite aligns well with our needs as a community college and government entity. It supports both operational and student-facing improvements and we’ve found Oracle to be a reliable and forward-thinking partner.

Recipes for success

Csik: In terms of change management, how has Harper College approached and executed the transformation?

Duval-Norwood: We’ve seen success through optimization and user adoption. Implementing modules like Recruiting and Journeys has helped us streamline HR processes. Change management was key, especially with long-tenured staff.