Not In Kansas Anymore

a) Introduction and Audience
The area that I am choosing to focus on is recruitment. The system that is being evaluated is Scoutware. Scoutware is a recruiting database that is used by a University to sort and keep track of recruit profiles. This system is made solely for athletic departments and more specifically coaches to use. There are many free systems on the Internet that are similar to Scoutware. One of these systems is Berecruited.com. Any comparisons that are made in this analysis will be between Scoutware and Berecruited.

b) Purpose and Goals for the System
"Scoutware is a relationship management tool that coaches and administrators at more than 230 universities use to successfully recruit athletes, raise money, sell tickets, foster support in both local and corporate communities, and demonstrate compliance within the guidelines of the NCAA" (Full Contact Recruiting). The goal is to save time and money by organizing the recruits into one system and making their information easy to access and utilize in value-adding ways. The biggest difference here is that profiles are created OR entered into scoutware and on Berecruited profiles are only entered and then the coaches are able to view and bookmark them. Also, the information cannot be utilized in quite as many ways.

c) Product
A database system that organizes information and keeps track of things such as emails being opened and the number of times a link has been clicked on.

d) Features
Keep track of calling, emails, and paper mail; Create banners for emails to improve attractiveness; Quickly upload information through excel files; Attachment tracking and # of clicks counter; send mass text messages to current athletes or recruits; phone log printouts for NCAA compliance..

Almost literally none of those things are done by Berecruited. Berecruited is more geared towards viewing the information and then using it if you desire. However, the site does not give you much utilization for the information. Scoutware is the kind of software that you would take information like Berecruited over to.

e) Benefits Claimed
The biggest benefits of using this software are an increased number of recruits reached, a better sense of organization for information, and an added value to the information that is being sent out. Whether it be graphics in the email or a personal greeting in a mass email, Scoutware allows coaches to do more than they would be able to with a normal email system or a database system not made primarily for recruiting.

f) Analysis of Performance
The performance of the software is very good. There are still some technical difficulties here and there (i.e. the 3rd event entry for a profile resets sometimes). Another issue is the customer service. The customer service is very good for questions that are asked and known issues. However, there is still a lot that can be done with this site and none of that is explained by the company. Looking on the general Scoutware site I saw a lot of things that can be done that are not currently utilized here at Tiffin University. If I had not does this research, we would have never known about them. I would like to see the company continue to try and make our jobs easier and suggest things that we are not utilizing.

g) Recommendation.
I would recommend that any University that is serious about recruiting get a system like Scoutware. The benefits far outweigh the cost. The advantages over a generic site like Berecruited are amazing when it comes to customization. Part of what is being paid for is that customer service and that personal touch on everything that is sent out. This year alone, female distance recruiting at Tiffin University has tripled and the men is matching its highest in school history. The impressive thing is not just these figures but also that these figures were hit while saving time and money.