Banner 9 Transition FAQ

How long will this take and what steps are required?
The expected length of time to complete this major transformation properly will be 24 – 36 months. Essential steps include the following:
  • Develop the appropriate institutional ERP Governance Model
  • Leverage expert resources to conduct Business Process Modeling and Banner 9 training for all ERP stakeholders
  • Review current business processes
  • Clean and validate institutional data in lockstep with the BPM professional engagement
  • Deploy Banner 9 as close to “out-of-the-box” as possible
  • Run Banner 8 and Banner 9 simultaneously through the transition period
  • Transition one business process at a time until fully transitioned to Banner 9
  • Sundown Banner 8
What else will moving to Banner 9 provide?
The upgrade process will provide:
  • informed institutional decision-making with reliable data
  • increase productivity, empower community members, and simplify operations
  • enhanced services for students, faculty, and staff along with alumni, parents of students, donors, and job applicants
  • around the clock availability 365 days a year, with flexible bandwidth that will assist performance during peak usage times by utilizing a hybrid-cloud environment
  • modern web-based, mobile experience for students, faculty, and staff – you can use any computer and any browser
  • help enable institutional transformation (e.g. general education curriculum)
  • less dependency on paper forms with the use of automated approval queues
When will I receive training for Banner 9?
There will be various types of training made available for system developers, division level technical staff, and end users.
  • System developers receive extensive technical training six months to a year prior to the “go-live” date. A development team comprising representatives from the functional areas responsible for the module will then complete the implementation and configuration of the module. Core developer skills to include PL/SQL, Groovy/Grails, Java, Javascript, CSS3, HTML5, Git, etc.
  • Technical staff at the division level will be involved in applicable pieces of both the technical and functional training.
  • Training for module users (e.g., deans, directors, department chairs, academic advisors, and staff) will take place one to two months before that module’s “go-live” date.
  • End-user training will be ongoing, with courses available to new employees and those who want to brush up.
  • Advanced courses will be available for those who want to learn how to make the most of Banner for their particular area.
What does hybrid cloud environment mean?

The hybrid cloud is the combination of a public cloud provider (such as Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, or Banner 9) with a private cloud platform — one that’s designed for use by a single organization (UNCG). The public and private cloud infrastructures, which operate independently of each other, communicate over an encrypted connection, using technology that allows for the portability of data and applications.

One clear benefit of a hybrid cloud model is having on-premises, private infrastructure that’s directly accessible — in other words, not being pushed through the public internet. This greatly reduces access time and latency in comparison to public cloud services.

Another benefit of a hybrid cloud model is the ability to have on-premises computational infrastructure that can support the average workload for your business, while retaining the ability to leverage the public cloud for failover circumstances in which the workload exceeds the computational power of the private cloud component.