Blog
March 1, 2016
Today, Salesforce.org announced the launch of Salesforce HEDA (“Higher Ed Data Architecture”), which standardizes the Salesforce data model specifically for higher education. With HEDA, higher education institutions now have a core data architecture laying a more consistent foundation for Salesforce both within and across schools. As ACF Delivery Manager Jeff Cowgill comments in Salesforce’s HEDA launch video: “HEDA offers this incredible opportunity for schools to jump start their world into Salesforce.”
“Schools today are looking for solutions that scale, support their unique business processes, and are delivered quickly at reasonable costs,” Cowgill adds. HEDA helps address those needs by providing a constituent data model, designed to support data requirements across the student lifecycle, as well as an application framework, making it easier for multiple third-party apps to work together.
ACF President Kristin Sharpe is “thrilled about HEDA” and describes it as a “big leap forward in Salesforce.org’s commitment to the higher ed sector.” As a result, Sharpe has pledged ACF’s commitment to make its services compatible with HEDA. This commitment doesn’t represent any great change for ACF. “The HEDA design is very consistent with the best practices we have developed in our work with more than 55 schools,” explains ACF Delivery Director for Higher Ed Virginia Berkenkotter. ACF Solutions has been involved with planning for HEDA since the outset, providing feedback to Salesforce.org during its development.
HEDA is focused on the core constituent relationship model which is common to the majority of higher ed use cases. “It does not dictate or define specific business processes, such as advancement and admissions” explains CTO Doug Sharpe. “Instead HEDA provides a framework for implementation partners such as ACF Solutions, as well as for AppExchange product developers, to more quickly develop solutions and ensure greater interoperability across the enterprise.”
“Bottom line,” adds VP of Business Development Susan Tobes, “With HEDA, schools can be confident that they can start their Salesforce deployment anywhere – recruiting, student services, fundraising, corporate engagement – and have a foundation that will enable them to expand everywhere.”
