The Systems Team is responsible for LSE Advancement’s systems and managing the relationship with the respective suppliers. It is responsible for ensuring that the data is clean and accurate and for the provision of management information, reports and statistics. In addition, the team provides training, business analysis and project management service to the rest of the office.
Systems
Ellucian Advance is our main database containing information about all LSE alumni, staff, students, donors and prospects. Advance holds individual data, provides a system for tracking prospects and records information about all philanthropic gifts and pledges. Advance is used by all LSE Advancement staff, as well as staff in the Press Office, External Relations, the Library and other academic departments at LSE.
Imodules is the software used for the School’s alumni online community and the tool used by LSE Advancement for mass communication with alumni. Users can update their profile, contact old classmates and volunteer for a mentoring role. The site contains the latest LSE news, events and benefits. Attendance at events and reunions can be booked and old classmates contacted. Alumni Group Leaders can use the system to promote their own events and to communicate with their members. Internally, the system is used for emarketing, events management and processing online gifts and payments.
SmartCall is the tool used to facilitate the Annual Fund’s calling programme. Data is transferred from Advance to provide the callers with contact details and the response to the call is transferred into Advance.
The Systems team is responsible for the management, administration and development of these systems along with delivering training to new users. We also use external data agencies to clean and supplement our data.
We are responsible for the security of the data held within our systems. We ensure that all staff and volunteers sign a confidentiality agreement before being given access to the data contained in our systems, agreeing to abide by the Data Protection Act.
Project management and business analysis
The Systems team provides a business analysis and project managed approach to system and process development. This applies to large scale implementations and smaller discrete business analysis.
Reports and management information
We provide LSE Advancement’s day to day and operational reporting using a variety of tools and technologies. We also deliver regular management information for School senior management and a number of statistical and benchmarking returns.