When Brandon Gatke joined Pacific University as Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, the university was operating on an outdated Unidata system.

Situation

When Brandon Gatke joined Pacific University as Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, the university was operating on an outdated Unidata system. Pacific needed to migrate to a modern SQL platform to enhance performance and streamline processes. Recognizing the complexity of the migration and the number of stakeholders involved, Pacific University sought expert guidance and engaged Ferrilli for an initial on-campus assessment.

Registration times improved by 200-300%, and nightly processing became ten times faster, thanks to the new SQL infrastructure.

Solution

Ferrilli’s pre-assessment visit impressed the Pacific University team with its professionalism and thoroughness. Ferrilli engaged with multiple departments, from the registrar to financial aid, carefully considering the perspectives of all stakeholders. Based on the strong impression they made during the pre-assessment, Ferrilli was selected to lead the project management of the entire migration process.

Throughout the project, Ferrilli provided regular check-ins and brought in experts for each critical phase of the migration. They guided the university through a complete infrastructure overhaul, transitioning from dedicated sun servers to a modern SQL-based system. Their expertise and project management ensured the migration stayed on track and met Pacific’s needs at every stage.

Results

The results of the migration were transformative. Registration times improved by 200-300%, and nightly processing became ten times faster, thanks to the new SQL infrastructure. Additionally, Pacific University gained near real-time reporting capabilities, a significant improvement over the previous system’s one- to two-day delays. Ferrilli’s combination of technical expertise and people skills made a complex project seamless, driving significant productivity gains for the university. Brandon Gatke praised Ferrilli’s depth of expertise, professionalism, and compassion, citing them as his top choice for future higher education projects.