For the University of Massachusetts (UMass), replacing a legacy document imaging platform wasn’t just an upgrade. It was a system-wide shift in how work gets done.
The transition became an opportunity to establish a shared way of working across four campuses — one that allows teams to learn from each other, reuse what works, and tap into shared services where it makes sense, without sacrificing campus autonomy.
Before this transition, most of the team’s time went toward reacting to system issues as they arose, leaving little room to step back and improve how teams actually completed their work.
At a glance
- University of Massachusetts: Multi-campus system with significant campus autonomy
- Goal: Modern, cloud-based solution to support off-premises operations
- Rollout: Staged, campus-by-campus go-lives aligned to the academic calendar
- Integrations: PeopleSoft views, Oracle databases, Boomi, Connect Agent, IDM/AD groups
- Impact: Governance, tiered support, a scalable system-wide operating model
UMass described the experience of working with Softdocs as "more than a migration."
Working with the same team throughout the project, along with direct, real-time collaboration, helped maintain momentum as the plan evolved. Training and office hours rounded out a hands-on support model that went beyond a typical vendor relationship during implementation.
Together, these efforts build a foundation for UMass to continue scaling long after go-live.
In this live webinar, UMass leaders will share what it was like to manage a system-wide rollout in real conditions. They’ll discuss why they shifted from an all-at-once approach to a staged rollout, how training and office hours supported campuses during go-live, and what helped keep the work moving when timelines and plans changed. Duration: 60 minutes.
Starting Point: From Campus-by-Campus Tools to a Shared Foundation
Across the UMass system, campuses historically relied on a mix of internally developed systems and vendor platforms. UMass saw an opportunity to bring document management under one unified solution and evaluate how work was completed across campuses.
The rollout had to account for real differences in how the Etrieve platform would be used across the system. Smaller campuses primarily needed a document repository, while larger campuses depended on it for complex forms and workflows that support students and faculty daily.
Those differences reinforced the need for shared governance and support that could flex across campuses over time. In some cases, campuses needed additional time to evaluate how a shared approach would fit their existing practices before fully committing.
Selecting a Platform and Planning Rollout at System Scale
Rather than selecting a platform in isolation, UMass treated this as a system-wide decision.
UMass approached platform selection and rollout planning as a shared effort led by the President’s Office. The team polled campuses for interest, then held demos where campus teams helped shape requirements and priorities.
UMass evaluated platform capabilities alongside roadmap direction, customer support, and commitment to digital accessibility. The team also organized campus requirements into a weighted list that included critical path requirements, needs, and nice-to-haves.
The original plan was to go live across four campuses, the medical school, and the President’s Office simultaneously. As implementation progressed, the system shifted to a staged, campus-by-campus rollout.
This approach made it easier to plan go-lives around campus operations and the academic calendar.
Keeping Momentum Through Pivots and Supporting Adoption
Early in the project, UMass adjusted timelines and sequencing to match campus needs and technical realities.
UMass built adoption support into implementation. Training and office hours gave campus teams a consistent way to get answers during go-live.
A staged rollout helped UMass protect that support experience across campuses. An all-at-once go-live would have concentrated training and office hours around the most complex departments. With the campus-by-campus rollout, UMass created space to give each campus the level of tailored support it required.
This approach also allowed the team to build momentum through smaller, focused wins. By implementing one campus at a time, UMass learned from each phase, refined the process, and applied those lessons to the next rollout.
Designing for Scale: PeopleSoft-Connected Integrations and a Repeatable Rollout Model
UMass designed the implementation to fit a complex enterprise environment, including PeopleSoft-related data access, Oracle databases, and cross-campus identity coordination.
Environment snapshot
- Content integrations route through Boomi
- Connect Agent supports forms integration, including direct Oracle database lookups
- PeopleSoft views support integration and data access
- Teams coordinate identity and access across campuses, including IDM and AD group alignment
UMass also made an early decision to run two instances rather than one, ensuring the Chan Medical School could meet HIPAA requirements independently.
As campuses engaged more deeply with implementation, they pushed for more specificity in rollout plans. UMass and Softdocs paused to add that detail before moving forward.
UMass connected this work to a longer-term opportunity. The system is using the Etrieve platform to learn what works, share best practices, and develop templates that campuses and departments can reuse as they come on board.
Lessons Learned: A Playbook for Multi-Campus Modernization
- Build governance, but protect the day-to-day. A system-wide structure helps, but it does not solve campus needs on its own. Keep campus leadership engaged and confirm that business processes can support the change.
- Design for users, not the project plan. Campuses vary by size, usage, and readiness. Avoid one-size-fits-all rollout plans and communication.
- Stage rollout around real campus constraints. Plan go-lives around the academic calendar and operational peaks. Use each campus launch to refine the approach for the next.
- Start small to scale effectively. Early, smaller implementations create momentum, reduce risk, and provide practical insights that apply across larger, more complex environments.
- Audit what you migrate when you can. If timelines allow, review older content against retention obligations to reduce volume for migration and focus your effort on what matters.
What’s Next: Building a System-Wide Foundation with Softdocs
UMass is focusing on stabilization, then expanding usage based on user feedback. As the rollout continues, the system is putting the governance and support structures in place to sustain long-term growth.
The goal is to build a repeatable approach that scales across campuses as needs continue to evolve.
As of spring 2025, three of the four main campuses and the medical school are live, with evaluation underway for the remaining campus. The University of Massachusetts represents something significant — a system-wide commitment to a shared way of working, built on a platform they trust at scale.
Location
Massachusetts
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