Working with Your Implementation Plan

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Welcome to Outcomes!

Outcomes is a cloud-based application management and enterprise solution that provides users with tools to streamline their admissions processes. Using Outcomes, you can:

Manage applications as they progress through the admissions cycle.
Obtain holistic views of application pools.
Create reports using application and contact data.
Communicate with applicants and contacts.

Implementation Process

The implementation process includes a series of tasks that are completed throughout different phases. As you work through each step, reference the Help Center or reach out to your Implementation Consultant for assistance.

Timeframe for Completing Account Setup:
Given your day-to-day work responsibilities, it's likely you'll need to complete your account setup over the span of a few weeks. Be sure to dedicate some time each day or week to complete the actions below. It may be helpful to bookmark this page so you can easily return to it as you complete your account setup.

Section 1: Configuring the Software Before Your Application is Launched

Users and Roles

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Review the Managing Users documentation.	In Outcomes, as you add new users, you can establish Roles for different people who need to accomplish different tasks throughout your admissions process.
2	Review the Managing Roles documentation.	You can review your initial Role settings if you need to revert to any of your original Roles.
Think of the different users at your institution that will need to work with the software. Consider what limitations to their access may need to be implemented. If there are any groups of users who will need similar access, you can build Roles, allowing you to apply the same set of permissions to the entire group.

Finding Applicant Information

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Learn how to navigate the Applications Grid.	If there are other pieces of information you'd like to see more readily when scanning your applications, the Applications Grid can be modified to suit your needs.
2	Learn how to navigate an application.	Each data point on an application is an Application Property. These properties can be used in other areas of the software (e.g., when building filters and exports). If there are data points that you'd like to capture that aren't located anywhere on the standard application, you can build Custom Properties that you can add to the application
3	If there are data points that you'd like to have presented more prominently on your applications, consider adjusting the content of Application Summary or Sidebar.	You can review your initial Application Summary and Sidebar settings if you need to revert to your original configuration. Custom Properties you've created in the software can also be added to the Application Summary or Sidebar.
4	Learn about using Filters and Segments to categorize your applications based on conditions they meet. The Automation features in Outcomes often work with these Segments.	You can review your initial Segments if you need to revert any of them to their original configuration.
Once you've determined your application requirements and ensured that you have a way to track the completion of these requirements, you can flesh out your process for reviewing applications.

Establishing Your Workflow

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Consider how Admission by Liaison's features can be implemented into your current process. Review Application Review Workflow for some ideas.
2	Review Working with Segments to learn how to build and save filters for your applications. Allowing you to work with groups of applications in batch.	Also review Navigating the Applications Grid to learn how to build filters.
3	Review Managing Phases to learn how to organize applicants in a way that corresponds with their current status in your process.	You can review your initial Phase settings if you need to revert to your original configuration.
4	As you prepare to review applications, consider what should be included in your review process.	Your process may involve building Evaluation Forms, Tags, or other features.
5	Review Managing Decisions to learn how to apply your decisions to applications.	As you develop your process, you may choose to create Decisions that correspond with your Phases.
The available features are optional and can be used in different ways, so establishing your workflow in the software may involve some trial and error.

Application Completeness

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Determine what constitutes a complete application for you. Review Application Review Workflow for some ideas.
2	When configuring your programs, you can build a checklist of items that serve as requirements for your applicants.	Where necessary, you can add Application Properties to keep track of things that aren't already being tracked on the application.
Once you've determined your application requirements and ensured that you have a way to track the completion of these requirements, you can flesh out your process for reviewing applications.

Reviewing Applications

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Consider how you want your reviews to be completed.	By default, Outcomes offers a feature that allows you to automatically assign applications to reviewers based on what Phase the application is in. This also allows you to build Evaluation Forms that your reviewers will complete. Assigning applications using this process has several benefits, including the ability for assignees to enter their responses in the Evaluation tab, the ability to create PDF files with evaluation results, and the ability for assignees to be notified of their assignments. For a simpler process, though, you may wish to assign applications using Tags or Tasks instead.
2	If you decide to use the software's built-in Evaluation Forms, learn how to build them.	You can review your initial Evaluation Forms if you need to revert any of them to their original configuration.
3	Phases are different buckets, or statuses, in which you can place applicants to keep track of where they are in your process. Learn how to create Phases and link your Evaluation Forms to them.
4	You can also build Review Teams to assign applications to a group of reviewers at the same time.
Where applicable, you can also use the automation features in Outcomes to have applications assigned with less manual interaction.

Automating Application Review

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Many actions in Outcomes can be completed automatically - either based on specific actions that you set as triggers, or based on set days and times that you'd like actions to be completed.
2	Learn about Automation Rules. These are actions you want to have automatically completed at a given date and time.
3	Learn about Workflow Automation. These are actions that should occur at different stages throughout the application cycle when specified conditions are met.
4	Learn about working with Decisions, as you may choose to automate Decision-related actions.
After considering all the options above, and establishing which features you plan to implement, you may be ready to begin receiving applications. After the application has gone live, you can begin communicating with applicants, reporting on them, and interacting with them in other ways.

Section 2: Applicant Portal Launch

Communicating Decisions

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Learn about Decision Letters in Outcomes and determine how you want to communicate your Decisions to applicants.

Campaigns

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	You can design communication Campaigns using the Marketing features in Outcomes. This allows you to stay in touch with applicants throughout your process.
2	Learn about creating Email Templates or Text Messages to send to applicants at different times of the application cycle.

Reporting

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	The Dashboard in Outcomes is made up of several reports. This allows you to get a snapshot of the information that is most relevant to you.	You can review your initial Dashboard settings if you need to revert to your original configuration.
2	Learn about working with Goals. This feature allows you to set a target number of applications that meet the criteria of your choice (e.g., In State applicants). Then, you can use the charts to track your progress toward meeting that goal.

Exporting Applicant Data

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Outcomes allows you to design Exports so you can extract the application data you need into various formats.	You can use Segments and filters to isolate applicants you'd like to include in an export.

Importing Prospects

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	The Contacts section of Outcomes lets you keep a record of people you need to stay in touch with. Learn how to configure the data points the software includes for each of your Contact Types.	Contacts included in your records can be recruits, applicants, students, or anyone else you'd like to communicate with throughout the cycle.
2	Outcomes allows you to add Contacts in several ways. Learn how to import Contacts.

Step #

Actions

Notes and Considerations

The Contacts section of Outcomes lets you keep a record of people you need to stay in touch with. Learn how to configure the data points the software includes for each of your Contact Types.

Contacts included in your records can be recruits, applicants, students, or anyone else you'd like to communicate with throughout the cycle.

Outcomes allows you to add Contacts in several ways. Learn how to import Contacts.

Inquiry Portal

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Learn how to work with your Inquiry Portal, which provides an interface that prospective applicants, advisors, and other contacts can interact with.
2	Learn to configure Inquiry Forms, which you'll use to collect information from visitors to your portal.

Tasks and Tags

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Learn to use the Tasks feature in Outcomes to keep track of important action items.	Throughout the cycle, you can create Tasks and track their completion.
2	Learn to use the Tags feature in Outcomes. Tags provide another way of categorizing your applications.

Step #

Actions

Notes and Considerations

Learn to use the Tasks feature in Outcomes to keep track of important action items.

Throughout the cycle, you can create Tasks and track their completion.

Learn to use the Tags feature in Outcomes. Tags provide another way of categorizing your applications.

Campaigns to Prospects

Step #	Actions	Notes and Considerations
1	Using the Marketing section of Outcomes, you can develop email, text, or voicemail Campaigns to systematically send messages to prospects, applicants, or other contacts.	For example, you can create the following Campaigns for prospects: Recruitment or Drive to Apply Complete your Application Complete your Requirements Next Steps
2	In developing these Campaigns, learn to leverage other features in Outcomes, like Contact Segments or the Inquiry Portal.

Step #

Actions

Notes and Considerations

Using the Marketing section of Outcomes, you can develop email, text, or voicemail Campaigns to systematically send messages to prospects, applicants, or other contacts.

For example, you can create the following Campaigns for prospects:

Recruitment or Drive to Apply
Complete your Application
Complete your Requirements
Next Steps

In developing these Campaigns, learn to leverage other features in Outcomes, like Contact Segments or the Inquiry Portal.

For more information, consult the general Outcomes Help Center.