In 1988, Sinclair Community College (SCC) began a comprehensive study of the need for a new administrative information system that would improve the college's effectiveness and flexibility in providing educational and administrative services. A planning committee provided college-wide coordination for the development of a request for proposal (RFP) that reflected departmental and technical needs, the evaluation of various proposals against the criteria in the RFP, and the eventual selection and validation of the preferred vendor. The evaluation of vendors involved access to vendor demonstration systems through campus terminals, a review of vendor applications and technical documentation, and telephone calls and visits to other user sites. The contract binding SCC and the preferred vendor provided for significant support from the vendor in the areas of training, implementation, and the development of custom software to insure the effective implementation of all system modules and the development of expertise on the part of SCC personnel. A framework for implementation was proposed by and reviewed with the vendor, and the implementation plan for the new system was finalized jointly by SCC and vendor personnel following contract approval. Considerations related to implementation included hardware availability, selection of a temporary location for the new hardware, and the development of a schedule for user and technical staff training, database conversion, systems testing, and production changeover. Financial considerations related to the new system included contract costs for hardware and software, costs for all modules, support and training costs, and custom software charges. First-year and projected maintenance costs were also identified. (JMC)