Buff Experience Transformation Update – Aug. 11, 2026

Major Technical Milestone: Core Data Now Flowing 

We've reached an important milestone. Core integrations for student accounts, learner programs, academic structures and related reference data are now deployed into our testing environment. This means data is flowing from campus systems into Education Cloud where it can be tested and validated. 

Over the coming weeks, data stewards and subject matter experts will be invited to validation sessions to review the data and make sure everything looks right. This is a critical step toward making sure the system is ready for real-world use. 

Scope 2 Scope Gets Executive Approval 

Buff Experience Transformation phase 2 scope has been approved by campus leadership, which means we have a clear roadmap for the work that comes after initial launch. Budget planning is now underway to support the next phase of development. 

We're also working on securing resources for training, including space, technology and materials needed to prepare staff across campus for the new system. 

Listening to Students About the Student User Interface

During recent sprint demos, we heard feedback about the student user interface's look and feel. This was the first time we've shown student-facing features, and we know there's more work to do. 

We're planning additional interviews with students to gather more targeted feedback and make sure the new interface actually works for how students need to use it. Student input is essential to getting this right, and we're committed to bringing more student voices into the design process. 

Mapping Workflows for Training 

Adoption Leads (Working Group 4) is doing detailed work mapping workflows and reporting needs across different campus roles. This work captures both unique needs and areas where different roles overlap.

The information being gathered will directly inform training documentation and help ensure the system is configured to support how people actually work.  

Strengthening Solution Architecture 

Project leadership is working with Salesforce to shift their team’s support of the project to provide more solution architecture expertise to assist our project teams and colleagues. This Salesforce resource will provide more hands-on technical guidance as we navigate the project's aggressive timeline and complex integration challenges. 

This shift reflects our commitment to making sure we have the right expertise in place to deliver a system that works well and is built to last. 

Sprint Work Continues 

Sprint 7 is underway, with continued focus on building out core functionality aligned with our initial launch goals. The team is also increasing work on data migration planning to support the transition from older systems. 

What's Coming

Watch for information about: 

• Data validation sessions for subject matter experts 

• The major workshop on workflows and training 

• Opportunities to provide input on the student portal 

Your involvement helps ensure we're building something that works for everyone.