Anthology Viability Assessment

Report
Maine Community College System

August 21, 2025

campusworksinc.com
Maine Community College System
Anthology Viability Assessment

Executive Summary
This summary outlines CampusWorks' independent assessment of the viability of Anthology's ERP and
CRM, completed for the Maine Community College System. Our analysis, based on primary and
secondary research across functional, technical, and strategic criteria, concludes that Anthology is a
viable solution for post-secondary institutions. However, successful implementation is dependent on
navigating its challenges. Users affirm that Anthology is a capable and responsive partner committed to
resolving issues. Information regarding the key findings is summarized below.

Key Findings
Functional and Operational Viability

Anthology supports core business processes with a highly configurable system that adapts to unique
institutional needs without source code modification. Anthology’s workflow and automation features
can relieve manual tasks. However, the user experience is a significant and persistent challenge, with an
interface often described as complex and difficult to navigate. Successful adoption and ease of use are
heavily dependent on a well-executed implementation and system configuration.

Technical Viability

The system’s technical architecture, built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Azure, is a scalable, integrated
SaaS solution enabling centralized operations. This is offset by user reports of performance issues like
slow loading times and bugs introduced by new releases. While vendor support has received mixed
reviews, recent feedback indicates improvement and responsiveness from Anthology in resolving
tickets. The platform maintains a strong commitment to data security, evidenced by multiple SOC,
ISO/IEC, and FedRAMP certifications.

Strategic Alignment and Compliance

Anthology aligns with institutional strategy by providing analytical tools like Power BI to track KPIs and
dedicated modules to manage regulatory compliance. The effectiveness of these powerful features is
highly contingent on proper system configuration and data governance. While users have faced
reporting challenges, Anthology has been responsive in assisting with issue resolution.

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Maine Community College System
Anthology Viability Assessment

Introduction
The Maine Community College System (MCCS) partnered with CampusWorks to conduct an
independent assessment of the Anthology ERP and CRM and its potential for viability as a SaaS product
only, separate from its implementation with the MCCS. To support this evaluation, recent reviews,
publications, and other documents were collected, synthesized, and analyzed. Then, CampusWorks
contacted multiple users from colleges and universities using Anthology systems to better understand
their experience and to confirm or deny the synthesized secondary research. This report summarizes the
evidence across three key criteria to assess Anthology’s viability as a product. These criteria, explained
in further detail below, are functional and operational criteria, technical viability, and strategic alignment
and compliance.

Background
Anthology is an EdTech company that provides a comprehensive suite of software solutions for post-
secondary education. Anthology’s mission and vision are centered on empowerment, innovation, and
partnership. Their suite of solutions for higher education offers a complete SaaS environment and is
focused on creating a flexible and adaptable ecosystem. Anthology has received recognition as EdTech
Breakthrough’s “Student Information System Solution Provider of the Year in 2023” and the 2024/2025
Microsoft Business Applications Inner Circle Award.
Anthology, like many EdTech companies, has also faced significant challenges, especially as they quickly
scaled their suite of solutions to multiple platforms such as Anthology Reach, Blackboard Learn,
Anthology Raise, and others. Despite strategic, financial, and operational challenges, Anthology has
continued to make progress, and they remain focused on partnership and innovation within their
solutions. Through their focus on partnerships, they have carved out a specific space within a crowded
EdTech space.

Measures To Assess Viability

In evaluating the viability of Anthology, specific criteria related to the product’s functional and
operational abilities, the technology it is built upon, and the strategic alignment should be reviewed.
The following are criteria and respective definitions used in this review.

Functional and Operational Criteria

Functional and operational criteria refer to the system’s ability to support and enable key business
processes. Further the ability to integrate with other systems and to enable workflows and automation
are also key criteria reviewed. Some examples of operational criteria include:
• The ability to support business processes
• Number of successful Integrations
• Workflows and automation

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Maine Community College System
Anthology Viability Assessment

Additionally, the user experience is a key contributor to the overall functional and operational viability
of the system. The user experience defines the experience that faculty, staff, and students have when
using the system. Specifically, the user interface should be intuitive and easy to navigate regardless of
their level of technical expertise. Some common measures include:
• The reported ease and efficiencies in using the system for business processes
• User Experience

Technical Viability
In reviewing the technical viability of a system, it should be able to meet the needs of the future as well
as the current needs through the system architecture and scalability. Further, the systems should be
responsive to peak loads and should have some uptime guarantees. The vendor should be able to
ensure data accuracy and access and security controls. Below are some examples of the capabilities
considered:
• System architecture and scalability
• Performance and reliability
• Data management and security
• Vendor support and system ecosystem

Strategy and Compliance

ERP and CRM systems, like any technology, should support the organization’s regulatory and strategic
goals. As such, the systems should assist with reporting and monitoring key performance indicators.
Some common measures include:
• Reporting on Strategic Outcomes and KPIs
• Regulatory and Compliance Readiness
Anthology will be reviewed on these measures in the following sections.

Functional and Operational Criteria

In reviewing the functional and operational viability of the Anthology system, the ability of the system
to support core business processes related to students and finance were reviewed. Further, the ability of
the system to integrate with other systems and the user experience was assessed through primary and
secondary research.

Findings: System Support for Business Process Enablement

Anthology, as noted above, is comprised of multiple systems integrated to create a comprehensive
SaaS platform. Reports, such as the Gartner Peer Insights Review and those from G2, regarding the
functionality of the system are typically positive, however, there are some notes for improvement as
they pertain to the system’s performance and integration.

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Anthology Viability Assessment

The positive reports highlight the reduction in operational burdens for IT due to the true SaaS
environment built upon the Microsoft Dynamics and Microsoft Azure platform, the increased efficiency
and automation provided by the product, and the support for a wide variety of programs from credit to
non-credit. Further, they highlight the flexibility of the system to meet the institution's specific needs.
Being that the system is highly configurable, it supports a wide variety of grading schemes, academic
term structures, and complex rules without modifying source code. Further, Anthology Reach is noted
as being able to personalize student journeys (Anthology Reach Reviews- G2). However, secondary
research demonstrates that the level of system complexity can often be challenging for institutions to
conceptualize and adopt within implementation (Gartner Peer Insights, G2, and primary research have
all supported this assertion). Some examples of reviews are as follows:

Extremely flexible to meet our unique term structure. - Gartner Peer Insights
February 6, 2025

The platform is robust in its configuration, so you have plenty of options to

customize within the system itself. - Gartner Peer Insights February 17, 2025

Findings: User Experience

Secondary research reveals mixed responses to the Anthology user experience. Comments in G2
reviews from 2023 note the ease of the user experience, but more recent reviews, as well as those from
Gartner Peer Insights, note the complexity of use. Specifically, reviewers critique Anthology’s user
interface as being difficult to navigate and that pertinent information is “buried in multiple tabs.”
Additionally, from module to module, the user experience varies, adding an additional layer of
complexity. One example of a critique occurred during early implementation and with an early version
of the software. The staff of an institution noted significant barriers and challenges, reporting that basic
functions were still challenging months after go-live. Another, more recent comment states the
following:

They are cumbersome and also require a lot of time to complete them, for both the
students and the faculty members. This huge process turns students off from using
them for exercises such as requesting transcripts, applying for financial aid etc.-
Review from January 2025

CampusWorks has spoken with multiple colleges that are “live” on the various modules of the
Anthology ERP system. The colleges note that while the user experience is challenging, the system is
viable. They have gone further to affirm that the system is flexible, but the ease of use and navigation
are dependent on configuration and implementation. Additionally, institutions noted that the workflows
and automation did help relieve manual tasks. A few institutions also noted that configuration, user
validation and testing, and training were imperative to the successful navigation of the user interface.

Technical Viability

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Maine Community College System
Anthology Viability Assessment

Four areas were reviewed in relation to the technical viability of the Anthology ERP. These areas include:
• System architecture and scalability
• Performance and reliability
• Vendor support and system ecosystem
• Data management and security

Findings: System Architecture and Scalability

The Anthology solution includes the Finance module and a CRM, Reach, and a student information
system (SIS). Both Finance and Reach are built on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform, and the SIS
leverages Microsoft Azure-together, they form a fully integrated, cloud-based SaaS solution. Through
leveraging Microsoft's ecosystem, Anthology ERP is able to scale their system and regularly deploy
updates and patches. Further, secondary research has noted the positive feedback regarding
centralized operations across finance and student systems, as exemplified below,

From admissions information to current academic records, Anthology Student

captures all data in one location. This prevents information disintegration and has
the added advantage of producing reports from the centralized student data –
Gartner Insights, quote from 1/20/2025

In discussions with current users, there is a consensus that the technical architecture of the Microsoft
platform offers flexibility and scalability as well as efficiency from an IT perspective.

Findings: System Performance and Reliability

In primary research, CampusWorks has gathered information from colleges and universities that have
noted daily performance issues and challenges with integration which confirms secondary research
noting the users have experienced slow loading times, login issues, and occasional outages, especially
during peak use times (G2- Anthology Student Reviews).
Secondary research also reveals that new releases can introduce bugs or glitches into the system
thereby causing concerns about operational stability (G2 Anthology Reviews). Some customer quotes
from the G2 Platform highlighting both concerns are below.

What do you dislike about Anthology Student? The slowness sometimes

needs to be addressed.

Gartner Peer Insights- Anthology Student Likes and Dislikes noted the following:

UI experience of some modules, performance during bulk processing and bugs

during certain upgrades- Review from 2/6/2025

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Maine Community College System
Anthology Viability Assessment

In reviewing these concerns with current users, CampusWorks confirmed these challenges and found
that while frustrating, users asserted the system was viable and that Anthology is responsive in working
to resolve their issues.

Findings: Vendor Support for System Ecosystem

While secondary research has noted the benefits of Anthology’s student-centric design, they have rated
it a 3.4 out of 5 after 42 reviews (G2 Anthology Reviews) regarding their support services. G2’s findings
were supported in early implementations by Gartner Peer Insights as demonstrated in the quote below,

The level of support is below average at best. Their response time is subpar, and
they often take days to resolve tickets. They seem to introduce issues and problems
with every release, and the releases are typically poorly documented. - Review
from 4/21/2020

More recent reviews show an increased satisfaction rate with the vendor’s support. A commentor from
the Gartner Peer Insights Review observed challenges with their quick growth but indicated that
Anthology always provided excellent customer service.
CampusWorks has spoken to users of the Anthology products, and they have noted that there is a
process for support ticket escalation and that Anthology is working to resolve their issues. When asked
if they felt the Anthology system was a viable system, their consensus was affirmative.

Findings: Data Management and Security

To meet the highest standards for data security and regulatory compliance, Anthology has partnered
with A-LIGN, a leading provider of technology security and compliance programs, to achieve SOC
attestations, ISO/IEC certifications, and FedRAMP/StateRAMP authorizations. This partnership also
supports institutions in streamlining audit processes, reducing preparation time and documentation
redundancy.
Anthology uses a unified data architecture to streamline data across systems. Secondary research has
noted the positive aspects of this approach, yet the effective use of data reporting tools offered by
Anthology is dependent on clean and well-structured data inputs as well as a full understanding of the
system. As noted in prior sections, the system has met critique due to its complexity.
CampusWorks has confirmed with Anthology users that the system is viable from a data management
and security perspective. Users note that the importance of user security testing, validation, and user
acceptance training within the implementation process is imperative to the overall success of the
Anthology system.

Strategic Alignment and Compliance

An institution’s technology should empower their strategic priorities and enable compliance with
regulatory statutes. While Anthology faced early challenges with regulatory reporting during its initial
SaaS implementations, recent reviews highlight significant improvements in efficiency—particularly

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Anthology Viability Assessment

when the system is configured to align with an institution’s governance structure, policies, and data
architecture.

Findings: Reporting on Strategic Outcomes and KPIs

Anthology’s focus on the use and integration of AI as well as data-driven decision making empowers
institutions in meeting their strategic goals. Using Power BI, and other analytical tools, Anthology
enables institutions to track and monitor progress to goals on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
associated with students and finance. Anthology (2025, Anthology Together Conference) noted a
strategic focus on AI, thereby enhancing personalization and engagement in workflows and automation
tools intrinsic to their product, Anthology Reach. Additionally, Anthology Finance has budgeting and
forecasting tools which allow institutions to align their budget planning process with strategic priorities.
Anthology Planning also can connect all pertinent data allowing for increased efficiencies in institutional
effectiveness, assessment and even strategic planning through the centralization of data, assessment
cycle dashboards, and real time data.
Institutional users of the Anthology products noted the power behind the analytical tools and the
importance of the data quality and report set up in having the ability to properly track KPIs. It was also
noted that the tools are viable and powerful but there is a need to have a comprehensive
understanding and training in the system to utilize it to its full capability.

Findings: Regulatory and Compliance Readiness

Anthology Student includes dedicated regulatory modules that assist institutions in adopting new rules
and regulations through the isolation of compliance updates. This assists in reducing testing time and is
also helpful in training on the obligatory updates. These modules have been noted as being helpful by
users but are highly dependent on the configuration of the system.
Primary research affirmed the viability of the product as it related to compliance with the caveat that it
can be challenging and that issues must be resolved as a part of the implementation process. Further,
users emphasized the importance of aligning the system configuration with institutional policies and
regulatory guidelines.

Summary
CampusWorks, in partnership with the Maine Community College System, sought to answer the
question of Anthology’s product viability independent of MCCS’s implementation. CampusWorks
evaluated the Anthology products through conducting primary and secondary research based on three
key criteria: functional and operational criteria, technical viability, and strategic alignment and
compliance.
The Anthology solutions including Anthology Finance, Reach, and Student, offer a comprehensive,
cloud-based solution built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Azure. As a fully integrated CRM, Anthology
Reach allows for personalization and automation within the student experience. Anthology delivers out-
of-the box functionality for critical post-secondary operations such as financial aid management, and
academic planning, and can help institutions create efficiencies through workflows and automation.
Anthology’s user experience has evolved and improved over time; however, institutional users still

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Anthology Viability Assessment

express challenges. Much of the ease of use is dependent on the implementation of the system.
Nonetheless, it is important to note that all ERP and CRM systems have their own limitations and
Anthology’s system has been noted as being viable despite the challenges.
While institutions may have gained operational efficiency through automation and workflows, current
Anthology users report concerns regarding the system’s performance and ease of integration with other
solutions. Nonetheless, the Anthology system is deemed viable by institutional users with positive
notations regarding the partnership with Anthology in issue resolution.
Anthology’s partnership with A-LIGN and the attainment of SOC, ISO/IEC, FedRAMP, and StateRAMP
certifications underscore the commitment to data security and compliance, and Anthology’s regulatory
modules within the product allow for quicker compliance and rule adoption. However, primary research
revealed institutional users experiencing challenges with reporting. Despite their challenges, users felt
the Anthology product was viable as they were responsive to assisting institutional users in issue
resolution.
In conclusion, the Anthology products create a suite of viable solutions for post-secondary institutions,
though it comes with challenges and areas for improvement as noted by users. Like all ERP and CRM
systems, implementation involves hurdles and significant change management. However, primary
research shows that Anthology is responsive to user feedback and actively works with institutions to
address reported issues. Ultimately, its collaborative approach positions it as a sustainable and evolving
option for colleges and universities.

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Maine Community College System
Anthology Viability Assessment

References
A-LIGN. (n.d.). Anthology’s Commitment to Compliance Elevates EdTech Standards. A-LIGN. Retrieved
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compliance-elevates-edtech-standards

A-LIGN. (n.d.). A-LIGN Homepage. Retrieved August 14, 2025, from https://www.a-lign.com/

Anthology. (n.d.). About Us. Anthology. Retrieved August 14, 2025,

from https://www.anthology.com/about-us
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Anthology. (2025, July). Central Arizona College Case Study. Anthology Backstage. Retrieved August 14,
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G2. (n.d.). Anthology Student Reviews. G2. Retrieved August 14, 2025,
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Thompson, E. (2024, July 17). Anthology adds real-time alerts and AI-powered student journeys to Reach
CRM. EdTech Innovation Hub. https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/anthology-adds-
real-time-alerts-and-ai-powered-student-journeys-to-reach-crm

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