To many institutions, the word “modernize” has undertones of a large-scale, expensive, multi-year initiative. In practice, this does not need to be the case. While a campus-wide digital transformation may require significant investments in time, energy, and money, other practical steps that are smaller and more targeted can yield substantial returns.
Institutions don’t need to overhaul their entire technology ecosystem to make progress. When strategically implemented, quick wins can reduce friction, demonstrate value early on, and build momentum for those larger, longer-term projects. This blog explores some of the smaller scale improvements that can help campuses of any size improve operations.
Automate Time-Consuming, Manual Processes
Repetitive manual tasks not only drain staff time and energy, but they are also more prone to mistakes caused by human error, which can lead to costly issues like poor experiences and even compliance violations. One of the best ways institutions can improve these operations—and reduce risk—is to strategically incorporate automation.
The first step is identifying where those repetitive tasks live. On many campuses, some of those tedious, error-prone processes include entering data, submitting approvals, and updating statuses. While these tasks are commonly located within admissions, advising, and financial aid departments, they can live anywhere.
Implementing automated workflows in these areas can streamline processes, limit redundant handoffs, and lead to significant operational improvements. One tip would be to start small, but begin with processes that affect multiple departments, thereby having a large footprint with minimal investment.
Enable Cross-Departmental Collaboration
Data, application, and department silos are prevalent and substantial burdens on many campuses. When silos are present, the left hand often doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, leading to poor experiences, misinformation, and duplicate processes.
Let’s look at the average student’s experience as an example. Learners will interact with multiple departments on campus: advising, registrar, financial aid, enrollment, and more. If each of these teams operate independently from one another, students will often need to repeat information, correct mistakes, and engage with multiple stakeholders simultaneously.
Shared visibility tools and communication workflows can streamline these processes. For staff, there are fewer manual handoffs and less reliance on email chains or systems that may contain outdated information. The result is more coordinated support for students and more holistic, personal experiences.
Operate With a Single Source of Truth
When departments and staff are working in silos and using their own disconnected systems, the information with which they make decisions can be outdated or incorrect. And because having to juggle logins for myriad platforms can be a hassle, it’s not uncommon for staff to simply leverage the data they have on hand.
The best way to alleviate this problem and to ensure staff work with consistent, up-to-date information is to create and maintain a single source of truth—a centralized data resource that all staff can access to make informed decisions. By leveraging a unified data lakehouse, for example, staff can reduce their need to log into multiple systems while ensuring the information they use is accurate and aligned with other departments across campus.
Deliver Streamlined Student Experiences
Students want agency. For institutions, this means delivering seamless, connected, empowered experiences throughout the entire student journey. The problem that many institutions have today is friction points throughout that journey. Processes associated with application, registration, and advising are often plagued by manual, tedious tasks that negatively impact a learner’s overall experience.
Institutions need to take steps to make that journey more user friendly. Simplified forms, reduced duplicate data entry or steps, more intuitive user interfaces and navigation. All these things can lead to substantially better student experiences—and they’re not investment-heavy projects.
Small improvements like enabling mobile access and supporting chatbots that allow students to get answers to questions on their own time can positively impact student engagement and completion. These are the modern experiences that many students look for today.
Switch to Real-Time Reporting
Institutions thrive off data. But that information needs to be accurate and up to date if it is to be used effectively. Unfortunately, static, delayed reports are how many institutions get information, leading to inefficient operations or strategies.
Institutions should leverage modern solutions that provide more frequent updates. Additionally, platforms with integrated visualization tools and dashboards can make information easier to read, which means less involvement from IT teams (that are already overburdened) and more empowerment for staff.
By enabling faster, more informed decisions across campus, institutions can deliver modern experiences and improve operational efficiency. One of the best ways to do that is to make effective use of data.
Prioritize the When and Where
It’s important that institutional decision-makers realize that modernization isn’t a one-and-done project—it’s a long-term initiative that requires frequent revisits and updates. But small, intentional enhancements can have lasting, meaningful outcomes. To start, institutions should focus on high-impact, low-effort opportunities, align with institutional goals, and engage with stakeholders who will benefit the most. Success with these programs can lead to buy-in for larger initiatives.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The most important thing to do is start, build momentum through successive quick wins, and continue to innovate.
