Today’s students don’t just desire a digital campus, they require it. Having grown up in the digital age, Gen Z university prospects are accustomed to accessing resources and hyper-speed responses to questions 24/7 at their fingertips. While technology has always played an essential role in higher education, the Covid-19 pandemic drove colleges and universities to step up their digital transformation games much sooner than projected.
This widespread adoption of streamlined technology continues to demonstrate its value as campuses return to in-person learning yet face the next wave of administrative challenges: enrollment declines combined with amplified student service demands. If these obstacles sound all too familiar, you’re not alone. Universities across the globe are racing to update decades-old processes and eliminate administrative drudgery that can strain budgets and negatively impact student and staff success. In this new era of higher education, low-cost business process automation is the gold standard for more efficient, streamlined, and effective approaches to decode multi-departmental collaboration puzzles.
Empowering Your Workforce through Automation
In every chapter of your digital campus transformation tale, business process automation is the protagonist – a technology hero that can turn tiresome tasks into a seamless data workflow. Envision transcripts processed in the blink of an eye, student data updated effortlessly, and access to sensitive information safeguarded with precision. Alongside your university digital transformation journey, Laserfiche’s content management and process automation solutions emerge as your team’s north star, empowering students and staff with transparent portals that deliver the right information at the right time.
Process automation, synonymous with business process management, harnesses technology to automate the mundane. But this digital tool isn’t just about relieving humans of repetitive chores; it’s about unleashing their potential. It’s the spark that ignites innovation, propelling institutions forward.
Survey Reveals Substantial Growth Potential for Innovations in Higher Education Automation Processes
Though the extraordinary potential for cost savings and efficiency is a clear win for higher education, low-cost business process automation is still an under-utilized resource for many universities. A recent Laserfiche survey revealed that only 10% of schools embrace fully digital processes – an untapped opportunity for the remaining 90%.
Today’s higher education process automation platforms use novel technologies to perform increasingly complicated tasks, such as capturing, categorizing, interpreting and sharing student data from a wide variety of original document formats and across multiple campus departments. Still, humans are the ones who drive this change and innovation. Automation simply allows them to do more as they work to keep student and staff performance moving forward.
Your Fully Integrated Digital Campus Awaits
So, what’s your next step? Get ready to enter a new era in higher education with Laserfiche’s innovations in enterprise content management and make the most of the outstanding potential that automation, integration, and advanced AI technologies provides.
Popular concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are often associated with futuristic applications and cutting-edge innovations. However, the use of AI in higher education today is already amplifying real-world applications in campuses across the globe, subtly revolutionizing back-office operations, empowering staff with previously unattainable efficiency and accuracy, and freeing them to focus on higher-value tasks.
Recent fluctuations in enrollment rates and financial pressures have required higher education institutions and their staff to do more with less. As challenges intensify, institutions are recognizing the need for more sophisticated technology solutions that can simplify complex tasks, optimize shared resources, and streamline budgets.
The Power of Generative AI in Higher Education Admissions
One area where the potential use of AI in higher education shines bright is admissions. Traditional admissions processes often involve repetitive tasks that can be time consuming. Generative AI has the power to reshape this landscape by making initial applicant screening more efficient.
Laserfiche’s recent partnerships with higher education institutions demonstrate how generative AI can automate information extraction from transcripts, simplifying the admissions process and allowing staff to bypass repetitive, time-consuming tasks.
Picture this: Generative AI can autonomously make preliminary decisions about student acceptance. Though human involvement will still be necessary at higher approval levels, AI can review the quantitative aspects of admissions, such as high-school courses and grades, thereby eliminating a major portion of the upfront workload with admissions staff. This means faster, more consistent decision-making and fewer bottlenecks.
Real-Life Success: SUNY Empire State College’s Use of AI in Admissions Reduces Response Times from a Week to Less than an Hour
Witness the impact of AI at work. Laserfiche partnered with SUNY Empire State College, implementing AI-powered transcript processing. The results? Response times slashed from a week to under an hour, significantly refining student engagement and boosting their staff’s ability to process higher volumes of applications and requests.
Discover the Full Potential of AI + Automation and Data Integration
Curious to explore how the use of AI in higher education can reshape your back-office staff’s workflow? Dive into Laserfiche’s comprehensive white paper, “Your Guide to Creating a Fully Integrated Digital Campus,” and witness the extraordinarily impact of AI in higher education. Plus, explore how low-cost business process automation creates high returns at universities, get tips on remediating data silos, and mobilize best practices in change management to set your digital transformation up for success.
In the dynamic realm of higher education and the administrative of students and staff, change is the only constant. As colleges and universities seek to maximize student success, staff efficiency, and overall satisfaction, the integration of advanced enterprise content management systems becomes crucial. Welcome to a glimpse of the “Change Management” chapter from our comprehensive white paper, “Your Guide to Creating a Fully Integrated Digital Campus.”
Fostering an Innovative Culture with a Shared Vision
Amidst the excitement of upgrading and expanding your content management platform, it’s essential to recognize that successful implementation requires a strategic approach. Integrating new systems isn’t just about technology—it’s about cultivating a culture of innovation that resonates across every department.
Crafting a clear vision for your institution’s transformation is paramount. Align the endeavor with your college or university’s mission, creating a shared understanding of success. Paint a detailed picture that goes beyond metrics and embraces the core essence of better serving students, faculty, and alumni.
Harness Your Staff’s Collective Wisdom
Your campus is a treasure trove of ideas. Engage your teams and departments to brainstorm strategies for leveraging automation, integration, and AI. Collaborate with peers in higher education, solution providers, and vendors to harness collective expertise. The integration process can lead to reevaluating processes and creating a new level of best practices for your institution.
Invite a Cross Section of Stakeholders to Steer Your Innovation
Consider establishing an innovation steering committee, representing a diverse cross-section of end-users and managers. This committee becomes the guiding compass for integrating enterprise content management systems. It ensures ethical integration, adequate governance, and a standardized framework for decision making.
Leverage Proven Change Management Strategies
Navigating change can be complex, especially when working with staff accustomed to traditional methods. Leverage proven change management strategies from other successful digital transformation initiatives. These strategies help assess risks, prioritize investments, and communicate effectively, allowing your teams to adapt seamlessly.
Empower Managers and Staff Through Training
Even if your users are tech-savvy, educating them about the new system’s impact on daily tasks is crucial. Conduct information sessions, online training, and provide downloadable resources. Roll out the new system strategically, minimizing disruptions during peak times.
Invest in Support Packages
Prioritize staff training and support in your transformation budget. Allocate resources to ongoing training and troubleshooting as you transition into a fully integrated system. Support packages from providers can expedite implementation and ensure smooth operation.
Pilot Your Way to Success
Start small. Experiment with innovation on low-risk, internal projects to gain experience and confidence. Gradually scale initiatives as your teams become adept at harnessing the system’s capabilities.
Partner with Laserfiche
As the horizon of automation, integration, and AI/ML unfolds, Laserfiche stands as your premiere partner in transformation. Our solutions are designed to empower institutions, revealing your staff’s greatest potential and resource efficiency.
Begin Your Journey to Digital Empowerment
Ready for a deeper dive? Discover how Laserfiche enterprise content management solutions can help your college or university embark on a journey toward a more productive and digitally empowered ecosystem.
Universities across the globe are the midst of a digital revolution, and data integration is the linchpin that holds it all together. Say goodbye to spending endless hours in search of scattered student and staff information in an inefficient workplace, stifled by siloed data. Higher education institutions are on a clear path to fully integrated digital campuses, paved with efficiency, collaboration, and streamlined processes. Laserfiche’s suite of enterprise content management solutions is the game changer at the center of your digital campus transformation.
Picture this: your campus operates as a well-oiled machine, with information flowing seamlessly between departments, fostering collaboration and enabling lightning-speed decision-making. This reality isn’t a far-fetched dream; it’s the power of dynamic system integrators in higher education.
Breaking Down Data Silos for Cohesive Campuswide Operations
One of the most significant barriers to campus-wide efficiency is the presence of data silos. Higher education institutions have long battled these isolated pockets of information that impede communication, create delays, and fracture your university’s ability to deliver a consistent experience to students and staff.
Laserfiche recently surveyed higher education IT leaders and administrators across the nation, unveiling a sobering truth: over 90% of respondents recognized the presence of data silos within their organizations. It’s a challenge that can’t be ignored. The key to overcoming this hurdle lies in integration, and we’re here to guide you through it.
Real-World Success: University of San Francisco
Glen Murie, University of San Francisco Senior Programmer/Analyst, shares how Laserfiche Forms revolutionized their processes. By automating requests and reviews, the university saved the equivalent of 10 to 20 full-time employees’ worth of time per year, demonstrating the enormous impact data integration has on institution-wide efficiency, productivity, and cost-savings.
When remediating decades-old campus cultures steeped in siloed data, higher education systems administrators can profoundly benefit from colleagues sharing their experiences as roadmaps toward achieving their own seamless integrations.
Tips and Insights from Data Integration Frontlines
Are you an administrator or an IT team leader on the cusp of your own journey and looking for effective digital campus transformation strategies? Murie and other Laserfiche partners reveal lessons learned along the way in a free downloadable white paper, titled “Your Guide to Creating a Fully Integrated Digital Campus.”
Become an expert in this new era of system integrators in higher education with Laserfiche’s best practices tips and partner resources. Ready level up your campus processes with automation, integration, and advanced AI technologies?
• Needed a solution to automate student-centric processes
• Legacy processes required administrators to perform time-consuming manual document management tasks
RESULTS
• Reduced the student enrollment timeline from one week or longer to one day
• Laserfiche SIS integration enabled student records to be automatically created in approximately 5-10 seconds
Coppell Independent School District (ISD) is a public school system just outside the Dallas/Fort Worth area in northern Texas, with 1,600 staff members serving over 13,000 students across 18 schools. With a 99% high school graduation rate and 97% overall score in its 2022 State Academic Accountability Rating, Coppell ISD prides itself on supporting students through all avenues available, from the quality of teachers to innovative technology solutions that drive administrative innovation.
As part of its mission to serve students and administrators, Coppell ISD partnered with Laserfiche to transform key administrative processes and improve document management practices throughout the district.
Modernizing Coppell ISD’s Online Student Enrollment System
Coppell ISD consulted with a local Laserfiche solution provider and decided to bring on Laserfiche as an enterprise content management (ECM) technology solution, with the initial goal of modernizing and automating the district’s human resources department. All staff records had previously been stored in physical files and manual processes created a major risk of user error. District administrators chose Laserfiche as a solution because they knew once the HR automation project was complete, they could use the software for many additional projects across departments. “Once you understand the capabilities of Laserfiche, you can utilize it for much more than the original use case,” said Angela Goerner, director of enterprise content management for Coppell ISD.
Once the HR department automated crucial processes like annual contracts and handbook agreements, Goerner and Coordinator of Student Information Systems Carol Freese decided to automate another manual process that historically created an administrative bottleneck: the online student enrollment system.
Historically, the student enrollment process was a convoluted series of Google Forms, manual information verification and an enrollment software that required parents to keep track of a username and password — and resort to calling Coppell ISD administrators when they forgot that information. Administrators at different Coppell ISD campuses all had their own processes for gathering documentation, informing parents and supporting students. “Administrators were either on the phone or back-and-forth emailing, and they were required to create their own organization system. It slowed everything down, and opened the door for mistakes,” said Goerner.
Coppell ISD also had to rely on an external administrator to customize their previous digital enrollment system, and didn’t have the option to develop digital cumulative files for their students. Administrators were responsible for managing cumbersome manual processes, like hunting down proof of residency and manually transferring documents from the enrollment system to their student information system (SIS), eSchoolPlus.
To eliminate these pain points for parents and administrators, Goerner standardized and automated the student enrollment process in Laserfiche. The process was reduced to three main steps, with all the manual work either eliminated or reduced to quick approvals in the Laserfiche system. “We were able to customize exactly what we wanted to get from parents and make the application work for the parent as well as the administrators,” said Goerner.
Historically, the student enrollment process took a week or longer. Now, when Coppell ISD gets an enrollment request from a parent, they can usually get the student enrolled and in school the next day.
Supporting Student Success from Pre-K to Graduation with Digital Cumulative Folders and SIS Integrations
Transitioning the student enrollment process into Laserfiche had the ancillary benefit of kickstarting the development of digital cumulative folders for all of Coppell ISD’s more than 13,000 students.
Previously, Coppell ISD kept physical files for each student — ranging in size from about 40 pages on average up to 300 pages — which office administrators had to manually update. Administrators had to file every report card, every test score and every student-related incident report into these physical student files.
With Laserfiche, when a student is accepted to attend a Coppell ISD school, all the documents from their application are automatically added to a new digital cumulative file. Grades and test scores are automatically added to the cumulative files each semester. If a student needs to transfer between schools in the district, there’s no need to transport physical files, significantly reducing the likelihood that crucial documentation will be lost or left behind.
Coppell ISD was also able to directly integrate Laserfiche with its SIS system, PowerSchool eSchoolPlus. Prior to launching the Laserfiche enrollment process, Freese had to manually launch a transfer process between the enrollment system and eSchoolPlus, which opened up the door to errors.
“Errors would occur, and I would have to track down which files didn’t transfer properly and why they didn’t transfer. I would also have to go in and fix data. That was enormously frustrating,” said Freese.
Now, when an application receives final approval from an administrator, a Laserfiche workflow and integration with eSchoolPlus creates a new student record, accessible to administrators within about 20 seconds.
“Laserfiche has allowed us to automate our very complex enrollment process, saving time and ensuring all the appropriate people are notified automatically and all the appropriate documentation is collected,” said Freese.
Automation Serves Coppell ISD’s Mission To “Educate the Whole Child”
Coppell ISD’s mission is to “educate the whole child,” supporting their students not just academically but in terms of their emotional well-being and safety. With this mission in mind, Goerner’s next priority for digital transformation was a series of processes related to student threat assessments, bullying investigation and Title IX protocols.
“The threat assessment and bullying investigation process is vital for student, staff and district protection,” said Goerner. “Our students’ safety is always important, but the proper collection of documentation is just as important for other districts and state reporting purposes.”
Previously, Coppell ISD captured the threat assessment information in a Google Form, which did not allow for an accurate information flow throughout the whole process. Notifications to campus and district administrative staff were sent out manually, which would often slow down completion time or create gaps where crucial staff members were left out of notification process. In instances of bullying, the manual threat assessment form had to be completed, as well as a separate paper-based bullying investigation process.
Goerner developed a Laserfiche workflow that includes:
An up-front student threat assessment form, which helps administrators develop a student support plan
Automatic creation of the student support plan form in Laserfiche
Automatic assignment of the student support plan to a student counselor, who receives regular email notifications to report student progress on that form
Digitizing these processes has allowed Coppell ISD to combine the requirements of the threat assessment form within the bullying investigation form, simplifying the experience for staff members. Students who require interventions now automatically get a support plan put in place within the bullying investigation form, which reduces the amount of paperwork and process steps significantly.
“Counselors and administrators are excited because it’s going to save so much time and eliminate so much manual tracking of support plans.” said Goerner.
Upon deploying the threat assessment process, turnaround time on completion of a safety and support plan for students has significantly dropped, from about a workweek to as short as one day. Campus staff that are required to provide interventions are notified immediately, and the digital process is a key accountability tool to ensure timeliness in implementing interventions for students. Taking advantage of Laserfiche’s wide array of tools, threat assessment/bullying intervention documentation is automatically added to students’ cumulative folders, easily redacted in the event of an open records request and automatically transferred to the correct office for students who change schools. Via the integration, the new threat assessment process writes directly to eSchoolPlus for data tracking and state reporting as students transfer between Texas school districts.
With so many existing success stories with Laserfiche, the district already has its next project lined up: an overhaul of the Title IX investigation process. They are currently working with Cities Digital as their Laserfiche solution provider.
At Laserfiche we’re always looking forward. We also know that governments and educational institutions are continuously searching for new ways to address their unique challenges.
That’s why in the new year, we asked one of our resident industry experts — Noel Loughrin, Senior Strategic Solutions Manager: Government and Education — to make predictions about what innovations and ideas that governments and educational institutions are going to prioritize in 2024.
Governments will improve operations by following best practices and embracing digitization:
The digitalization of services remains a prominent trend in the government landscape as technology continues to evolve and innovate. Developing strategies for the implementation of AI, system integrations, and digital data and records management will be crucial for governments as they advance their digitization initiatives.
In 2024, more government institutions will make the move to the cloud. The great thing about the cloud is its scalability and the abundance of tools and applications available for end users. My recommendation for best practices when transitioning to a cloud solution is to evaluate your organization’s processes to identify gaps or inefficiencies and then develop solutions within your cloud system that can help you address these gaps or inefficiencies. Additionally, it’s vital to examine all the cloud solutions within your organization and determine if and how to integrate them. Efficiency and productivity are compromised when staff must switch between systems to access the information required for their project or cases.
If you haven’t already built a roadmap or strategy for digitizing your agency or department – now’s the time. Begin implementing tools that facilitate digital forms and data collection while devising automated processes to eliminate some of the traditional manual work your staff has been tasked with. The shift to digital data collection will empower you to begin creating automated processes that were historically handled manually, resulting in time savings and a reduction in the processing and recording of incoming information within your agency. With the time saved, consider reprioritizing efforts to enable your staff to accelerate the migration of paper records into a digital solution.
AI: 2024 will continue to be a year of exploration and consideration by public organizations on the role AI will play to improve communities and ultimately benefit citizens. AI is an excellent assistant and can be utilized to extract and summarize information, even serving as a 24/7 concierge for constituents. We can anticipate the emergence of numerous AI tools designed for enterprise use, enabling them to operate within a closed system, extracting organizational data for internal purposes rather than public consumption. These are poised to be extraordinary assets for government operations, as they can significantly enhance process efficiency and data management.
Educational institutions will be empowered by AI-driven digital transformation:
There has been a growing interest in ecological validation within higher education. In 2024, institutions will explore technologies that offer solutions enabling them to deliver coordinated, connected efforts that help students succeed. In the realm of K-12 education, there is a growing demand for digitization and centralization of records, which allows schools and teachers to access and secure vital records.
Digital Transformation will continue to play a significant role in supporting students, granting them unprecedented access to staff and information. This increased access will empower staff to identify trends and develop tailored approaches for individuals, while students will benefit from enhanced transparency and access.
In 2024, generative AI will continue to revolutionize higher education institutions by creating a more connected and intelligent campus. AI can and will be used as an assistant, aiding staff, colleges and universities in locating essential information and aggregating data for comprehensive reports and insights. Moreover, AI can be leveraged to create more personalized experiences for students by quickly assessing their records and forecasting trends, enabling more informed advice and support. What was once a one-size-fits-all approach can now be easily transformed into an individualized approach, yielding more successful outcomes for students.
Start your digital transformation journey
Want to make an innovative start to 2024? Check out the following resources to learn how ECM can be your organization’s key to newfound efficiencies this year.
Schedule a personalized Laserfiche demo
A complete ECM solution like Laserfiche can help your organization dramatically improve the efficiency of its business processes. See first hand how Laserfiche can be your solution and schedule a demo.
Discover powerful solutions on the Laserfiche Solution Marketplace
Some of the more robust ECM systems, including Laserfiche, offer marketplaces for process templates that organizations in a variety of sectors, including government and education, can use to jumpstart digital transformation initiatives. To learn more about the Laserfiche Solution Marketplace, watch the video below:
Gain new insights with our latest industry white papers
Check out this government sector whitepaper to gain insights on how state and local governments can best secure funding for workflow automation solutions and deploy them.
In addition, our education sector whitepaper can be a useful resource for educational institutions looking to maximize student success and improve the efficiency of their processes with enterprise content management.
Check out the G2 Grid® for Enterprise Content Management (ECM)
Comparing ECM systems? Compare the top vendors in the space with the G2 Grid® for Enterprise Content Management (ECM):
Patricia Clay, CIO for Hudson County Community College, discusses the challenges, progress, and future prospects for transitioning administrative processes from paper-based to digital.
Patricia Clay, CIO of Hudson County Community College, on using Laserfiche to guide its digitization efforts, implementing new workflows and streamlining processes to make employees’ lives easier.
A process automation team at Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale’s School of Medicine uses Laserfiche to automate paper-based tasks. According to Jennifer Washburn, IT manager at the SIU School of Medicine, “The demand for services just keeps growing.”
