In today’s competitive higher education landscape, universities are continually seeking ways to optimise operations, reduce costs, and improve experiences for students, staff, and alumni. Institutions are under more pressure than ever to meaningfully engage and support students throughout their journey, adapt to new expectations, and better prepare their students for the world of work. A recent Connected Student Report (Salesforce, 2022) suggests higher education institutions must evolve to attract students amid rising education costs, employers removing degree requirements, and a growing skills crisis where just 32% of Gen Z employees feel that university equips them with the resources to learn the digital skills needed to thrive.
Only a third of students report having great university experiences (Salesforce, 2022), and universities understand that they must transform their processes in order to improve this statistic and stay competitive. Salesforce, the leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, offers a powerful solution to address these challenges. Let’s explore how universities can harness Salesforce to achieve these goals.
Streamlining Operations and Reducing Costs
Automating Administrative Processes
Salesforce can automate numerous time-consuming tasks, such as application processing, course registration, and financial aid applications. This automation not only reduces the workload on administrative staff but also minimises errors and speeds up processing times.
Centralising Data Management
By consolidating data from various departments into a single source of truth, Salesforce eliminates the need for multiple, often incompatible systems. This centralisation reduces IT costs associated with maintaining separate databases and improves data accuracy.
Optimising Resource Allocation
With Salesforce’s advanced analytics, universities can gain insights into resource utilisation across departments. This data-driven approach allows for more efficient allocation of funds, staff, and facilities, potentially leading to significant cost savings.
Enhancing Experiences
Personalised Communication and Onboarding Journeys
Salesforce enables universities to tailor their communication with students and alumni based on individual preferences, academic progress, and engagement levels. This personalisation can massively enhance onboarding and significantly improve student satisfaction and retention rates.
Streamlined Support Services
By implementing Salesforce Service Cloud, universities can provide students and staff with a single platform for accessing various support services, from academic advising to IT assistance. This streamlined approach reduces frustration and improves the overall student experience. Salesforce provides a 360-degree view of each student, including academic history, financial information, and support interactions. This comprehensive view further enables staff to provide more informed and efficient support.
Improving Efficiency and Satisfaction
Salesforce Chatter facilitates better communication and collaboration among staff members, breaking down silos between departments and improving overall efficiency. With Salesforce’s mobile capabilities, staff can access critical information and perform tasks on-the-go, increasing productivity and job satisfaction.
Streamlined Event and Donation Management
Universities can use Salesforce to organise and promote alumni events, track attendance, and gather feedback, all within a single platform. The CRM also simplifies the donation process, making it easier to contribute and track donor giving history. This streamlined approach can lead to increased donations and stronger alumni relationships.
By leveraging Salesforce, universities can reduce operational costs by over 25% (Salesforce, 2022) while simultaneously enhancing experiences for students, staff, and alumni. The platform’s flexibility and robust feature set make it an ideal solution for higher education institutions looking to modernise their operations and stay competitive in an ever-evolving landscape. As universities continue to face budget constraints and increasing expectations from stakeholders, adopting a powerful CRM like Salesforce is not just beneficial—it’s becoming essential for long-term success and sustainability in higher education.
Speak to us today if you are interested in Salesforce solutions for higher education, such as the comprehensive Education Cloud that encapsulates all of the above and more – a bespoke platform that can help universities exceed expectations throughout the student lifecycle.
References
Salesforce (2022) Higher Education Connected Student Report. Online [accessed 15/10/2024]. Available here.
Salesforce (2022) Salesforce Success Metrics Global Highlights Study.
Data is from a survey of 3,706 Salesforce customers across the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, Australia, India, Singapore, Japan and Brazil conducted between June 8 and June 21, 2022.