Eduvos has simplified student registration from a 90-day process to under an hour, and more than doubled its enrolment numbers, thanks a partnership with Microsoft technology partner Braintree.
Having previously struggled with a manual enrolment process and fragmented operating landscape, this institution has now implemented a streamlined Microsoft and Dynamics 365 solution. This means that real-time insights are now available across finance, students, academics, human resources, and faculty.
Eduvos has evolved from the original Computer Technology Institute, which was established in 1979, to one of South Africa’s largest independent private higher education institutions. With 12 campuses and over 20 accredited qualifications, Eduvos offers students a blended learning model which alternates between one week on-campus and one week off-campus.
Enrolment used to encompass the manual processing of an 80-page document per applicant, which needed to be physically signed, and the temporary recruitment of 120 staff to facilitate this. “Things happen much faster now, it’s almost instantaneous,” says Dr Riaan Steenberg, executive director at Eduvos.
“Our main obstacle was integration – without it, the different departments could not communicate with each other. Visibility, or the lack thereof, was the primary motivator to begin our digital transformation,” he adds. “We knew that the change did not just involve the systems. We needed to find a solution to become an entirely new entity, and the Braintree team could guide us there.”
The biggest challenge for Braintree was the timeline, with the integration of enormous amounts of data needing to be completed so that the system could be operational in time for the 2024 academic year.
Within a matter of months, every facet of student life from enrolment to course completion was integrated into Microsoft, with real time access to all required resources. This transformation has also resulted in a reduction in associated costs by as much as 90%.
In addition, all finance processes, budgeting, and expense management have been integrated into the Microsoft solution. This lets students access statements and documentation online.
Eduvos has also significantly improved its security score.