Campus service automation agility
As an increasing number of colleges continue to find new opportunities to increase flexibility and innovate their processes while reducing costs, automation might be an answer that helps them achieve both objectives. Advanced software such as chatbots or expense processing tools are to help the schools to achieve more cost-effective running.
In general, automation uses artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to complete processes without human input. The robotic automation is designed to speed up more repetitive processes resulting in efficiency. Admin departments, for example, handle the bulk work of sorting student applications and responding to requests. Especially during uncertain times like the pandemic, students and their families might have had more questions about colleges’ steps to handling the pandemic.
RPA allows algorithms to learn as they go and, to categorize the applications into groups automatically and with increasing accuracy. The controller at Eastern Michigan University said that their experience with automation has been helpful during the Covid-19 transition when college and other staff moved to work remotely, and the costs related to this needed to be tracked.
They integrated automated expense and invoice tools to help the back-office, so the team was able to focus on providing students and staff with the support they needed.
The sudden shutdown of campuses in response to the pandemic has been a reminder that institutions must be agile and prepared for potential crises. One of the advantages of automation is that certain services that are needed may be able to continue working, even when human input or control.
Utah Valley University has used automated chatbots to answer questions on various topics, from financial aid to admissions. These types of automation serve to reduce staff workload without the operations to be interrupted. Automation can be used in other key areas such as registrar and advising activities, scheduling, grades, and administration.
Several of the faculties of the University of Tulsa have made intelligent use of automated grading so that their time can be reinvested and they can focus on improving learning outcomes. An additional benefit of an automated system that goes beyond day-to-day workflow improvements is the ability to collect data that can be analyzed to improve operations even further.
The major benefits are more time-efficient processes that enable to invest the time and energy on priorities. This result is the data collection that then helps to reflect on the work and analysis over data. Institutions must continue modernization of outdated and tedious processes with the right systems and software in place in order to deliver a faster, more user-friendly experience for students, faculty, and staff.
