| Forward-looking colleges and universities are | | | | expect prompt responses to online inquiries, emails |
| embracing CRM in their business processes to recruit | | | | and phone calls. Manual tracking of enquiries could |
| and retain the most desirable students. These are | | | | result in leakage of leads and since each enquiry |
| challenging times for institutes providing higher | | | | represents a potential business opportunity, this |
| education, and to compete successfully it is important | | | | would translate into high value business loss. Enquiry |
| to adopt best practices that can enable them to | | | | management module in a CRM ensures that all the |
| consistently interact with their diverse stakeholders | | | | enquiries generated from marketing activities of the |
| (Students and corporates) in a highly personalized | | | | institutes are tracked effectively till the admission |
| manner. For Universities and business schools, | | | | stage. |
| students are their customers, but as CRM usage is | | | | • Placement - Attract new |
| widespread in the corporate sector, higher education | | | | corporations for campus placements basis the past |
| is far behind with CRM implementation. CRM in higher | | | | successful placements and students profile like |
| education encompasses the methodologies and | | | | education, specialization, summer training etc., and run |
| software that help institutions develop and manage | | | | vertical specific customized campaigns to attract |
| relationships with different constituents. Institutes are | | | | corporations and increase visibility in the corporate |
| also looking to improve their conversion ratios, from | | | | world |
| prospect to enrolment and reducing the number of | | | | • Alumni - Connect with Alumni, to |
| lost applicants/opportunities. | | | | promote alumni programs that can generate |
| Many higher education institutes, universities began | | | | contributions, and participations. Target the right |
| restructuring and reengineering their operating | | | | alumni for the right opportunity and promote |
| processes to cut costs. Many turned to enterprise | | | | continuing education programs by identifying those |
| resource planning (ERP) applications. ERP helped them | | | | who are likely to have high levels of interest in |
| automate and optimize their internal business | | | | executive level courses. |
| processes—in areas such as finance, grants | | | | The value proposition |
| management, student information, inventory | | | | • Higher application and enrolment |
| management, and human resources—and freed | | | | rates |
| them from some of the day to-day operations. The | | | | • Higher "brand" awareness with |
| focus is currently shifting from improving internal | | | | prospective students |
| operations to concentrate more on their customers | | | | • Higher outreach to corporations |
| – Students, Corporations, and Alumni. Proactive | | | | across different verticals leading to higher placements |
| institutions are now adjusting their practices by | | | | • Develop lifelong relationship with |
| refocusing their efforts externally. Because of the | | | | Alumni |
| need to concentrate more on customers, many | | | | A well - designed CRM software enables the |
| institutions are once again turning to | | | | institution to build deeper relationships with different |
| technology—this time to customer relationship | | | | constituents of the student lifecycle by managing |
| management (CRM) software. Similar to ERP, CRM | | | | student enquiries, corporate relationships and alumni |
| solutions focus on automating and improving | | | | communications from a single, intuitive interface. The |
| processes, although the focus is on front office | | | | end result is a stronger knowledge of these |
| areas, such as enrollment, marketing, customer | | | | audiences and better admissions and alumni relations |
| service, and support. | | | | outcomes for the institution. Whether you're looking |
| Modules that manage different touch points of the | | | | to recruit more students, shape your enrollment |
| student lifecycle | | | | funnel, retain students or engage alumni, a CRM |
| • Admission - With competing | | | | solution is a must early in the student engagement |
| institutions just a click away, prospective students | | | | lifecycle. |