Technology is set to revolutionize the education sector even further during the coming years. These days, most of the schools and colleges have deployed ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems to get the best out of their existing resources.
Why Opt For CRM When The Institute Already Has An Erp System Deployed?
Both solutions have multiple similarities, and features do overlap in some areas. But, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) focuses more on building relationships, while ERP solutions are programmed to work towards optimizing the use of existing resources by streamlining business processes.
It is of common knowledge that CRMs are designed to work like social apps. Thus, they offer personalized communication tools enabling institutions to create high-touch relationships with prospects, affiliates, donors, alumni. The system also improves parent-teacher, parent-student communication.
CRMs for educational institutions are designed to assist and manage several micro-processes between alumni’s inquiry to enrollment procedures. Handling questions from applicants, managing students’ communication, sending notifications concerning admission, and generating reports about the same for the management are some of them.
A reputed CRM development company can offer customized CRM solutions that integrate with the institution’s existing ERP and other software.
Simplifying Admission And Recruitment Procedures
Prospects and students can access the simple user-interface and fill-up forms. The same goes for teachers’ recruitment. From collecting the candidate’s application, scheduling the face-to-face interview, to the evaluation of his/her skills, the education CRM can simplify the procedure and save time.
The same system can also be used for automating social media, email marketing campaigns for boosting recruiter productivity and meeting recruitment as well as admission related goals.
Multiple-Campus Inquiry Management
Higher management working for educational institutions that have multiple campuses find it difficult to ensure students and parents councilors are following proper procedures. Questions about admission need to be answered promptly in today’s competitive environment. Inquiries can come in the form of email, phone call, chat helpline message, or even a social media comment. The customer relationship management system captures all the data and makes it available at one place to ensure these leads are followed up on time by the admission team. For avoiding delays in reverting, the data can also be managed centrally, from the institution’s corporate office.
Educational Institutions Are Like A Village
A higher educational institution can work smoothly only if various departments collaborate, work together. Students are not bothered to know the name of the department they deal with, and expect seamless experience during their interaction.
Unfortunately, some colleges and schools still fail to run smoothly due to a lack of communication and collaboration between different departments. CRM system helps in breaking down the silos. It promotes internal collaboration culture and increases constituent participation in various processes. People start working as a community.
Instead of using email for communication, various teams from the institution can interact with one another using the CRM community post or chat option. Management employees can also work as a resource for each other.
Sharing files and other content within various departments becomes easy. There is no need to use email for sharing bulky documents, file ‘drag, and drop’ works within seconds! Collaborators can see the data and share their comments instantly.
Brainstorming ideas with co-workers becomes easy. Members can participate and share their opinion on issues.
The customer relationship management system works as a standard data storage tool for the organization. So, student-facing and back-end employees can use the self-help features to find answers, check procedures for the most complicated issues.
As the system can be accessed via various computing devices, including smartphones, employees can collaborate from wherever they are. All that they need is an internet connection for accessing the system.
Even external volunteers like alumni, hiring companies, NGO partners, and lecturers or instructors can be given temporary access to the system. They can be added as guest participants in working groups.
Access To 360-degree View When It Comes To Students’ Information
Identifying students needing academic improvement, and proactively helping them to improve can help in ensuring high student’s, parents’ satisfaction rate. It also contributes to creating an active student community. The procedure becomes easy if the institution has access to a 360-degree view when it comes to students’ information.
CRM works as the ultimate standard tool for all student-facing staff members. Executives working on enrollment services, academic affairs, counseling, and trainee engagement can use a single platform.
Customization Of Student-school Communication
These days, students and parents prefer to communicate via school apps, email, and even social networking sites. Thus, schools and higher education institutions need to be able to customize their way of communication for offering personalized content to every student.
Students also share their academic life experiences on blogs, forums, and communities. A social CRM helps the organization in tracking these experiences and creating personalized student interactions for offering resolutions to the highlighted issues.
Handling Relationships With Donors And Alumni
Not everyone can afford quality education in India in spite of government initiatives. Thus, schools and colleges in some states go beyond mandatory RTI admission by taking the initiative to offer concessions to students from economically weaker sections. The funds for these admissions come from past students, existing supporters, and donors. Thus, managing relationships with these stakeholders remain crucial. A custom-made CRM helps in managing relationships, especially, communication with such donors to keep them well informed about the use of their funds.
Higher education institutions are involved in numerous activities throughout the day. Put simply; the CRM acts as a single system that can help the educational institution in keeping track of communication with internal and external stakeholders.
Selecting the right CRM software development company is crucial to ensure the institution has the most suitable combination of ERP and CRM in place. If you are looking for a vendor experienced in offering CRM development services to educational institutions, you should contact Smart Sight Innovations for discussing your requirements. The team has more than a decade worth of experience in developing apps for various domains.
