Online Application Strategies

1. Online Application Strategies eEnquiries/eApplications and alternatives

2. Why am I leading this? • Flinders International Office seeking enquiry management and online application facilities • Enquiry management also needed for domestic student enquiries • Overlaps with student support needs (eg enrolment helpdesk) ++ • Immediate priority is enquiries, then applications • Opportunity to see what others are doing and focus likelihood of Tech One option

3. Options? • Enquiries • Urgency from International Office for solution • FAQ and CRM • Hobsons EMT • eEnquiries module • Applications • Important but less urgent • Hobsons (large, expensive, overkill?) • Studylink (smaller, cheaper, not bad) • eApplications module • Not considering any in-house development

4. Systems involved • Student system, including application and offer details • E-applications and associated workflow processing • email from web page • In-house or custom development • Hobsons • Studylink • eApplications S1 module

5. Systems involved (continued) • E-enquiries relating to course applications • Various in-house solutions • Hobson’s service centre (contractual) • Hobson’s EMT (Enrolment Management Technology) • Studylink partnering with CRM provider • Customer relationship management • Wide range • Whole of service approach (enquirer to alumni)

6. Interest • Would the development of eEnquiries/eApplications be of interest? • Yes - has ranked priority 1 in the ‘new modules’ list • Response to survey:7/9 said (c) Yes, provided the scope of the development was sufficient to be competitive in the growing niche market

7. Warren’s picture?

8. Scope: eApplications • Allow prospective students to make application to the university via an on-line process with links to appropriate information to assist the applicant in their decision-making. • All international and domestic applicants seeking entry to award courses or units drawn from university award courses, but excludes those people who currently apply through TACs.

9. Scope… • Intuitive web-based application • a high degree of real-time validation • accessible to prospective students to lodge their (multiple) application details • check on the progress of same, • and receive highly personalised and data-rich on-line communications regarding the current status and ultimate outcome of their application(s).

10. Scope… • Validation checking against • entry requirements • other university defined rules • immediate conditional offer subject to verification by original documents or the electronic transfer of results. • Applications for advanced standing may also be facilitated during this process • Data to be transferred from the application form into appropriate corporate systems without the need for re-keying.

11. Scope… • Cater for specific requirements of different client groups • as applicants who are new to the institution • former or current students • agents • university staff. • Users able to seamlessly conduct all application and admission processes on-line including electronic document submission and retrieval and electronic fee payment.

12. Expectations • Streamline admissions processes and increase client satisfaction by: • improving information flows • improving operational efficiencies assisted by the automation of routine tasks and workflow • providing an immediate response or, at least, reducing current application turnaround times • increasing convenience to prospective students via ‘self-service’ mode

13. Expectations • improving visibility of process to clients • reducing manual processes including data entry by university staff • moving towards paperless processes for academic and administrative staff which will improve mobility and remote access for decision making • creating greater opportunity for follow-up and recruitment activities to increase conversions of applications into enrolments

14. eEnquiries/eApplications • Suitable for a T1 SM module? • Can scope of development be competitive in growing niche market? • Your thoughts? • Issues?