Digital transformation is no longer just a buzzword; it has become a critical strategy for institutions looking to enhance their operations, streamline processes, and improve student experiences. For higher education institutions, particularly those recruiting international students, this shift is critical as they navigate the complexities of CAS, visa issuance, and student arrivals.
I truly enjoy working alongside universities in the UK to help them improve operations, streamline processes, and create impactful student experiences. With over a decade in higher education recruitment and marketing, I understand the challenges institutions face when it comes to digital transformation - especially in managing international student journeys and processes.
Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting a webinar where partners from St. Mary’s University, the University of East Anglia, and the University of South Wales shared their strategies and insights for successfully implementing digital transformation projects within their institutions. Together, we highlighted six key tips to help guide institutions on a smoother path towards transformation. We’re certain that these practical steps will support your institution in planning, adopting, and effectively managing a digital transformation project that makes a real impact.
- Getting internal buy-in: making a joint case for transformation
- Choosing the right integration approach
- Streamlining processes: simplifying CAS & Visa management
- Unexpected benefits: cross-departmental collaboration
- Managing agents and enhancing student communication
- Measuring success: Data Insights
1. Getting internal buy-in: making a joint case for transformation
One of the first steps to any successful digital transformation project is securing buy-in across the institution. As illustrated by our partner at the University of East Anglia, uniting departments like admissions, recruitment, compliance, and IT is critical for a solid joint business case.
“We built the buy-in between two departments, really; it was recruitment and our compliance team.” - Joe Paley, Head of International at the University of South Wales
🔑 Key Tip: To gain buy-in, emphasise the clear benefits that automation can bring, including reducing manual tasks, minimising human error, and enhancing the student experience. At East Anglia, for instance, they demonstrated how Enroly’s platform could eliminate the error-prone spreadsheet work that often bogged down CAS processing.
2. Choosing the right integration approach
Depending on the institution’s resources, there are multiple ways to integrate a digital platform like Enroly. Institutions may start with simple CSV drag-and-drop functionality or go for a full, two-way system integration. St. Mary’s University, for example, used a secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) that updates data three times daily, ensuring smooth onboarding despite limited IT resources.
“We have a simple setup...it’s a file transfer, it’s automatic, and it comes three times a day. So it was useful for us to use this transfer as an initial setup.”
- Shani Moncrieffe-Plentie: International Admissions Manager at St Mary’s University
🔑 Key Tip: Start with a solution that suits your current capabilities and consider more advanced integration in later phases. A soft launch, as done by St. Mary’s, is an excellent way to refine the system and ensure a smooth roll-out.
3. Streamlining processes: simplifying CAS and Visa management
One of the biggest challenges for institutions is managing the volume of applications during peak seasons. The manual nature of those processes lead to inefficiencies and errors. Enroly’s platform centralises the approach, enabling admissions teams to track student progress, verify documents, and communicate with students and agents in real time. This has reduced processing time by 80% and drastically cut down on time, errors and email traffic.
“Prior to CAS shield... I remember using spreadsheets after spreadsheets... it just left us with a lot of room for error.” - Syed Nooh Head of Global Insights and Market Development at the University of East Anglia
🔑 Key Tip: Use automation to eliminate repetitive tasks and allow teams to focus on high-value interactions. A good tool will provide real-time tracking, reduce email overload, and ensure compliance.
4. Unexpected benefits: cross-departmental collaboration
Digital transformation like this isn’t limited to admissions and compliance; other departments like accommodation, finance, and student services will also benefit. The University of South Wales, for instance, uses Enroly’s platform across multiple departments, improving overall efficiency and the experience for students, their staff and their agents.
“We’ve got our Student Life team and various others looking at ways of utilising the platform. The accommodation team is using it in order to understand when students are arriving, because they can obviously put their expected arrival date, whether or not they've booked accommodation. We’ve also had an unexpected benefit recently of giving access to people from our faculties to keep track of their plans and performance... it really does go across various departments.”
- Joe Paley, Head of International at the University of South Wales
🔑 Key Tip: Consider the holistic needs of your institution when planning implementation. A collaborative, cross-departmental approach not only streamlines processes but fosters greater communication and collaboration.
5. Managing agents and enhancing student communication
Agents are crucial in international recruitment, and a strong digital transformation strategy can significantly enhance their efficiency. By using Enroly, agents track applications in real time, upload documents, and ensure that students are actively involved in their own journey - empowering both agents and students.
“For me, it’s beautiful, because I tell my agents... let the student do their part...that would prepare a student mentally should there be questions later down the line.”
- Syed Nooh Head of Global Insights & Market Development at the University of East Anglia
🔑 Key Tip: Choose a solution that enables both students and agents to track progress and communicate effectively. This transparency reduces errors, missed deadlines, and provides peace of mind for all.
6. Measuring success: Data Insights
A successful digital transformation project must be measurable. Real-time tracking of student applications, visa approvals, and arrival schedules is invaluable for adapting strategies, preparing for peak times, and forecasting needs. Our partner universities have found that the ability to track data enables them to predict recruitment trends, adjust for high-demand courses, and anticipate visa delays.
“For recruitment, it’s about improving our numbers. For admissions, it’s about improving the student experience and speed from offer to CAS to visa.”
- Joe Paley, Head of International at the University of South Wales
🔑 Key Tip: Set clear, measurable goals from the start, such as reducing visa refusals or speeding up CAS processing times. Leverage Data Insights to continuously monitor and refine your approach.
Final thoughts
Digital transformation is now essential for universities aiming to remain competitive and deliver an exceptional student experience. Automating CAS, visa management, and arrival scheduling helps institutions reduce manual errors, foster collaboration, and create a smoother, more efficient journey for international students.
With one in three Higher Education institutions already on the Enroly platform, it’s our experience that successful transformation requires thorough planning, buy-in, and solutions tailored to the unique sector needs. We’ve approached the development of our solutions with the mindset of "for the industry, by the industry," building on our team's experience working within the industry for years and ensuring our platform seamlessly integrates across departments without strain of IT-heavy onboarding.
What’s unique about Enroly’s approach is our commitment to minimising institutional workload while enhancing transparency and accuracy. ”Our goal is to make the adoption process as seamless as possible, supporting institutions on their digital journey and equipping them with tools for tangible, transformative results."
If you’re considering digital transformation within your institution and would like guidance on building a strong foundation, we’re here to help. Contact us and request our Digital transformation business case template - designed specifically for higher education institutions. This resource will provide you with a clear framework to gain buy-in, define your goals, and set measurable success criteria for your project.
Let’s start the journey toward a successful and collaborative digital transformation progression!
