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Project Management Case Studies: Paperless Admissions

Project Manager: Kim Dalziel

Why the University needed this project

When the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) announced that they would be withdrawing the provision of paper admissions forms from the 2013-14 admissions cycle the University needed to find a solution for handling this change to continue the core business of assessing applications.

What we did

We explored several options before agreeing to introduce Tribal’s paperless UCAS mode. The Paperless Admissions Project was split into two phases; a pilot to introduce the paperless model to three sample departments and the full roll out during the 2013-14 academic year.

One of Kim’s first roles was to organise workshops to identify the process of confirming applications and the management information requirements. Then the training requirements of all staff due to use the new system were confirmed. Once Tribal had developed a confirmed functionality this had to be tested and any new requirements identified.

What benefits the project brought about

Following full roll out, as well as meeting the requirement for UCAS, the Paperless Admissions project also delivered other benefits to the University:

  • Improved flexibility for staff by allowing remote working without having to transport paper forms.
  • Improved data security by eliminating the requirement for hard copies.
  • Reduced resource requirement within the Admissions department, as there was no longer the need to file 30,000 paper applications.
  • Improved audit trail.
  • Reduced reliance on data inputting and therefore improved quality of data.

Moving forward

A new project, entitled Universal Admissions, is now underway. This project will look at the admissions processes and systems across the whole University, regardless of course or route of entry.