Education workflow automation: What it is and why you need it for your institution

Education workflow automation empowers educational institutions to automate repetitive administrative processes, allowing educators and staff to focus on what matters most: delivering quality education and supporting student growth.

Using automation technology and intelligent systems, secondary and higher-ed schools can optimize administrative workflows, reduce manual processes and change how they operate.

This article explores education workflow automation solutions, their underlying principles, benefits and the technologies that make automation possible.

What is education workflow automation?

Education workflow automation refers to implementing automated systems and technologies in higher education institutions to streamline and optimize various administrative processes. It uses software, tools and intelligent systems to automate repetitive tasks, improve efficiency and enhance the student experience.

In education, workflow automation simplifies and accelerates processes such as:

• Enrollment management
• Student records management, like student applications
• Document management
• Human resources
• Communication

Workflow automation isn’t the future. It’s the here and now.

How does education workflow automation work?

Education workflow automation utilizes various technologies and tools to achieve its objectives.

These tools may include automation software, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, drag-and-drop interfaces, no-code development platforms and application programming interfaces (APIs) for seamless integration with existing systems. These tools enable the creation of automated workflows, the digitization of paper forms, real-time notifications and the optimization of approval processes.

Here’s an example of how education process automation can work during the enrollment process:

1. Prospective students fill out an online application form using a form-builder tool.
2. The application form templates can capture all necessary information, such as personal details, academic history and desired program of study.
3. Upon submission, the automated system validates the form for completeness and accuracy.
4. The system automatically sends real-time notifications to the student acknowledging receipt of the application and providing further instructions.
5. The application data is automatically captured and stored securely in student records, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
6. The system prompts students to upload supporting documents, such as transcripts, recommendation letters or financial aid forms.
7. The automated system verifies document completeness and notifies students of any missing or incomplete documents.
8. The system securely stores and organizes the documents, making them easily accessible to the admissions team.
9. The system automatically routes completed applications to the appropriate admissions staff members based on predefined rules and criteria.
10. Admissions staff can access the applications through a centralized dashboard, allowing them to review and evaluate applications efficiently.
11. The automated system sends personalized, real-time notifications to applicants at various stages of the enrollment process, keeping them informed of their application status.
12. Once an application is accepted, the system automatically generates acceptance letters and enrollment packages.

Notice how every part of the enrollment process can be automated. You can even set automation up to collect enrollment fees and electronic signatures and send follow-ups and other initiatives to reduce human errors and time-consuming manual efforts, saving time (and money) for your institution.

The benefits of workflow automation for education

By automating various administrative and business processes, institutions can improve operational efficiency, reduce bottlenecks and enhance the student experience.

Prospective students can experience faster application processing, while current students can benefit from streamlined enrollment, onboarding and access to important information and services.

Administrative staff members also benefit from increased productivity and reduced manual workload, allowing them to focus on more value-add tasks.

For example, education workflow automation can help manage student records by digitizing and automating processes such as transcript requests, document storage and record updates. Administrative staff members no longer need to spend valuable time manually retrieving and organizing physical files.

This can have a ripple effect throughout your institution, allowing your staff to focus on providing timely and accurate information to students, supporting academic advising and facilitating transitions between academic programs.

How to set up workflow automation for your institution

Setting up workflow automation for your educational institution can completely transform your administrative processes and pave the way for student success.

One powerful automation solution to consider is RunMyJobs by Redwood, a comprehensive and user-friendly platform designed specifically for workflow automation in the education sector.

Here are the key steps to get started with setting up workflow automation:

1. Assess your workflow needs

Before implementing any automation solution, it’s crucial to evaluate your institution’s workflow requirements.

Determine the specific tasks and processes you want to automate to optimize productivity.

1. Identify the administrative tasks currently performed manually within your institution like student enrollment, document processing, financial aid management or student record updates.
2. Analyze the pain points and challenges associated with these manual processes. Are there bottlenecks, delays or errors that occur frequently? Identify areas where automation could alleviate these issues and streamline operations.
3. Engage with administrative staff, faculty and other stakeholders involved in the workflows. Seek their input on the existing processes, pain points they encounter and areas they believe could benefit from automation.
4. Prioritize the workflows based on their impact and potential for improvement through automation. Consider factors such as the volume of tasks, time-consuming nature, frequency of occurrence and potential for error reduction.

For example, you may find that the student enrollment process involves multiple manual steps, including data entry, document collection and routing for approvals. This process often experiences delays and relies heavily on email communication. Identifying this workflow as a priority can help focus your efforts on automating and streamlining this specific area.

2. Define workflow objectives

Clearly define your automation objectives. Are you looking to reduce manual workload, improve communication, enhance data accuracy or achieve other specific outcomes?

Setting clear goals will help guide the implementation process and ensure alignment with your institution’s needs.

One automation objective could be to reduce the manual workload associated with repetitive and time-consuming tasks, such as data entry, document verification or form processing.

3. Choose the right automation solution

Research and evaluate workflow automation solutions tailored for the education sector. RunMyJobs, for instance, offers a no-code platform that empowers institutions to design, build and deploy custom workflows without extensive coding knowledge.

Consider factors such as ease of use, scalability, integration capabilities and support services when selecting your automation solution.

4. Design workflows with RunMyJobs

RunMyJobs’ intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows you to easily design and configure workflows to align with your institution’s specific requirements. Define the workflow’s sequence of steps, decision points, notifications and data integrations.

Redwood offers a range of templates to kick-start your automation journey and accelerate the setup process.

5. Integrate with existing systems

To maximize the impact of automation, ensure easy integration with your institution’s existing systems, such as student information systems (SIS), customer relationship management (CRM) platforms or document management systems.

RunMyJobs offers many APIs and integration capabilities, enabling smooth data exchange and workflow coordination.

6. Test and refine

Before deploying your workflows, conduct thorough testing to ensure they function as intended. Identify any potential bottlenecks, errors or gaps in the automation process.

Iterate and refine the workflows based on feedback from users and stakeholders to optimize their effectiveness.

7. Train and support users

Provide comprehensive training and support to administrative staff members and other users who will be involved in utilizing the automated workflows. Ensure they understand how to interact with Redwood, monitor workflows and make adjustments when necessary.

Redwood offers training and support. This includes:

1. Onboarding support to guide your institution through the initial setup and configuration process. Our team can assist with workflow design, integration with existing systems and overall implementation strategy.
2. A certified professionals program to validate your team’s expertise with Redwood’s automation solutions.
3. Redwood University, a program designed to expand your knowledge given your current expertise level. Redwood also offers role-based learning paths for specific roles in your institution.
4. Comprehensive documentation and resources, such as user guides, tutorials and FAQs, to support users in understanding and utilizing the platform.

Redwood also offers ongoing support to address any questions, concerns or technical issues you may encounter.

Transform your institution’s workflow

Embracing workflow automation can lead to increased efficiency, streamlined operations and a focus on delivering quality education and student support. With the right tools, institutions can embark on their automation journey and unlock the full potential of workflow automation for the betterment of their educational ecosystem.