Peter Nikoletatos, Industry Director for Higher Education, TechnologyOne and Adjunct Professor, La Trobe University, says ‘on-prem’ experiences no longer make the grade as higher education pushes boundaries towards the next wave of digital technologies.
Historically, universities haven’t always been the fastest adopters of digital technologies. But COVID flicked a switch that resulted in institutions across APAC accelerating their Digital Transformation efforts – especially through the adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS).
The technological benefits of SaaS have been clear for years, but the pandemic made the business case impossible to ignore. Today, 100% of our higher education customers are either using or committed to moving to SaaS technology to power their core back-office and administrative services.
An industry-wide evolution is fast taking place – but what does it really mean?
‘On-prem’ experiences no longer making the grade
In 2021, researchers from IBRS and Insights Economics estimated there was a potential ‘digital dividend’ of $8.4 billion over ten years if all Australian higher education institutions ditched their data centers and ran their operations on SaaS.
Moving to SaaS is high on many universities’ roadmaps as the requirement to work anywhere, anytime, on any device went from ‘nice-to-have’ to ‘critical’. Whether it’s students, teachers or admin staff, connected and seamless digital experiences have become non-negotiable and a sustainable choice for modern education.
Since 2019, we’ve been conducting annual surveys of around 1,000 Australian students. We have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of students prepared to change their place of learning for a better technological experience.
From administration to education, benefits all around
While happy students are a vital piece of the education puzzle, so too are happy employees.
Institutions that are already investing in SaaS solutions are noticing a significant increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative functions. This means staff can be more productive, spend less time on repetitive, manual tasks, and use their skills for what they were intended: to add value and support students.
The use of modern and easy-to-use technologies is also proving a successful way to attract and retain teaching and support staff, a real competitive advantage considering the current skills shortages.
Cost-saving lessons
The tertiary education sector has long been reliant on technology that requires significant hardware investment as well as ongoing budget for maintaining on premise infrastructure.
Beyond the end-user experience, SaaS solutions provide educational institutions with more resilience, flexibility and streamlined processes, enabling them to function more effectively and take advantage of cost-effective scalability and accessibility – allowing institutions to adapt rapidly to evolving technology trends.
Moving to the cloud lightens the load for the IT team and is a great way to enable universities and other higher education institutions to re-invest what they save on IT spends in areas that will instead support better educational outcomes.
How La Trobe University and Victoria University are benefitting from SaaS technologies
Based in Australia, La Trobe University is a great example of a higher education institution that has invested in a SaaS-based solution to support its operational, strategic and educational requirements.
According to the university, moving to SaaS has provided a unique opportunity to leapfrog the industry, creating a sophisticated solution that has simplified operations and introduced an enhanced digital experience.
Similarly, Victoria University (a dual sector institution), which has several campuses across Australia, was an early adopter, moving to SaaS as early as 2017.
Since then, it has seen many benefits, including reducing time spent on ‘transactional activities’, freeing up resources for student’s needs and automating workflow – which has improved staff experience.
From helping higher education institutions optimise their campus operations to improving enrolment processes in a hybrid world, SaaS adoption is changing the face of Australia’s education industry.
Class of ‘24: Artificial Intelligence, digital experience platforms and more
We can confidently say that the era of ‘on-prem’ is over. With most higher education institutions investing in Digital Transformation, and both staff and students asking for more modern, digital experiences, the industry is already pushing boundaries towards the next wave of digital technologies.
Universities that lay comprehensive modern foundations today will benefit from even more efficiencies tomorrow. By implementing SaaS solutions, universities will streamline administrative processes, enhance online learning capabilities and leverage data analytics to optimise resource allocation and student support – ultimately leading to long-term operational efficiencies and improved academic outcomes.
Indeed, operating in a SaaS environment offers the ability to reap the benefits of other technologies such as AI and new generation, customer-facing technologies, like TechnologyOne’s Digital Experience Platforms (DXP).
DXP and AI – including generative AI – have the potential to provide hyper-personalised experiences for students. They bring together and make sense of data from disparate systems, leading to a simplified and automated administration with a clean interface.
They can also support students throughout their learning journey in ways never seen before, including using data analytics to identify when they may be struggling, including directing them to the right support services.
Australia’s education sector in training for the future
It is clear technology will keep driving the higher education sector to innovate further and faster than ever before.
A strong SaaS foundation is an absolute necessity to future proof institutions and students’ outcomes in a world where modern technologies are moving from niche to mainstream.
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