Business Process Management Uses For Universities

Business
Process Management, or its abbreviation rpa BPM, implies that it has something to
do with improving business processes. Many businesses can benefit significantly
from taking a step back to analyze their business process, model its ideal
flow, and improve their efficiency. However, in reality, things are not all
that simple. Every business is different and so the end to end flow will also
differ. The same goes for universities.

The reason
weve limited our discussion of BPM to universities is that they are rife with
tones of paperwork. Everything from admissions, to accounting, HR, financial
aid departments, and even administration is loaded with stacks of paper. So,
there is a dire need for many universities to automate the flow, which will not
only improve efficiency but reduce administrative costs, support a more
productive environment and root out inefficiency.

Streamlining and Automating Accounts Payable

The
accounts payable department in most if not all universities tend to be paper-heavy.
You have checks, purchase orders, invoices all of which have to be processed,
then duly reviewed and later authorized. So, if a university were to apply
automated BPM to it for processing invoices amongst other things, the system
would be able to process over a thousand invoices each month, replacing the
need for what would otherwise have been handled by three clerks. All that would
be required is to make invoices electronic, create a cohesive and efficient
workflow that routes the document through the right review channels.

Contract Management

Now, this
is another paper heavy department in your average university and involves a
great deal of back and forth between different parties before it is approved. Paper
can make what is otherwise a long and tedious task even longer and more tedious
because the process is inefficient. However, by implementing automated BPM
systems in this department, it is possible to decrease the processing time from
up to eight weeks to just two weeks for a contract. A similar approach has been
proven to work at Texas A&Ms Administration Office.

The Advancement Process

Many
non-profit universities heavily rely on donations. However, traditionally
processing donations is very paper-heavy and time-consuming. Using a document
management system can help the advancement department easily process upwards of
5k donations each year. Not to mention do away with rooms stuffed with
thousands of files.

Student Services

Student
services include many different processes, from petitions to student aid.
However, almost every step is initiated with filling a form and those forms
need to be processed. When Business Process Management automation is applied to
this department, it can improve application and petition time by over 40% at
least. Electronic forms along with automated workflows, can make management
very easy.

Conclusion

Above is
just a glimpse into the benefits that Business Process Management can deliver
to universities. However, it isnt limited to universities but can include
schools, colleges, and independent teaching services. The key to success with
BPM is to make sure that the process is neatly streamlined and automated to
avoid potential hiccups.