Recently, Formstack hosted a cool webinar all about digital transformation in organizations, with a spotlight on higher education. We heard from some awesome folks at Fordham University, who shared their journey into the digital world. The panel included Lacey Jackson from Formstack, along with Marlyn Soto and Raymond Belanfante from Fordham.
The Struggles of Going Digital in Higher Ed
Lacey kicked things off by laying out the challenges schools face when trying to go digital. Outdated software, broken workflows, and data silos are just a few headaches. Plus, there’s the tough balance of wanting to innovate while working with tight budgets and limited resources. So, what’s the game plan for tackling these issues?
Fordham’s Journey to Digital Transformation
Marlyn and Raymond jumped in to share how Fordham faced these challenges head-on. They focused on creating sustainable solutions that empower their teams and move towards decentralized workflows. They chose Formstack’s no-code platform and found it incredibly useful due to its drag-and-drop functionality and seamless integration with their ERP system. This allowed Fordham to implement automated solutions for tasks such as tuition remission and HR forms, highlighting the tangible benefits of digital transformation.
Getting everyone on board was easier than expected, thanks to a clear need for automation. They looked for early adopters—business partners who were eager to take control and experiment with the platform. Marlyn explained that by engaging these folks, the team could make things happen without needing a ton of IT support.
Quick Wins and Making Digital Transformation Accessible
Marlyn and Raymond talked about the “quick wins” approach, focusing on small victories to build momentum. They started by digitizing PDF forms, adding dynamic logic, and ensuring data integrity. Instead of stressing over making the perfect solution, Marlyn and Raymond aimed to get things rolling quickly.
They also highlighted how Formstack’s no-code solution made it easy for everyone to get involved. Whether you’re a tech whiz or a total newbie, the platform lets you customize solutions or just drag and drop what you need.
Standardizing Data and Keeping Things User-Friendly
When it came to governance, Marlyn and Raymond shared some best practices for scaling up and supporting users. They teamed up with key departments like HR and finance to get the tools and champions they needed emphasizing the importance of clean data and user accountability.
Governance was key to moving solutions into production, with tools for access control and data review processes in place. They even got student interns involved to gather user feedback, which was super helpful.
Marlyn and Raymond are all about continuous improvement and exploring new tech. They showed how using data to drive decisions can lead to better productivity, governance, and security in higher education.
Wrapping It Up
If you missed the webinar, no worries! This summary is your go-to guide for the key takeaways. Let Fordham’s story inspire your own journey into the future of digital transformation, especially with user-friendly tools like Formstack by your side. Watch the whole webinar now on demand!
