Client:
A University Modernizing Student Services with Workday Student
Our client is a prominent higher education institution currently implementing Workday Student to modernize its core systems. While Workday serves as a robust foundation, it does not natively support several critical, customized, non-instructional student services that were previously managed in a legacy environment. To maintain operational excellence, our client required a bridge between their new ERP and these specialized workflows.
Challenge
Automating High-Volume Student Workflows in Workday Student
The institution faced the challenge of digitizing and streamlining three complex, high-volume student processes—Graduation Applications, Diagnostic Test Bookings, and Transcript Requests—while maintaining data integrity within the new Workday environment.
The existing processes relied on a patchwork of systems, email, and manual forms, leading to administrative overhead and a disjointed student experience. Key requirements that could not be met natively included:
- Dynamic Pricing and Payment Verification: Automating complex fee structures (early/late graduation fees and per-request transcript fees) and ensuring payment validity before service acceptance.
- Capacity and Eligibility Control: Enforcing per-test seat limits and automatically verifying student eligibility and academic holds.
- End-to-End Record Keeping: Ensuring all application, payment, and test score data was accurately transmitted and recorded in the core system as charge items or updated records.
Solution
Bridging Core Systems with Student Facing Service Workflows
Our firm leveraged Workato Workflow Apps (WWA) as the centralized, integrated platform for these three critical services. The WWA acts as a seamless bridge, connecting the student-facing portal to the institution’s core systems and payment gateways while providing robust reporting and error handling.
The solution focused on three primary automated workflows:
- Graduation Application: We automated online form intake, dynamic pricing logic (including early/late fees), eligibility verification, and payment processing, supported by daily reporting for all submitted requests.
- Diagnostic Test Booking: The system now handles online registration for both students and non-students, real-time seat capacity enforcement, temporary seat reservations during the payment phase, and automated bulk test score uploads.
- Transcript Request: We enabled online ordering with multiple fulfillment options (Mail, XML, Pick-up), integrated student hold verification, payment verification, and the daily transfer of requests for processing.
Value Delivered
Improving Student Experience and Operational Efficiency
The automation of these workflows yielded significant value across the institution:
- Improved Student Experience: Students now use a unified, branded, online portal for critical services, significantly improving transparency and accessibility through digital-first access.
- Administrative Efficiency: The automation of dynamic pricing, payment validation, and direct record creation frees up administrative staff from high-volume, repetitive data entry and manual fee reconciliation.
- Financial Integrity and Data Compliance: Student payments are verified and immediately recorded as charge items, ensuring accurate financial tracking. Furthermore, a direct API integration ensures that all data is reflected in the system of record, maintaining a single source of truth.
- Operational Control: The solution implements specific role-based security, allowing administrators to manage registration cut-offs and instructors to securely enter grades, all within a controlled, centralized system.
Summary:
Enabling Efficient and Compliant Student Service Delivery
The Workato Workflow App solution is now the essential platform that enables our client to fully leverage its modern ERP for administrative functions while delivering high-quality, efficient non-instructional student services. By digitizing these complex workflows, the institution has reduced its administrative burden and created a seamless digital experience for its student body.
Drew Ruttle is Project Manager at Dispatch Integration, leading initiatives that help clients optimize enterprise software and achieve strategic outcomes. With over a decade of experience in project management and training, Drew has guided teams across diverse industries, applying his expertise in implementation, technical support, and process improvement to deliver measurable results and operational efficiency.
