Being Productive

 ACE (2024) suggests that productivity tools can boost output and efficiency in finishing assignments; they are crucial to helping both students and teachers. Collaboration software, cloud storage, scheduling tools, and others make it easier and more productive for users to work together and access information from anywhere. Additionally, by using these technologies, users can save time and energy that can be used for other crucial duties.

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system helps manage customer data. It supports sales management, delivers actionable insights, integrates with social media, and facilitates team communication. Cloud-based CRM systems offer complete mobility and access to a diverse ecosystem.

CRMs In Education: Tasks & Uses

While CRMs are typically employed in corporate settings to handle customer interactions and optimize workflows, they can also be successfully applied in educational environments.

•    Typical tasks and uses of CRMs in education environments:
•    Admissions and recruitment of students
•    Act as Student Information System (SIS)
•    Student retention and management
•    Alumni management
•    Facilitating communications
•    Reporting and data analytics

Major CRMs Used in the Industry

Two major CRM systems include Salesforce CRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365. 

Salesforce CRM

Widely regarded as the industry leader, Salesforce has an extensive feature set that addresses every facet of customer relationship management. Small and large organizations love it for its broad network of integrations, scalability, and customized features. 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM

This CRM easily interfaces with other Microsoft products, such as Office 365, and is part of Microsoft's more extensive portfolio of business productivity software. It is renowned for its robust sales, marketing, and service operations, as well as its flexibility and deep analytics capabilities. 

Using CRM for Alumni Management

Let’s describe a process that compares important parameters before and during CRM adoption to evaluate the productivity gains offered by a CRM system in alumni management. Metrics like time spent, engagement rates, and fundraising amounts are tracked when manual tasks like updating alumni information, organizing engagement events, and launching fundraising campaigns are carried out. CRM solutions are then used to carry out these duties, which automate and streamline procedures. The comparison shows notable gains regarding fewer man-hours needed for record-keeping and event planning, higher alumni engagement, and more effective fundraising. Using CRM solutions highlights the advantages of implementing technology in learning environments by increasing alumni management accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

Conclusion

To increase productivity, CRMs are used in education settings to establish strong relationships with various stakeholders, improve institutional efficiency, and enhance the student experience. CRMs help educational institutions achieve their primary objectives of increasing institutional growth and student achievement.

References

American College of Education. (2021). Productivity applications for educational environments: Module 4 [Video]. Canvas. https://ace.instructure.com/courses/1958973/external_tools/118428

Business Applications | Microsoft Dynamics 365. (2024). https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365

CRM Software from Salesforce.com - Customer Relationship Management. (2024). Salesforce. https://www.salesforce.com/crm/ 

Semjonova, S. (2022). Your guide to Salesforce Education Cloud. Salesforce Ben. https://www.salesforceben.com/salesforce-education-cloud/