The Widening Student Service Gap - Michael Zastudil, Blackboard
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Technology is integral to the academic experience today. As the role of technology increases, demand for help desk resources and support increases as well. If resources are not growing to meet demand, student adoption and satisfaction can suffer. Blackboard’s IT Help Desk services make sure the technologies powering your campus accelerate learning rather than inhibit it. We can provide a unified and scalable solution that extends your IT support affordably, while offering personalized service that helps keep all of your users satisfied. More than 500 institutions currently use Blackboard Help Desk as an extension of their helpdesk support to: Improve end user satisfaction and adoption; Focus limited staff on complex support issues; and Off-load routine inquiries to self-service technologies or Blackboard advisors.
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The Widening Student Service Gap - Michael Zastudil, Blackboard
- 1. How to Meet Increasing Student Expectations The Widening Student Service Gap
- 2. Higher Education Today Tremendous competition for students Shifting student demographics Significant decreases in funding Focus on career outcomes and ROI
- 3. Budget Pressure 3 (Institutions) that can’t maintain quality will lose market share and relevance. Universities will be compelled to create new, leaner business models as competition increases for staff, students, funding and partners. “The traditional university model is the analogue of the print newspaper… 15 years max, you’ve got the transformation.” University Vice-Chancellor The university administration will need to be significantly leaner than it is today. Most universities at present have significantly more support staff than academic staff — this ratio will have to change.Outsources some back-office functions to realise lower operating costs, and/or drives efficiencies through shared services arrangements with likeminded institutions. Streamlined back office, including using outsourcing and/or shared services models to drive efficiency and economies of scale
- 4. Need to Streamline 4 Organisations in other knowledge-based industries, such as professional services firms, typically operate with ratios of support staff to front-line staff of 0.3 to 0.5. That is, 2-3 times as many front-line staff as support staff. Universities may not reach these ratios in 10-15 years, but given the ‘hot breath’ of market forces and declining government funding, education institutions are unlikely to survive with ratios of 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and beyond.
- 5. Widening Service Gap 5 Needsandexpectations Increased expectations and demand doesn’t always mean increased resources, so the institutional workload pays the price Time Widening gap
- 6. Traditional University Model 6 • Inconsistent Student Experience • Inefficient and costly silos • Little to no satisfaction measurement • Duplicate efforts • Multiple software solutions - Overlap
- 7. Future University Model 7 • Allows staff to focus on core functions • Consistent message • Accurate information (single version of the truth) • Better insight to student experience • Scalable and cost effective
- 8. 8 One Stop Service Desk Transcripts Admissions Student Accounts Advising Career Services Records Financial Aid Registration
- 9. Improving the Student Experience 9 Typically, there are two options… Do It Yourself Partner
- 10. Cost of Doing Yourself 10 One-Stop Infrastructure Costs (Telephony & Telecom, seat licensing, hardware, overhead) Leadership & Oversight (Management, Quality, Workforce Management, Training) Human Resource Cost (Recruiters, HR Professionals, Contractors, Overtime) Staffing Advisors/Agents One-Stop Technology Costs (CRM, Retention, Ticketing, Integration, Portals) Multiple Success Metrics Student Satisfaction Customer Effort Score Cost per Student Contact Support Awareness & Utilization Operational Effectiveness & Efficiency Staff Utilisation/Productivity Seasonality of Demand
- 11. Staffing Challenges 11 Limited ability to increase advisor pay and retain top talent Salary expenses vs. outsourced operating expenses Hiring ramp and decline during peak periods Recruiting and retention difficult to manage due to lower wage labor force Hiring & Retaining of Staff Budget Pressure Cost Controls Seasonality
- 12. Seasonality 12 22 18 19 19 18 20 20 20 20 18 14 22 0 5 10 15 20 25 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Volume Agents Monthly staffing needs range vary from 14 to 22 advisors
- 13. Technology Considerations 13 Integrating multiple systems to ensure a full view of student information Need to manage updates and content High cost of configuration and installation and risk Completing the due diligence required to select and procure the right technology solutions Selection Exercises Technology Compatibility Administration Implementation
- 14. Total Cost of Ownership Analysis 14 Accompanying detailed excel model with custom inputs and assumptions Apples-to-apples comparison of outsourcing vs. central management Customised assumptions based on preferences Examines help desk calls annually with region specific salary assumptions
- 16. Benefits of Working with a Partner 16 Included in Blackboard’s Solution Added Value of Outsourcing • Trusted partner with experience in call center operations and management for 13+ years • Cost control with ability to dial back on services vs. fixed staffing expense • Rigorous quality assurance, plus industry benchmarking against performance metrics/trends Telecom & License Fees Management & Training Hardware & Maintenance Continuous Improvement Vendor / Tech Selection & Management Seasonality & Ongoing Recruiting
- 17. 17 Blackboard Student Lifecycle Services Millions of students served 500+ clients 1,000+ advisors 7 million interactions per year 90+% satisfaction rate
- 18. 18 Simplified Student Experience Streamlined self- help tools to empower users Proactive resolution through predictive data and insights Mobile-friendly solutions that students prefer Disparate questions resolved in one place: “one version of the truth”
- 19. 24/7 Help Desk Services International Reach 19 Multi-Language Support Size, scale, and business health to quickly react to your needs Data security to protect proprietary information Complete visibility into performance and metrics
- 20. SmartView Technology 20 Self-HelpTicketing system Advisor Desktop Data Integration Data Portal Advisors or Staff Users LMS SIS CRM Institutional Data Systems Scalable 24/7/365 solution Integrated 360o view of student data Enables physical & virtual Support Multi-channel services delivery Improved problem resolution Effective Self-Service Faster, more accurate service Built-in Case Management Customised knowledge base Powerful analytics
- 21. SmartView Tools
- 22. Organizational Effectiveness 22 Question 1: “Was the advisor able to solve your issue or provide the appropriate next steps?” 92% 91% 95% 95% 95% 94% 95% 97% 81% 81% 86% 87% 84% 84% 85% 88% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100% Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Student Satisfaction Surveys Question 1 Question 2 Question 2: “Using a satisfaction scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is most satisfied and 1 is least satisfied rate your satisfaction received from today’s call.” Performance Metrics 00:30 Service delivery wait-time 89% Satisfaction 91% First-call resolution rates
- 23. 23 One-Stop Student Services Solution Comparison Chart
- 24. 2424 Enrollment Management Solutions Inquiry Management Increase application conversion rates Nurture prospective students with proactive outreach and customized communications Application Management Grow enrollments and application yield rates Optimize yield with personalized support through admissions and onboarding
- 25. 2525 Enrollment Management Capabilities A dedicated extension of your team to proactively guide candidates through the admissions process Outreach strategies and technologies that maximize contact and engagement with prospects Customized promotional content to highlight unique value propositions via phone, email & text Integrated marketing support ensures higher engagement rates to reinforce your brand message. Data and reporting on key performance metrics, application forecasts, and candidate feedback
- 26. 2626 Tracking Candidate Progress Ensure candidates complete critical steps Coaches guide and encourage progress Track critical milestones and deadlines Configurable Process Maps Inquiry > Application Program Overview Tour Campus Campus Overview FA Planning Session Visit Open House Visit FA Office Application > Enrollment Program Selection Assessment FA Completion Technology Session Advising Orientation
- 27. 2727 Reporting and Feedback QuarterlyMonthlyWeekly Activity Reports • Volume of new inquiries, applications and/or enrollments • Contact rates, contact speed, and engagement rates • Candidate progress through application and enrollment steps Conversion Report • Compare running conversion rates to benchmarks and goals Forecast • Predict application or enrollment volume per start date based on progress through funnel Business Review • Assess goal attainment for KPIs • Strategy review and updates Market Reports • Feedback from candidates who chose not to progress
- 28. 2828 An Extension of Your Team Partner Outreach Marketing Lead Workforce Management TECHNOLOGY Support Quality & Compliance Training COLLEGE Schools & Programs ACCOUNT Management Enrollment Manager ENROLLMENT Coaches
Notas del editor
- With the rise of competition for students and increases in costs, today’s traditional student expects that they will be provided service similar to what they experience in their personal life. 24x7, easy and quick. They expect technology to just “work” and if it doesn’t they expect to find quick answers online via their mobile phone…they might even chat with someone, but they certainly don’t want to call someone on their phone. This goes for just about any situation where they may need help, technology or otherwise. Alternatively, non-traditional students, faculty and staff are more apt to want to talk to someone as they want a personal approach. Both support methods need to be provided in an environment with decreasing budgets and increasing competition.
- Government looks to cut university funding by $1.4 billion over the next 4 years. This forces higher education to consider how they compete in their own markets and internationally with a leaner budget while maintaining quality and service. Institutions realize that they must adapt to the new reality. Cost savings must be found in order to invest and increase their “product and service” offerings to their “customers”. Leadership of forward thinking institutions realize they have roughly 10 years to transform their operations to remain relevant.
- Additionally the market forces of competition and reduced funding require institutions to streamline their support staffing. As you can see from the representative sample while most professional services operate with 1 support staff supporting 2-3 front line staff providing service to customers Most universities are operating with over a 1 to 1 ratio. While Universities won’t likely every have the ratio of support staff to front line staff as the private sector, efficiencies will need to be gained.
- All this leads to the “widening service gap” as the student demand rises resources are reduced and over time the gap gets wider and wider. Thus far, most institutions are making up the difference by stretching the staff to meet the increasing need leading to turnover and loss of institutional knowledge that further weakens the ability of the University to provide the level of service to satisfy demand.
- The traditional university structure that we all recognize operates in a less than optimized environment that is not conducive to delivering a single service desk, but rather a fractured student experience. With back off and student services delivered by different departments and technologies it is difficult to bring all of that into one single solution which results in customer service being provided by each area with little consistency or full understanding or measurement of the service delivery to students. Additionally recruiting is not always streamlined or supported consistency.
- A potential future model that can operate in the new reality streamlines the delivery of their “education products and services” through outsourcing non-core activities. In order to attract and deliver to new customers with a wider suite of offerings investments are made in delivering programs and strategic marketing and developing traction in new customer areas, such as international and corporate education. In this model student services and back office functions are outsourced or delivered in a shared service model and technology is utilized to ensure a consistent service experience and insight into the user experience. Additionally some enrollment and student acquisition functions are also provided outside of the institution.
- Most institutions are either considering or currently attempting to deliver a one stop experience for their students, but at varying degrees of sophistication. Many are putting all these departments into one building so that students don’t need to go all over campus to get answers to all of their questions. However, without a single service desk this is still a fractured service delivery. This also doesn’t support remote distance or non-traditional students who cannot visit these offices during business hours, nor does it provide a single application to track service request and it is not-practical to staff these types of one stop service centers 24/7
- In order to provide a true singular 24/7 virtual and physical one stop environment you can either develop in-house or work with a partner.
- There are quite of bit of factors that need to be considered if an institution wants to deliver these services internally. Perhaps the most costly is the method of staffing and selecting the advisors/agents who will provide the tier1 services directly to students faculty and staff. This staff is dedicated to providing support vs. delivering service as a part of their core responsibilities. In order to be effective service desks need to have an application that can provide self-service tools and tracking of service requests. There are many different service management applications to choose from and they are frequently a large investment. There are infrastructure costs that need to be accounted for such as telecom, hardware and maintenance. You need to account for management staff that can ensure efficiency of the staff through monitoring and quality reviews. You’ll also need content management to keep knowledge base content relevant as well as training resources available when staff turns over or new hires for peak periods. There is also a hiring cost that needs to be accounted for and in the contact center business turnover can be very high In order to measure success the service management system will need to be configured to capture user satisfaction, customer effort scores, cost per contact, self-help usage, service desk efficiency and measurement of request patterns, particularly during peak periods activity.
- The largest portion of cost comes from staffing and there are some unique characteristics of staffing a service desk. As I mentioned earlier, turnover can be high and recruiting can become a full-time job. You may not be able to keep your best performers very long as there usually little flexibility to increase pay. The seasonal aspect of higher education can either lead to unnecessary costs with advisors sitting idle for months at a time or a pattern of hiring and releasing advisors at the appropriate times.
- To highlight the point regarding seasonal hiring, here is a forecast of activity based on a US traditional semester schedule with start dates in Jan and August. This example is based on 77,000 service requests per year with a 60 second average response time. As you can see the staffing fluctuates fairly drastically throughout the year.
- In thinking about the technology costs and implementation, you’ll need to select the right technology solutions that will meet your needs across the organizations and depending on the complexity of the tool configuration and implementation can be costly, typically requiring working with a third party consultant. Critical to the process…the quality of the implementation of the service management tool can determine the success or failure of the service desk.
- We’ve developed a total cost of ownership analysis workbook that will help to identify and quantify the components and cost that would be required to build our your own service desk taking into considerations all of the items I just spoke about as well as others that most people don’t typically consider. This allows those considering setting up a service desk the internal vs. outsourcing costs via an apples to apples comparison customized to their preference of service levels, service request volume as well as regional costs. We are happy to go through this exercise with you and review the results to adjust to your unique situation. If you are interested, please contact your account executive.
- Here is a high level comparison cost for a university in the US that expected 77,000 incidents per year for IT technical support. The results take three categories into consideration. The first year investment in infrastructure and technology, annual staffing costs and the ongoing management and maintenance needed year over year. When you consider all the real cost to build your own service desk you can see the vast difference in the cost per contact.
- When you work with a partner you take advantage of the investments that have been made in service management technology, hardware, and management resources and an infrastructure that is designed to handle seasonality and continuous recruiting. There is already a framework in place to measure success and identify areas of improvement. You don’t need to worry about training or additional management staff or working with telecom vendors and monthly carrier charges. There are quality assurance processes and staffing already in place, as well as industry experience and benchmarking of your support program against like institutions. Cost is passed on to you through economies of scale and the ability to dial up and down staff for full utilization and maximizing the investment.\s.
- Blackboard has been providing service management solutions for over 13 years and we are the leader in higher education support for students, faculty and staff.
- Utilizing Black board Student Services for One-stop services provides several benefits, specifically, a centralized repository of knowledge that all departments can refer to and provide consistent information to students. Effective self-service to deflect live requests and provide support in a mode that students prefer. The ability to enhance support through analysis to provide more effective and targeted information on student behavior and needs…and all of this can be delivered in a mobile environment which is the method preferred by students.
- We deliver our live support services from 5 contact centers….3 in the US and 2 centers in Manilla that we invested in so that we can provide follow the sun support and have greater flexibility to support emerging markets in Asia pacific. We are expanding the Manilla operations to include support for multiple languages such as mandarin and Korean. This reach allows us to have an incredible amount of flexibility to support our customer’s needs wherever they are.
- Our platform is built on our proprietary system SmartView that we developed to support the unique needs of higher education. SmartView consists of 4 modules that our clients can utilize. We have a robust and customized support portal, branded to be an extension of your web pages. A robust ticketing and case management system that is role based and configurable to support any business processes and workflows. The service desk also contains the knowledge base that is easy to use to add content, modify articles and publish internally and externally. In addition, SmartView uses an advisor desktop that can pull data from multiple sources to display information relevant to supporting the student, faculty of staff. This information can come from the SIS, LMS or another CRM currently utilized so that all the information needed is in once place easy to find without having to log in to multiple systems to search. And finally, SmartView provides powerful analytics through our data portal so that you can see exactly what is happening with support. We provide an executive dashboard that reports on case activity and SLA management. That is backed by detailed reporting and analysis tools to customize the data that you’re interested in. You can even access and listen to call recordings through the portal.
- Here are some screenshots of SmartView. The self – help pages are responsive design so they render for use on mobile devices. Users can access the knowledge base though keyword search or browsing. We can also configure frequently asked questions. The SmartView service desk ticket management system has robust configuration options to customize the workflows and data that are collected during the support experience. This is also where the knowledge base module is and those users who have permission can modify or add content on the fly. There is also a screenshot of the executive dashboard showing the SLA management along with a high level view of case activity.
- One of the most critical pieces of a successful service desk that is frequently forgotten is the ability to gather performance data. We offer two methods of survey. There is an after call survey that is provided to each caller that asks if their issue was resolved and also asks for a satisfaction rating of the interaction on a 1-5 scale. Additionally, through case surveys we can gather free text comments that allow us to understand why a particular user was not pleased or their issue was not resolved. We also have the ability to track these results back to a case and phone call so that we can research the root cause of the issue. Was it that the student was provided incorrect information, were they frustrated with a particular process that they had to go through in order to get their issue resolved. This root cause analysis is the key to ensuring a continuous improvement process to get ahead of trends and improve service.
- We offer several levels of support to our clients. Whether you just need immediate help and someone to pick up the phone or you have some of the pieces already available and need us to augment support such as after-hours. And we can provide the full suite of services and products which essentially provides all the tools and support needed to provide a robust service desk.
- I also want to take a few minutes to talk about our enrollment services. We found that lots of institutions just don’t have the staff to be able to guide students through the application and registration process. So we have developed enrollment teams that learn the custom process at each client in order to better convert interested individuals to applicants and applicants to students.
- As a representative of the client we use a very custom approach that is based on each client’s value proposition to develop a communication plan that uses outreach strategies and engagement to drive results. Additionally, we provide extremely useful metrics to learn why students may decide not to attend, where else they may be going as well as better forecasting on enrollments.
- We develop in partnership with each client a custom process map that follows the institution messaging and value proposition. Gathering key information and milestones that can help guide students and provide the information needed for them to make an informed decision. We can then also take that applicant through the enrollment and registration process providing them key information to resources they have access to as well as key dates to deliver a cohesive personalized approach.
- Just like with the service desk, the one most critical component of the enrollment service is gather activity information and results to leadership to better plan and strategize to drive higher enrollments. Operational reports are delivered weekly, performance reports monthly and strategic reports for review with leadership are provided quarterly.
- With everything we do to support our partners we serve as an extension of your team. Our goal is to provide a better service experience to your students, faculty and staff while providing insight on how to improve as we move forward. We do this through the components that we’ve invested in…training, workforce management, quality assurances, operation management and technology. We also assign a dedicated account manager to be your evangelist within the organization and measure performance to goals.
- Here are some of the key partners that we’ve worked with for both service desk support as well as enrollment services.