CRM Case Study Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Darlington College

Summary
The Concentrix CRM solution enabled Darlington College to: More effectively engage with local employers and compete with other training providers Reduce silos of information through a central database Improve marketing and campaign management Track, manage, report and improve on performance Streamline processes so they are efficient, effective, and compliant Provide a solid platform on which to extend CRM throughout the organisation

Introduction
Employing around 500 staff, Darlington College is one of the largest Further Education Colleges in the North of England. Operating from a main centre in Darlington, Darlington College offers a broad range of educational opportunities and related services. These are open to students of all ages - from school leavers to those returning to education. For local businesses, the college offers Apprenticeships, Train to Gain and tailored training opportunities.

The Need for CRM

Before the project started, the college had been using aging in-house databases throughout the organisation. This resulted in silos of information, disparate data and slow processes. As a modern educational establishment continually striving to deliver the highest standards possible, Darlington College assessed its internal systems, processes and IT infrastructure to look at ways it could improve efficiency when dealing with local employers. The college needed a comprehensive CRM solution that would help them engage and communicate more effectively with the local business community, increase competitiveness against other training providers, achieve high employer satisfaction and make the most of any external funding. They wanted to ensure all employer contact across the college was recorded in one place, while helping facilitate a robust marketing strategy for employer engagement.

Aims and Objectives

The CRM system would be a key tool in helping Darlington College towards being the training provider of choice for the majority of local employers. The primary objectives were to deliver services in an appropriately sensitive and responsive manner, given the sectors in which the college operates. The system had to provide a central database to store and manage contact, accounts, course and communication information. The college also wanted better tracking, management and reporting to improve on performance, while ensuring processes were efficient, effective, and compliant. Strong marketing and campaign management functionality was also essential.

Choosing a CRM Provider

When looking for a CRM solution, Darlington College put the project out to formal tender and contacted a number of organisations. Concentrix responded to the tender and, as independent CRM specialists not tied to any one software manufacturer, could provide unbiased advice and recommendations about the system most suited to the colleges requirements. Concentrix also had strong solution references within the education sector.

Partnership Approach
Concentrix takes a partnership approach to delivering CRM solutions and were delighted to win the tender. Kath Walker, Project Manager at Darlington College, commented Concentrix made it clear that they would work alongside us and provide the support necessary to make sure our CRM project was a success.

The CRM Solution

The new CRM solution would initially be used by 25 staff in Darlington College's Employer Engagement Team. The choice was to invest in upgrading and modifying an incumbent system, or change to a new one. After discussing their requirements, Concentrix recommended Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Darlington College liked the way Microsoft Dynamics CRM presented seamless integration and a familiar look and feel to other Microsoft products. This would make it easy for staff to learn while helping user buy-in. Above all, Microsoft Dynamics CRM is extremely powerful and featurerich, and its flexibility meant Concentrix could adapt and configure the product exactly as the college required.

The Results

After choosing Concentrix to deliver the solution, the college wanted to get started on the project almost straight away. Concentrix worked closely with the Darlington College project team to fully understand their needs and plan the implementation. The careful scoping and requirements planning at the beginning of the project and close monitoring as the project progressed, ensured the system would meet the college's requirements.

Over the next few weeks, Concentrix developed a project roadmap, configured, installed and tested the new system, produced documentation, carried out user training and provided support.

The implementation ran smoothly with minimal disruption to the colleges day-to-day running, and was up and running quickly and efficiently. Kath explained Microsoft Dynamics CRM provided a lot of what was needed 'out of the box', but the real value was in Concentrix's ability to tailor the CRM solution precisely to our needs.

We now have all our employer contacts in one system, and are managing our marketing strategies for Employer Engagement much more effectively.

Conclusion
The first stage of the colleges CRM project was a great success and helped them achieve excellent results in terms of employer engagement, improved marketing and helping towards an outstanding Ofsted report. The college has plans to roll out the system to other departments to continue to build on this success. Concentrix is currently exploring the next phase with the Darlington College team.