Higher education institutions are faced with both limited budgets and a need to improve services for students and staff. Digitizing administrative processes can provide substantial cost savings while enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and overall satisfaction. By implementing enterprise content management (ECM) solutions like OnBase by Hyland, universities and colleges can streamline document management, automate workflows, and reduce manual tasks. Here are 10 specific cost-saving benefits that digital ECM can bring to higher education.
- Reduced Physical Storage Needs: Transitioning to digital document management eliminates the need for costly physical storage and archival space. Electronic records management saves on physical storage costs. Additionally, retrieval becomes faster and more efficient, which cuts down on staff time.
- Lower Paper and Printing Costs: Going digital means fewer paper forms, printed documents, and mailed communications. These savings, while small on an individual basis, add up quickly for institutions that handle large volumes of paperwork in admissions, registrar’s offices, and student services.
- Decreased Administrative Workload: Automating routine tasks like admissions processing, financial aid verification, and registrar requests lightens the workload for administrative staff, enabling them to focus on higher-impact work. This can reduce staffing needs or allow for personnel reallocation, which provides savings on payroll expenses.
- Improved Data Accuracy and Compliance: Digital platforms like OnBase enhance data accuracy through automation and eliminate manual data entry errors. With built-in compliance tracking, institutions avoid costly fines or penalties related to regulatory non-compliance.
- Enhanced Accessibility and Reduced Retrieval Time: Digitized documents are accessible from anywhere, so staff can locate files in seconds instead of hours. Retrieval speed boosts efficiency across departments and saves valuable time that would otherwise be spent searching through physical archives.
- Streamlined Financial Processes: By automating finance-related workflows for procurement, invoicing, and contract management, institutions can reduce errors, speed up approvals, and improve cash flow management. Digitization of these processes reduces reliance on physical checks and costly manual approval procedures.
- Minimized IT and Physical Resource Costs: Centralized document management systems diminishes the need for disparate storage solutions. A consolidated approach reduces IT maintenance costs and minimizes the expenses associated with physical resource upkeep like maintaining copiers, printers, and scanners.
- Optimized Admissions and Enrollment Processes: Automated admissions and enrollment management saves time and resources by streamlining document intake, processing, and review. It also enhances the applicant experience, which can increase enrollment and improve retention rates — leading to potential increases in tuition revenue.
- Reduction in Errors and Rework Costs: Manual processes are prone to human error, which can result in costly rework or misfiled records. Automated workflows ensure accuracy, maintain document version control, and provide clear audit trails. Automation also significantly cuts down on the costs associated with correcting mistakes.
- Better Resource Allocation and Strategic Budgeting: With streamlined operations, institutions gain real-time insights into where resources are being used effectively and where resources are wasted. This visibility supports smarter budget planning, helping universities allocate funds more strategically to core educational initiatives rather than administrative overhead.
How OnBase and 3SG Plus Can Help
OnBase by Hyland is powerful platform that can help higher education institutions achieve cost savings through streamlined document management, automated workflows, and improved data accuracy. By centralizing administrative processes, OnBase reduces the need for physical storage, minimizes manual tasks, and cuts down on paper and printing costs. Its robust capabilities support compliance, eliminate inefficiencies, and enable institutions to allocate resources more effectively.
As an authorized OnBase reseller, integrator, and professional services provider, 3SG Plus works with higher education customers to design, deploy, and maintain OnBase solutions. With over 20 years of experience in digital transformation, we empower your institution to fully leverage OnBase to create a cost-effective and efficient administrative framework that benefits students, staff, and the bottom line.
Digitizing administrative processes is no longer just an option for higher education — it’s a necessity for those aiming to cut costs, streamline operations, and better serve students. The implementation of an ECM solution like OnBase offers long-term cost savings and allows institutions to reallocate resources to core academic missions. With 3SG Plus as your partner in digital transformation, your institution can unlock the power of OnBase to build a more efficient and financially sustainable future.