Seamless Learning, Smarter Operations: Transforming Learner Experience with Salesforce Education Cloud

Seamless Learning, Smarter Operations
Transforming Learner Experience with Salesforce Education Cloud

Client

Part of a prestigious Ivy League institution, the university’s Center for Learning Innovation drives academic excellence by enhancing faculty and student experiences. It develops online education programs, funds faculty-led initiatives, and provides essential student services, including writing support, tutoring, and mentorship.

As online learning demand surged, the center faced growing operational challenges. Managing courses, student services, and administrative workflows across multiple platforms became increasingly complex. To maintain academic excellence while scaling effectively, the university sought a unified, technology-driven solution to streamline processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and enhance the overall learning experience.

Market Dynamics

Higher education is rapidly evolving as universities embrace digital transformation to meet changing student expectations. The rise of online learning has created opportunities for institutions to expand access, but it also brings operational hurdles. Managing multiple platforms, fragmented learner data, and inefficient workflows impact engagement, retention, and institutional efficiency.

Universities must now balance flexibility, personalization, and operational excellence. Without seamless digital infrastructures, they risk administrative bottlenecks and declining student satisfaction. For the university’s Center for Learning Innovation, these challenges made it difficult to scale online programs and student services effectively, necessitating a more integrated and intelligent approach.

Business Challenges

The university faced significant inefficiencies in managing the learner lifecycle and student services, hindering its ability to provide a seamless educational experience:

Fragmented learner journey

Disconnected systems delayed onboarding, enrollment, and program completion.

Data silos & lack of a unified view

Learner data was scattered across multiple platforms, limiting visibility and decision-making.

Non-standardized processes

Applications, payments, enrollment, and learning were managed through inconsistent workflows, causing administrative bottlenecks.

Complex & non-intuitive application forms

The student admissions process was lengthy and cumbersome, negatively impacting enrollment rates.

Manual workflows slowing down operations

Dependency on manual processes delayed application reviews, approvals, and student support.

The overcome these roadblocks, the university needed an automated, scalable system to streamline operations and enhance learner engagement.

Solution details

To address these challenges, the university partnered with us to implement a scalable, technology-driven solution using Salesforce Education Cloud. Our approach focused on seamless integration, automation, and an intuitive learner journey, enabling the center to scale its online programs efficiently.

By unifying Experience Cloud, Service Cloud, Canvas LMS (Learning Management System), and TouchNet (Payment Processing System), we created an intelligent, automated ecosystem that simplified operations while enhancing engagement. The solution streamlined learner onboarding, application processing, financial transactions, system access, and student support, ensuring a frictionless experience.

Key solution components

Learner Onboarding & Enrollment

Personalized learner portal: Implemented Salesforce Experience Cloud with pre-built education templates for a responsive, self-service experience.

Seamless self-service registration: Enabled quick and hassle-free learner registration within Salesforce, significantly reducing sign-up time.

Simplified, smart application forms: Designed intuitive OmniStudio-powered application forms with built-in validations and dynamic logic to minimize errors and complexity.

Automated & data-driven application processing: Integrated multi-level review workflows, dynamic routing, and custom application scoring rubrics for efficient evaluations.

Payments & Financial Processing

End-to-end payment processing integration: Embedded a secure checkout experience in Experience Cloud via TouchNet & Linvio (AppExchange), enabling tuition fee processing, installment plans, and refunds.

Access & System Integration

Single sign-on (SSO) for seamless access: Designed Salesforce as the identity provider, allowing learners to log in once and access multiple platforms, including Canvas LMS and payment portals.

LMS & Salesforce integration: Automated real-time data sync between Salesforce and Canvas, ensuring up-to-date learner enrollments, course progress tracking, and learning analytics.

Administrative Efficiency & Flexibility

Flexible & configurable administration: Used custom metadata and custom objects to allow non-technical staff to modify forms, workflows, and roles without IT support.

Learner Support & Engagement

Robust learner support with service cloud: Implemented case management for quick resolution of enrollment, payment, and academic support requests.

Proactive communication & engagement: Integrated Salesforce Education Cloud’s automated email alerts for timely application and payment reminders, ensuring students never miss key deadlines.

Business outcomes

The streamlined digital ecosystem resulted in higher engagement, reduced administrative overhead,
and optimized learner experience, driving measurable improvements:

Seamless self-service registration

A user-friendly registration system reduced sign-up time by 50%, improving accessibility and engagement.

Frictionless application experience

An intuitive, automated application process enabled learners to complete submissions in under one hour, enhancing the applicant journey.

Accelerated issue resolution

Automated case management in Service Cloud led to a 40% faster resolution time, ensuring timely support and a superior student experience.

Unified & secure access

A single sign-on (SSO) integration across applications, payments, and learning platforms streamlined authentication, cutting time spent on critical tasks by 25% and boosting efficiency.

Agile program launch

A configurable backend allows administrators to launch new programs in a few hours, significantly reducing time-to-market and enabling faster innovation.

Flexibility for Customers

Encouraged purchases and reduced financial stress on customers with installment payment options.

Conclusion

By leveraging Salesforce Education Cloud, the university operational inefficiencies, fragmented learner journeys, and manual bottlenecks. The unified platform not only streamlined enrollment, payments, and academic support but also empowered administrators with data-driven decision-making and agility to scale online programs effortlessly.

This transformation enhanced student engagement, reduced processing time, and improved service delivery, setting a new benchmark for seamless, technology-enabled learning experiences. With an intelligent, future-ready foundation, the university is now equipped to adapt, innovate, and lead in the evolving landscape of higher education.

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