PSB Academy, a Singapore institution for tertiary and university studies, has tapped on Microsoft to ramp up its productivity and inventiveness in serving its students and prospects. PSB Academy’s students range from millennials looking for quality higher education to mid-career professionals focused on upgrading themselves. About 300 lecturers, full-time and part-time associates deliver lessons to over 11,000 local and international students across two campuses in Singapore.
The academy wanted to engage better with existing and potential students, as well as to make smarter decisions for targeted student engagement. With the deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Office 365, the Academy is making leaps into workflow automation, as well as gaining greater visibility of its existing students and potential enrollers.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online is equipped with built-in capabilities such as social listening, enterprise-grade security, privacy and compliance. These features enable companies to deliver personalised and predictive customer experiences across their sales, marketing and services efforts.
“At Microsoft, we are committed in empowering every organisation and individual to do more. The academy’s goal in becoming better stewards of its students was key in its digital transformation and we are delighted to be able to partner with them in their journey in transforming its operations to meet the demands of its ever-changing and growing community,” said Ngiam Foong Chee, Marketing & Operations Lead, Microsoft Singapore.
“Productivity is embedded in our DNA. We believe that learning cannot simply take place via rote or classroom settings, but through the application and use of technology and hands-on experimentation to drive productivity transformations across organisation and communities, as well as enhancing the way an individual works in a professional environment,” said Derrick Chang, Chief Operating Officer, PSB Academy.
“It was thus important for PSB Academy to also walk the talk. We needed to explore ways to enhance our operations with data, to ensure that we continue to offer a compelling and enriching experience to our students.”
Considering finite resources as one if its main challenge within the organisation, PSB Academy sought capabilities that would help market the institution at scale, and to appeal to potential candidates who had the calibre and fit for the education experience it offers. It was important for the academy to better understand its students, which meant that they needed to capture, analyse and visualise data to drive better insights.
Chang said: “Knowing our students – what courses they are taking, how they are progressing, and how they prefer to be engaged – these are things we need to keep track of. A better understanding of our students will help us better shape policies and syllabus, and so, we embarked on this partnership with Microsoft having recognised that we can do a better job.”
Better workflows, deeper insights
PSB Academy previously relied mainly on spreadsheets to manage some 5,000 enquiries a month, and to help it gain insights into its student database. The institution wanted to be more responsive to the needs and preferences of existing and potential students through analysing data in real time.
With Microsoft and their partner Pratyaya, PSB Academy migrated its data and workflows into Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, a cloud-based customer engagement solution. The deployment resulted in significant gains in terms of visibility, traceability and the ability to make smarter student-engagement and operational decisions.
Dynamics CRM Online has improved PSB Academy’s ability to assess the fit and calibre of potential candidates, and enables the institution to help students arrive at a more informed enrolment decision. Pratyaya also helped PSB Academy improve its workflow. For example, each communication used to be tagged with an individual ticket number, and needed to be cross-referenced to identify responses to earlier messages. This resulted in delays and inefficiency due to limited tracking mechanisms in place.
“For every 100 enquiries today, we are able to tell which ones will likely translate to actual enrolments. In fact, we are able to tell which source the enquiry came from, and we can look into specific profiles or in aggregate. By knowing specific trends and details about prospective students, we were able to focus engagement efforts where it was most needed,” said Chang.
The ability to analyse potential student pool has enabled PSB Academy to engage and recruit at scale, so Chang and his team are now able to optimise applications from the outset and to work with individual applicants from early stages of programme enquiry. The deployment has also enabled the academy to engage with candidates every step of the way, and identify when candidates become less engaged.
Chang shared: “With Dynamics CRM Online, we have seen over 14% rise in enrolment numbers, without having to spend an additional cent on more marketing.”
Growing brand equity with millennials
At PSB Academy, social media engagement is an important component of the institution’s student education and engagement strategy, especially when its primary audience are millennials and digital natives. With Dynamics CRM Online, PSB Academy is able to rely on alerts and triggers whenever there are mentions or discussions of the institution across social channels.
Chang recalled how social listening benefitted one candidate. “It was through social listening on public forums that I discovered how a potential student had wanted to apply with us, but was worried about financial resources. I personally reached out and referred the student to our office for academic aid, with hopes that he would be able to pursue his studies with us,” he said.
Cloud-based collaboration and engagement
PSB Academy has also deployed Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based productivity tool to drive collaboration among students and educators. This has enabled staff to work on documents together, communicate with colleagues virtually, and keep better track of the academic calendar.
The institution remains focused on empowering lecturers with the ability and convenience to work on-the-go from almost any device. In the near future, PSB Academy hopes to integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online with Office 365 as well as its educational portal to customise the user experience for each student. This will enable the Academy to gain further insights into every student, and support their preferred mode for engagement.
Dynamics CRM Online elsewhere in Asia
In early May Microsoft announced the availability of Dynamics CRM Online services from its local data centre regions in India. With this, Microsoft is equipped to provide the most complete suite of cloud services for customers across government, businesses and individuals in the country. With Microsoft Azure and Office 365, already made available effective late 2015, this addition completes Microsoft’s cloud portfolio.
“We are the first* hyper-scale global cloud provider to offer cloud services from local data centres in India. With a complete portfolio of cloud services – Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and now Dynamics CRM Online, we will continue to lead the market by offering ‘cloud-on-your-terms’. In the first six months of our local cloud launch, we have seen 50 of top 100 companies** listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) adopt Microsoft cloud to drive their digital transformation,” said Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India.
Microsoft cloud has seen increased adoption in sectors such as financial services, government, healthcare and e-commerce. Financial services organisations such as HDFC, ICICI Lombard, IDFC, and Kotak Mahindra Bank; IT players like Wipro, Infosys, and TCL, and a majority of Indian healthcare providers including Fortis Healthcare, Apollo Hospitals, AIIMS, LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), and Narayana Health, have adopted Microsoft cloud. New generation e-commerce players and startups like Snapdeal, Pay, Pepperfry, and Meru cabs, are also leveraging the power of the Microsoft cloud.
Cloud developments in Korea
Microsoft Korea followed Microsoft India with an announcement of plans to expand the Microsoft Cloud from new data centre regions in Korea, including a data centre region based in Seoul. The new data centre regions will become available in 2017.
Al Koh, CEO of Microsoft Korea shared, “We’re seeing growing demand for Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics CRM Online in Korea and across Asia Pacific. Our commitment to expand locally within Korea will deliver even more choice for customers, addressing their data residency needs, while continuing to support innovation and economic growth in the region.
Taeyoung Kim, CEO, WEBZEN said, “This news shows us the clear evidence that Microsoft actively responds to market needs. The announcement of Microsoft’s investment in data centre regions is very meaningful in the sense that Microsoft has a strong vision for Korea, a country that is a clear leader in the global gaming industry.”
Chan Park, Chief Technology Officer, JYP Entertainment added, “The ultimate goal of driving innovation through cloud services is to reduce the total cost in business operation and maximise IT efficiency to achieve business agility. I believe that the expansion of the Microsoft Cloud in Korea will create big momentum for many Korean companies to very actively adopt cloud services.”
Chun Shik Park, Professor of Information Security of Seoul Women’s University and the former Chairman, KIISC (Korea Institute of Information Security and Cryptology) commented, “The core of cloud service is security. Microsoft Azure is perceived as the trusted cloud service as it has numerous certifications from many international organisations."
The academy wanted to engage better with existing and potential students, as well as to make smarter decisions for targeted student engagement. With the deployment of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Office 365, the Academy is making leaps into workflow automation, as well as gaining greater visibility of its existing students and potential enrollers.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online is equipped with built-in capabilities such as social listening, enterprise-grade security, privacy and compliance. These features enable companies to deliver personalised and predictive customer experiences across their sales, marketing and services efforts.
“At Microsoft, we are committed in empowering every organisation and individual to do more. The academy’s goal in becoming better stewards of its students was key in its digital transformation and we are delighted to be able to partner with them in their journey in transforming its operations to meet the demands of its ever-changing and growing community,” said Ngiam Foong Chee, Marketing & Operations Lead, Microsoft Singapore.
“Productivity is embedded in our DNA. We believe that learning cannot simply take place via rote or classroom settings, but through the application and use of technology and hands-on experimentation to drive productivity transformations across organisation and communities, as well as enhancing the way an individual works in a professional environment,” said Derrick Chang, Chief Operating Officer, PSB Academy.
“It was thus important for PSB Academy to also walk the talk. We needed to explore ways to enhance our operations with data, to ensure that we continue to offer a compelling and enriching experience to our students.”
Considering finite resources as one if its main challenge within the organisation, PSB Academy sought capabilities that would help market the institution at scale, and to appeal to potential candidates who had the calibre and fit for the education experience it offers. It was important for the academy to better understand its students, which meant that they needed to capture, analyse and visualise data to drive better insights.
Chang said: “Knowing our students – what courses they are taking, how they are progressing, and how they prefer to be engaged – these are things we need to keep track of. A better understanding of our students will help us better shape policies and syllabus, and so, we embarked on this partnership with Microsoft having recognised that we can do a better job.”
Better workflows, deeper insights
PSB Academy previously relied mainly on spreadsheets to manage some 5,000 enquiries a month, and to help it gain insights into its student database. The institution wanted to be more responsive to the needs and preferences of existing and potential students through analysing data in real time.
With Microsoft and their partner Pratyaya, PSB Academy migrated its data and workflows into Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, a cloud-based customer engagement solution. The deployment resulted in significant gains in terms of visibility, traceability and the ability to make smarter student-engagement and operational decisions.
Dynamics CRM Online has improved PSB Academy’s ability to assess the fit and calibre of potential candidates, and enables the institution to help students arrive at a more informed enrolment decision. Pratyaya also helped PSB Academy improve its workflow. For example, each communication used to be tagged with an individual ticket number, and needed to be cross-referenced to identify responses to earlier messages. This resulted in delays and inefficiency due to limited tracking mechanisms in place.
“For every 100 enquiries today, we are able to tell which ones will likely translate to actual enrolments. In fact, we are able to tell which source the enquiry came from, and we can look into specific profiles or in aggregate. By knowing specific trends and details about prospective students, we were able to focus engagement efforts where it was most needed,” said Chang.
The ability to analyse potential student pool has enabled PSB Academy to engage and recruit at scale, so Chang and his team are now able to optimise applications from the outset and to work with individual applicants from early stages of programme enquiry. The deployment has also enabled the academy to engage with candidates every step of the way, and identify when candidates become less engaged.
Chang shared: “With Dynamics CRM Online, we have seen over 14% rise in enrolment numbers, without having to spend an additional cent on more marketing.”
Growing brand equity with millennials
At PSB Academy, social media engagement is an important component of the institution’s student education and engagement strategy, especially when its primary audience are millennials and digital natives. With Dynamics CRM Online, PSB Academy is able to rely on alerts and triggers whenever there are mentions or discussions of the institution across social channels.
Chang recalled how social listening benefitted one candidate. “It was through social listening on public forums that I discovered how a potential student had wanted to apply with us, but was worried about financial resources. I personally reached out and referred the student to our office for academic aid, with hopes that he would be able to pursue his studies with us,” he said.
Cloud-based collaboration and engagement
PSB Academy has also deployed Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based productivity tool to drive collaboration among students and educators. This has enabled staff to work on documents together, communicate with colleagues virtually, and keep better track of the academic calendar.
The institution remains focused on empowering lecturers with the ability and convenience to work on-the-go from almost any device. In the near future, PSB Academy hopes to integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online with Office 365 as well as its educational portal to customise the user experience for each student. This will enable the Academy to gain further insights into every student, and support their preferred mode for engagement.
Dynamics CRM Online elsewhere in Asia
In early May Microsoft announced the availability of Dynamics CRM Online services from its local data centre regions in India. With this, Microsoft is equipped to provide the most complete suite of cloud services for customers across government, businesses and individuals in the country. With Microsoft Azure and Office 365, already made available effective late 2015, this addition completes Microsoft’s cloud portfolio.
“We are the first* hyper-scale global cloud provider to offer cloud services from local data centres in India. With a complete portfolio of cloud services – Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and now Dynamics CRM Online, we will continue to lead the market by offering ‘cloud-on-your-terms’. In the first six months of our local cloud launch, we have seen 50 of top 100 companies** listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) adopt Microsoft cloud to drive their digital transformation,” said Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India.
Cloud developments in Korea
Microsoft Korea followed Microsoft India with an announcement of plans to expand the Microsoft Cloud from new data centre regions in Korea, including a data centre region based in Seoul. The new data centre regions will become available in 2017.
Microsoft has operated a data centre in Korea since 2014. Microsoft has also purchased land in Busan, continuing the company’s long-term commitment to the region, with the potential to build an additional data centre in the future.
“No other cloud provider can match the global hyperscale infrastructure of the Microsoft Cloud as it delivers trusted, secure, enterprise ready solutions,” said Takeshi Numoto, Corporate Vice President, Cloud and Enterprise Marketing, Microsoft Corp. “We are the only major cloud vendor that supports the diverse needs of every organisation with solutions ranging from core infrastructure services/IaaS to the broadest range of platforms/PaaS and tools to enable innovation and productivity.”Al Koh, CEO of Microsoft Korea shared, “We’re seeing growing demand for Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics CRM Online in Korea and across Asia Pacific. Our commitment to expand locally within Korea will deliver even more choice for customers, addressing their data residency needs, while continuing to support innovation and economic growth in the region.
Taeyoung Kim, CEO, WEBZEN said, “This news shows us the clear evidence that Microsoft actively responds to market needs. The announcement of Microsoft’s investment in data centre regions is very meaningful in the sense that Microsoft has a strong vision for Korea, a country that is a clear leader in the global gaming industry.”
Chan Park, Chief Technology Officer, JYP Entertainment added, “The ultimate goal of driving innovation through cloud services is to reduce the total cost in business operation and maximise IT efficiency to achieve business agility. I believe that the expansion of the Microsoft Cloud in Korea will create big momentum for many Korean companies to very actively adopt cloud services.”
Chun Shik Park, Professor of Information Security of Seoul Women’s University and the former Chairman, KIISC (Korea Institute of Information Security and Cryptology) commented, “The core of cloud service is security. Microsoft Azure is perceived as the trusted cloud service as it has numerous certifications from many international organisations."
*In September 2015, as the first public cloud provider in India, Microsoft announced the availability of Azure services via three data centres in India – Mumbai, Pune and Chennai.
**These are the top 100 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange based on their market capitalisation.
posted from Bloggeroid
posted from Bloggeroid
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