The Problem
The large volume of inbound calls and increased regulatory requirements had negatively impacted financial aid and admission office efficiency, student satisfaction, and employee morale. Because office staff were responsible for manning phones while processing applications, the turnaround for admission and financial aid applications took several weeks. The lag time in application processing caused an increase in call volume, thus perpetuating a cycle of inefficiency.
The Solution
Texas State Technical College (TSTC) made the decision to outsource front line support services. Following a competitive bid process, Edamerica was selected as the preferred vendor. All inbound calls for the Financial Aid and Admissions/Records offices were re-routed to Edamerica in March prior to peak season.
Project Goals
- Improve operational efficiencies for administrative services
- Increase student satisfaction
- Improve retention rates
The Results
By outsourcing inbound calls, TSTC saw substantial improvements in operating efficiency and increases in retention.
Inbound calls
Retention
Base Year Fall
Year 1 Fall
NOTE: 98.6% of calls were handled by Edamerica without escalation to TSTC.
| Office Efficiency | Base Year | Year 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Admissions Application Turnaround | 2 weeks | 24 hours |
| Financial Aid Processing | 3.5 weeks | 48 hours |
| Hourly Staff Comp Time | 212 hours | 0 hours |
Increased efficiencies resulted in a significant reduction in call volume. As a result, the project has remained under budget by approximately 25%.
