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Taylor University Manages Student Recruiting With WebFOCUS RStat
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Big Data Analytics
- Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
Applicable Industries
- Education
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Sales & Marketing
Use Cases
- Demand Planning & Forecasting
- Predictive Maintenance
Services
- Data Science Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
Taylor University, a non-denominational Christian liberal arts college, was looking to improve operational and financial performance by gathering data about various campus activities such as recruiting, marketing, fundraising, registration, and institutional research. The university was reliant on student tuition for its institutional budget and as discount rates rise across the industry, operational efficiency was needed to meet bottom-line revenue goals. The admissions department, in particular, faced the challenge of processing an inquiry pool of 50,000 prospective students to fill about 500 enrollment spots. The university needed a predictive analytics tool that would allow them to strategically target inquiries to improve marketing, recruitment, and enrollment.
About The Customer
Taylor University is a coeducational, non-denominational Christian liberal arts college located on a 952-acre campus in Upland, Indiana. Founded in 1846, the university is reliant on student tuition for its institutional budget. Like most small private colleges, institutional funds are leveraged to encourage enrollment to meet annual budget goals. This process, known as discounting, lowers the cost for students to attend college. As discount rates rise across the industry, operational efficiency is needed to meet bottom-line revenue goals. The admissions department at Taylor University consists of a team of five full-time recruiters who process an inquiry pool of 50,000 prospective students to fill about 500 enrollment spots.
The Solution
Taylor University adopted Information Builders’ WebFOCUS business intelligence (BI) and analytics platform as its enterprise standard to foster a culture of “data-informed decision-making.” The platform allows non-technical users to visualize information through easy-to-use InfoApps™ – self-service applications that let users easily explore data through charts, graphs, reports, and other interactive content. The university also uses advanced analytics to do predictive modeling, machine learning, and data mining in preparation for the future. For example, in the admissions department, WebFOCUS RStat guides tactical recruitment activities. RStat helps recruiters determine the best prospective students and in the future, it will also indicate which ones are most likely to enroll. The admissions department built predictive models with RStat that monitor the progression of students through the sales funnel, computing the relative probabilities that help the sales and marketing groups target their efforts.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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