Leading Technology Implementations in Enrollment Management

The evolution of technology over the last fifty years has fundamentally transformed the ways in which people relate to one another, how they do their work, and how they find information. Higher education, not necessarily known as an industry of the most innovative and dynamic organizations, is a space where recent advances in technology are changing not only the ways students learn, but also the traditional administrative activities that bring new students into the institution.

In fact, one of the most significant challenges facing leaders in grad enrollment is the effective integration and use of technology. While figuring out how rapidly changing technology fits into the strategy and operations of an organization presents a complex leadership challenge in and of itself it also offers a unique opportunity to stabilize staffing, streamline operations, and ultimately enhance institutional success. To navigate what is an exceptionally complex web of technologies and acronyms (SIS, CRM, API, CAS, etc.), leaders need a vision for how tech helps them advance their goals and an understanding of how tech fits into each link of the enrollment value chain.

Grad enrollment leaders are expected to manage a wide array of tech, each serving a different function but interconnected in ways that can be as intricate and overwhelming as a spider’s web. This complexity can be daunting, as it requires leaders to have a deep understanding of the providers, categories, and various systems as well as how they interact with each other. The sheer variety of tools—from student information systems to customer relationship management platforms, analytics tools, and marketing automation software—creates a veritable labyrinth of choices and challenges.

Yet this complexity is not without its rewards; when managed effectively, technology becomes a powerful force multiplier for leaders. It has the potential to simplify everyone’s work, giving a graduate enrollment unit a reliable, sustainable platform for achieving its goals. However, the key lies in the effective management and implementation of these technologies.

Though the introduction of new technology can be daunting, leveraging the principles of change management, effective onboarding practices, and process mapping can provide grad enrollment leaders with a strategic framework to drive successful adoption and lasting positive impact.

Introducing new technology in graduate enrollment management is both an opportunity and a challenge. Done well, technology can streamline operations, enhance the applicant experience, and provide actionable insights. Without a thoughtful approach, however, new tech efforts can lead to confusion, resistance, and missed opportunities. The principles of change management offer a proven framework to navigate these challenges and ensure success.

Change management is exactly what it sounds like: a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. It’s an entire field of study that emphasizes not only the technical aspects of a change initiative but also the human side—acknowledging that people are at the heart of any organizational transformation.

In the context of grad enrollment management, change management involves preparing staff, faculty, and key stakeholders to adopt and integrate new technologies into their workflows. This process ensures that changes align with institutional goals and are embraced by those responsible for their use.

1. Clear Vision and Objectives
   A successful change initiative begins with a clear understanding of why the change is happening and what it aims to achieve. For example, implementing a new CRM system in graduate enrollment management might aim to improve lead tracking, enhance communication with prospective students, or streamline application reviews. Communicating this vision and how it connects to broader goals helps align stakeholders around a common purpose and highlights the benefits of the change.
2. Engage Stakeholders Early and Often
   Change management focuses on the importance of engaging stakeholders – groups like admissions, faculty, and IT teams—throughout the process. Soliciting input during the planning phase not only helps tailor the solution to users' needs but also fosters a sense of ownership and commitment.
3. Transparent Communication 
   Effective communication is the backbone of any change initiative. Stakeholders should be informed of timelines, progress, and expected outcomes, as well as potential challenges. In graduate enrollment management, this might include regular updates on the implementation of a new application portal, training opportunities, and support resources. Transparency reinforces trust and helps mitigate uncertainty.
4. Training and Support
   The adoption of new technology hinges on users feeling confident in their ability to use it. Comprehensive training tailored to different roles within the organization is critical; ongoing support—such as help desks, user guides, and peer mentors—ensures that the team has the resources they need to overcome challenges.
5. Monitor Progress and Celebrate Wins
   Change is a journey, and celebrating small successes along the way can boost morale and reinforce the value of the initiative. For instance, acknowledging that the admissions team is achieving faster response times with the new system can motivate further adoption. Monitoring progress also allows leaders to identify and address obstacles early.

When introducing new technology into graduate enrollment management, the principles of change management can be applied at every stage to maximize success:

• Assessment and planning | Start by assessing the current state of operations and identifying pain points. Engage key stakeholders to understand their needs and concerns. Define clear objectives for the tech implementation, ensuring alignment with institutional goals such as improving enrollment yield or reducing administrative burdens.
• Building a coalition | Consider assembling a cross-functional team to champion the change that includes representatives from admissions, marketing, IT, and student services. These team members can act as advocates, providing feedback during the implementation process and encouraging buy-in among their peers.
• Implementation and training | Roll out the technology in phases to minimize disruption. For example, piloting a new application system with a small subset of programs allows for testing and refinement before a full-scale launch. Pair this with role-specific training sessions to equip staff with the skills they need to succeed.
• Feedback and iteration | Create channels for ongoing feedback, such as surveys, anonymous forums, or regular check-ins. Use this input to make adjustments and address challenges promptly.
• Sustaining the change | Once the technology is fully implemented, focus on sustaining its adoption. Highlight success stories, such as improved applicant satisfaction or time savings for staff. Provide ongoing training for new team members and ensure that resources remain accessible.

While technology promises efficiency and innovation, its success ultimately depends on people. By applying change management principles, leaders can build and reinforce a culture of adaptability and collaboration. This not only facilitates smoother future tech implementations but also positions the organization to respond effectively to future challenges and opportunities.

Change management is just one part of a successful approach to making tech successful; to drive real results, leaders can look to the core elements of how they onboard new staff members as a template for how to onboard new tech.

Effective onboarding practices play a crucial role in the successful implementation of technology, particularly in the context of graduate enrollment management (GEM). By viewing onboarding as a comprehensive and ongoing process, institutions can ensure that staff not only learn how to use new tools but also understand their strategic significance. This approach fosters a culture of innovation, aligns technology adoption with institutional goals, and equips teams for sustained success.

Onboarding differs from basic orientation in that it is a deeper, more sustained process designed to integrate staff into the broader technological and cultural framework of an organization. Effective technology onboarding involves more than just an introduction to tools; it includes understanding the history, strengths, weaknesses, and strategic role of each system. Leaders in GEM should approach onboarding as an opportunity to shape how staff perceive and engage with technology over the long term.

For example, when a new application system is introduced, early-stage training should focus on the basics of navigation and functionality. However, the onboarding process should evolve to include intermediate and advanced training tailored to specific roles. This ensures staff can use the technology not only to perform tasks but also to innovate and improve processes. Additionally, understanding the historical context of technology implementations—such as the challenges faced during previous adoption efforts or the tools it replaced—can provide important insights into the institutional culture and expectations tied to the system.

A successful onboarding process aligns technology use with the institution’s mission and goals. Leaders should start by articulating how each tool supports broader enrollment objectives. For instance, a CRM system may facilitate more efficient communication with prospective students, while prescriptive analytics tools can help refine enrollment strategies. By making these connections explicit—and engaging the stakeholder group in identifying those connections—leaders can reinforce the value of technology and encourage staff to fully engage with it.

Technology should be seen as a tool that simplifies work and enables creative solutions. To achieve this, onboarding must include mechanisms for staff to provide feedback on training resources, suggest new use cases, and share best practices. This collaborative approach not only enhances the onboarding experience but also ensures that technology remains relevant and effective over time.

Understanding your organizational and programmatic structure is another key element of effective onboarding. Leaders should provide new staff with a clear narrative of how their roles, the technology they use, and institutional goals intersect. For example, explaining the enrollment funnel and how specific technologies map onto each stage can help staff see how their work contributes to broader success.

Collaboration among departments is equally important. Admissions, IT, and data teams must work together to ensure cohesive technology adoption. Engaging stakeholders early in the onboarding process and establishing clear communication channels can prevent misunderstandings and foster shared responsibility. Assigning technology-specific roles, such as tech champions, can further streamline this process by creating go-to experts within the team.

1. Pre-onboarding assessments: Before implementing new technology, assess the team’s current workflows, familiarity with similar tools, and potential skills gaps. This helps tailor training to meet specific needs.
2. Gradual rollouts: Introduce new technology in phases, allowing staff ample time to adapt. Begin with foundational training and gradually introduce more advanced features.
3. Continuous support: Create ongoing training resources, mentorship opportunities, and feedback loops to address issues as they arise. This ensures that onboarding remains a dynamic and responsive process.
4. Feedback mechanisms: Encourage staff to share their experiences and suggestions. This not only improves the onboarding process but also fosters a sense of ownership and engagement.
5. Technology audits: Periodically evaluate existing systems to identify redundancies and underutilized resources. This helps maintain efficiency and ensures that staff are using tools to their full potential.

In an era of staff shortages, administrative overload, and increasing data management demands, robust onboarding practices are more important than ever. Technology can alleviate many of these pressures by automating routine tasks, improving data efficiency, and enabling small teams to achieve outsized results. However, the effectiveness of these solutions depends on how well staff are onboarded to use them.

People, however, are not the only part of a successful tech implementation: Operational processes need to be clearly understood in order to orient and roll out a new tool as effectively as possible.

Anyone who has worked in grad enrollment long enough has been through a process mapping exercise and knows that it can be a powerful way of getting insight into workflows. It is particularly valuable to GEM leaders because implementing new technologies requires careful integration with existing processes.

At its core, process mapping involves creating a visual representation of workflows to identify inputs, outputs, stakeholders, and decision points. This clarity helps teams understand how tasks are performed, uncover inefficiencies, and establish a baseline for improvement. Process maps typically take forms such as flowcharts, swim lane diagrams, or value stream maps, each tailored to specific needs.

Graduate enrollment management often involves complex systems, including application portals, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, communication platforms, and data analytics dashboards. Implementing or upgrading these technologies requires alignment with institutional goals and operational realities. Process mapping facilitates this alignment in several key ways:

1. Diagnosing Current-State Processes

Before implementing new technology, it's essential to understand existing workflows. Process mapping captures the "current state" by detailing how tasks are accomplished and identifying pain points or redundancies. By visualizing these processes, enrollment leaders can pinpoint areas where technology can add the most value.

2. Establishing Future-State Processes

Once inefficiencies are identified, process mapping helps design the "future state" —the optimized workflows enabled by new technology. Future-state maps serve as the blueprint for the technology implementation, ensuring the solution is designed to meet the institution's specific needs.

3. Aligning Stakeholders

Graduate enrollment involves collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including admissions staff, faculty, IT teams, and prospective students. Misaligned expectations or unclear roles can derail technology projects. Process mapping fosters alignment by clarifying responsibilities and facilitating communication (especially for non-technical stakeholders), ensuring buy-in and support.

4. Guiding Change Management

Introducing new technology inevitably requires changes to workflows, which can be met with resistance. Process mapping eases this transition by highlighting benefits—i.e., establishing the why—and by producing information needed to create training that describes new workflows.

5. Measuring Success

Effective process mapping includes defining key performance indicators (KPIs) for each workflow. These metrics help evaluate whether the new technology delivers on its promises.

Process mapping is a foundational step in successful technology implementations— and not only for graduate enrollment management. By visualizing workflows, aligning stakeholders, and designing optimized processes, enrollment teams can harness technology to improve efficiency, enhance the applicant experience, and achieve institutional goals. Whether deploying a new analytics tool or upgrading an application portal, process mapping ensures that the journey from planning to execution is both strategic and effective.

In enrollment management, much like other spaces, contemporary wisdom suggests the primary responsibility of leadership is the stewardship of the institution’s most valuable resource: Its people. If a leader in this space can build a positive and productive culture, create a space where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas, and where people can see how their work connects to the broader mission of the school, goal achievement becomes simpler. But building a normative performance culture and connecting the dots between tedious work and institutional mission is no small order.

Leadership, in and of itself, is perhaps the greatest ongoing challenge professionals face. But technology shouldn’t be the core of that challenge, it should be a category of tools that helps make that challenge simpler to approach. By following the well-established principles of change management, applying effective onboarding practices to tech implementation, and using process mapping, grad enrollment leaders can make tech feel less like a threat and more like an opportunity.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2025 issue of Perspectives, NAGAP's newsmagazine for graduate enrollment professionals.