Overview
The University of Edinburgh manages hundreds of thousands of prospective student enquiries each year, including undergraduate, postgraduate, and short course enquiries. Even on-programme students can sometimes communicate via the channels meant for prospective students.
Enquiries were handled through more than 30-40 fragmented email inboxes. This approach could lead to a lack of visibility and ownership. With around 300 users handling enquiries across the University, there was potential for messages to be lost in translation, resulting in duplication, confusion, and missed opportunities.
In response, the University implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365, in partnership with Crimson, to overhaul its Enquiry Management system. The rollout formed part of the University’s broader Service Excellence programme, which aimed to improve the experience of prospective and current students.
Despite a challenging start, the project has evolved into a model of cross-departmental collaboration, data-led decision-making, and continuous service improvement.
Challenge: Fragmented Communication and Lack of Oversight
Without a centralised Enquiry Management system, tracking how many enquiries were coming in, who was answering them, or how long it was taking was impossible. Metrics and service standards varied across University departments; some used bespoke processes to manage enquiries, and others utilised outdated tools. The University wanted to better support its prospective students, analyse enquiry trends and strategically plan resources.
Solution: A Centralised, Data-Driven Enquiry Management Platform
Following a competitive procurement process in which Salesforce, bespoke solutions, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 were evaluated, Dynamics 365 was selected for its rich functionality and integration potential. Crimson, a Microsoft partner and digital transformation consultancy, was appointed as the implementation partner.
The new Dynamics 365-powered Enquiry Management system consolidates incoming enquiries from email and web forms into a central location. The Enquiry Management team now handles all enquiries, with over 50% of these queries resolved directly. For more complex or specialist enquiries, cases are intelligently routed to the appropriate teams across the University, supported by a structured queue system within Dynamics.
Critically, the new platform integrates with the University’s student record system. This allows enquiry handlers to view relevant applicant information, ensuring faster and more accurate responses. The new Enquiry Management system also feeds data into the University’s central data warehouse, enabling strategic reporting and analysis by bringing together previously siloed datasets.
Results: Visibility, Efficiency, and Strategic Insight
Dynamics 365 has brought transparency and consistency to enquiry management across the institution.
Benefits include:
- Performance Benchmarking: Resolution rates and volumes are tracked in real time, supporting more effective resource allocation and workload planning.
- Duplicate Detection: The implementation of the system has allowed the Enquiry Management team to be able to identify when the same person submits an enquiry via multiple routes (email, legacy inboxes, or web forms), enabling staff to streamline and consolidate responses.
- Actionable Insights: Enquiry data is regularly analysed and shared with other departments. For instance, FAQS, web pages, and student communications have been adapted based on real-world questions from the Enquiry Management system.
- Improved Turnaround: At peak times, the system handled queues in the thousands. It has enabled the Enquiry Management team to reduce outstanding queries to double digits during off-peak times.
Cultural Shift: From Resistance to Enthusiastic Adoption
Initially, there was resistance to change. Many departments had long operated autonomously, and some were still reliant on outdated email systems. However, the Enquiry Management team gradually built trust and buy-in by clearly demonstrating how the new system reduced duplication and workloads while improving service.
Today, teams across the University actively request to be onboarded to the platform. Former sceptics have become some of its strongest advocates, and the system is now a cornerstone of enquiry handling across the institution.
Honesty and Feedback Drove Success
The project wasn’t without its challenges. Early implementation coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, creating difficulties around remote collaboration, shifting priorities, and team availability. Delivery issues during early rollout stages also caused frustration.
“Sometimes projects don’t go the way you want, but that doesn’t mean they can’t recover. Today, we have a great working relationship with Crimson, and that’s a testament to the hard work on both sides.”
Steph Hay, Service Manager, Enquiry Management CRM, University of Edinburgh
“Transparency and perseverance were key to the success of the project. The University of Edinburgh were open and honest throughout, and Crimson’s support team was pivotal in maintaining a strong feedback loop.”
Madeline Masters, Account Manager, Crimson
“When we sat down to kick off this project, the task seemed monumental, multiple schools, colleges and teams and a backdrop of Covid-19, but Edinburgh’s strategy was strong and our experience deep. Together, as one team, we jointly delivered a solution that both met the intended outcomes and continues to grow today. Crimson and Edinburgh should both be proud of what they have achieved.”
David Catmur-Lloyd, Consultancy Director, Crimson
Impact Metrics
- 200,000+ enquiries annually, over half of which are resolved directly by the Enquiry Management team.
- The University of Edinburgh was named ‘Most Improved University (2024)’ in the Edified Enquiry Experience Tracker, a global mystery shopping benchmark.
- Quantitative and qualitative data from the new Enquiry Management system and follow-up surveys continue to guide service improvements.
- Live data enables resource and capacity planning, supporting business cases for recruitment and seasonal workload adjustments.
Future Plans: Extending Integration & Insight
Looking ahead, the University is exploring additional integrations to expand the value of the Enquiry Management system. A proof-of-concept project is being developed to connect Gecko, the University’s events management tool, with Dynamics 365. This integration will enable teams to view prospective student interactions directly within the Enquiry Management system, such as attendance at open days. It will help provide a complete picture of each student’s journey and support more personalised and informed engagement.