Oxford Streamlines Data Collection Practices with School-Wide Platform Adoption
The Form Advocate
Jonathan Payne
Case Study Snapshot
Universal platform adoption with Salesforce has had a significant impact on the University of Oxford Saïd Business School’s student data strategies and workflows. Learn how implementing FormAssembly as the singular area of data collection has allowed professionals at the Business School to streamline complex processes and to improve data management.
About
- Founded in 1996 and has evolved to one of the most elite business schools in the world
- Named top business school in the Times Higher Education Awards
- Offers the Oxford MBA, Executive MBA, and a variety of diploma options
- The institution practices environmental sustainability with the goal of reducing its carbon footprint
AWS Functionality
FormAssembly is a powerful data platform built and powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). In the case of Oxford University, incoming form data is processed by Salesforce, with the school’s main websites hosted by Acquia (built on AWS for optimization, performance and scalability). Additionally, the provider for the university’s Virtual Learning Environment (Canvas) is Instructure, which also utilizes AWS.
The Numbers
forms converted to FormAssembly during website overhaul
FormAssembly forms currently in use
The Problem
Stand-Alone Forms with No Consistency
GDPR and Higher Education: FormAssembly allows staff to ask consent questions to remain compliant. (click image to enlarge)
The Solution
Universal Platform Adoption
Customization
The ability to completely customize forms with special coding helps to satisfy unique branding requirements. By using custom CSS, staff can provide better brand consistency.
iFrame Options
Publishing with an iFrame is another option that gives Business School staff flexibility. FormAssembly’s iFrame options can relieve styling conflicts that occur when embedding forms with raw HTML.
GDPR Statement
As a customer within the European Union, the Business School must collect and use data according to stringent regulations for GDPR and higher education. FormAssembly provides several practical solutions for helping customers in the EU maintain compliance with these rigorous requirements, including the ability to add opt-in statements and privacy disclosures directly to forms.
Web forms fill in the gaps of the full student journey, from original lead capture to alumni reporting
As Salesforce replaces and enhances the connectivity of legacy systems across the school, it becomes more critical to connect with potential program participants as they begin their educational journeys. Staff at Saïd Business School can capture important data with embedded website forms that collect prospect details, link to educational downloads, and update the contact information for students and alumni.
Additionally, FormAssembly enables staff to onboard new business units and teams. If a team is not on Salesforce yet, staff are still able to capture their information by using FormAssembly and then perform official onboarding at a later date. This efficiency ensures better, cleaner data and organized business processes for departments that are often siloed in the higher ed space.
A basic request for information form used to collect prospect information on the school website. (click image to enlarge)
What’s Next?
If you enjoyed reading about the University of Oxford’s use case, be sure to schedule a demo to see how FormAssembly can serve your higher ed institution.
