The Challenge
The University of Edinburgh faced significant challenges in providing a consistent, responsive experience to prospective and current students, handling hundreds of thousands of enquiries each year through more than 30 fragmented email inboxes. Without a unified platform, visibility into enquiry volumes, ownership, and resolution times was lacking. This fragmentation led to duplicated responses, missed messages, and confusion across more than 300 users, impacting student satisfaction and making it difficult to plan resources or improve service standards.
The Solution
To address these systemic issues, the University initiated a competitive procurement process, evaluating Salesforce, bespoke options, and Microsoft Dynamics 365. The decision to partner with Crimson and implement Dynamics 365 was driven by its robust case management, integration potential, and reporting capabilities.
The new platform consolidates enquiries from email and web forms, intelligently routes cases, and integrates with the student record system for a comprehensive view. As Steph Hay, Service Manager for Enquiry Management CRM at the University of Edinburgh, notes: "Sometimes projects do not go the way you want, but that does not mean they cannot recover. Today, we have a great working relationship with Crimson, and that is a testament to the hard work on both sides."
The project evolved into a model of collaboration, underpinned by data-led decisions and a strong feedback loop. Madeline Masters, Account Manager at Crimson, highlights: "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."
David Catmur-Lloyd, Consultancy Director at Crimson, adds: "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."
The Results
The implementation of Dynamics 365 transformed enquiry management at the University. Now, over 200,000 annual enquiries are centralised and tracked, with more than 50% resolved directly by the Enquiry Management team. Outstanding queries have been reduced to double digits during off-peak periods, and 300 active users now benefit from clear workflows and real-time reporting.
Benchmarking and actionable insights enable more effective resource planning, while the system's integration with the student record system ensures faster, more accurate responses. The University's adoption journey has moved from resistance to engagement, culminating in external recognition as 'Most Improved University (2024)' in the Edified Enquiry Experience Tracker.
