Doing more with less: how colleges and universities can drive operational efficiency at scale
3 minute read
Darren Moore
September 23rd, 2025
Operational efficiency is critical for colleges and universities facing budget pressures and rising service demands.
To stay competitive and deliver quality outcomes, you need to reduce manual work, cut costs, and streamline processes across departments.
What is operational efficiency in higher education?
It means using your resources, time, staff, and budget in the smartest way possible. Instead of juggling manual tasks and disconnected systems, operational efficiency means streamlining workflows, automating routine work, and uniting teams on one platform. This leads to faster service delivery, lower costs, and better experiences for both students and staff.
By focusing on ways to improve operational efficiency, institutions can enhance both staff productivity and student experiences without needing extra resources.
The current challenge: limited resources, rising demand
Many education providers operate with tight budgets and legacy systems that slow down workflows. Manual processes and disconnected departments create bottlenecks, leading to staff burnout and slower response times. These inefficiencies hurt your ability to deliver timely, effective services and can impact student satisfaction and retention.
How to improve operational efficiency
Platforms like ServiceNow help colleges and universities unify workflows and automate repetitive tasks. This holistic approach improves visibility and responsiveness, making it easier to:
- Streamline admissions and enrolment
- Speed up IT helpdesk support
- Simplify HR and staff services
- Enhance facilities and campus operations
Admissions and enrolment
Automating application tracking and communication reduces administrative overhead. Applicants gain real-time updates, and staff spend less time managing paperwork. This drives better outcomes and a more modern student experience.
IT helpdesks
Automated ticket routing, AI-powered self-service, and performance monitoring reduce resolution times and prevent recurring issues. Faster, more effective IT support means happier staff and students.
HR and staff services
By digitising onboarding, leave management, and policy queries, you free HR teams from routine tasks and improve the employee experience with easy self-service access.
Facilities and campus services
A centralised platform for maintenance and safety requests improves issue prioritisation, compliance tracking, and operational transparency, resulting in safer, more efficient campuses.
Why focus on operational efficiency now?
Investing in automation and workflow unification doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. Instead, it lets you deliver faster, more reliable services while reducing administrative burdens.
By embracing technology to improve operational efficiency in education, you empower your staff, enhance the student journey, and make better use of limited resources.
Even small changes, like digitising IT or HR workflows can deliver outsized benefits when implemented at scale.
Finding the right guidance for your institution
Improving operational efficiency in education is challenging and unique to each college and university. Finding the right approach often requires support tailored to your specific goals and resources.
If you want to explore practical ways to do more with less and create smoother, smarter operations, chat to our ServiceNow specialists today so you can move forward confidently.
Get in touch
About the author
Darren Moor, Head of ServiceNow.
Darren’s extensive experience in IT asset management and software asset management has been instrumental in guiding clients through digital transformation initiatives. Darren’s leadership has been pivotal in establishing Phoenix’s strategic partnership with ServiceNow, enabling the delivery of innovative IT solutions that enhance productivity and optimise service delivery for customers.