Every decision we make is about what’s best for the students. We are a non-profit, so our growth isn’t putting money into our pockets. It all goes back into the school to get more equipment and offer more courses to benefit our students.”
FREEAGENT SUCCESS STORY
FreeAgent helps us to do our jobs quicker and to be more efficient.
That means we can take on more appointments and be out in the school more often where people need support.
It’s created a domino effect, because the easier it for us to do our jobs, the more areas are positively impacted.”
Rosedale Technical College
PITTSBURGH, PA
Industry
Education
Favorite Feature
Custom Fields
Impact
⚡8 hours/week saved for employees
+ Increased appointments/week
Faster marketing campaigns
100% Adoption rate 💯
- Student-focused
Course schedules are tailored to meet the needs of students - Hands-on
Students get access to the tools and equipment needed to prepare them for the workforce - Committed to Success
Helping students succeed in the classroom and beyond - Innovative
Changing the way education is done through experience and know-how
A Different Kind of College
At Rosedale Technical College, student success is the guiding principle behind all they do. From enrollment to class schedules to student aid- everything is tailored towards helping their students achieve, both in the classroom and beyond. Hands-on instruction from industry professionals, coupled with smaller class sizes that allow for more one-on-one training, gives the students of Rosedale Technical College the skills they need to begin working in the field right away. That is why thousands of regional employers look to Rosedale every year to provide qualified candidates for open positions in the trades.
For all their success, Rosedale Technical College is not satisfied to rest on their laurels. Continuous improvement is a mantra you hear often within the halls of the school, and it is one that the faculty swear by. While they have helped countless students achieve their dreams and unlock their potential, they know that there are many more people they have yet to reach. It is in the spirit of continuous improvement that Rosedale began looking for a CRM. The team at Rosedale knew they needed something to help them manage their application process and centralize their inter-department communications. They also knew that their unique business requirements meant that they needed something more than an out-of-the-box solution. What they found was FreeAgent, a dynamic and flexible enterprise software platform that could provide the tools they needed to streamline their processes and improve collaboration without the need for the Rosedale team to redesign their existing systems.
Challenges
The day-to-day operation of a post-secondary institution requires the coordination of a variety of administrative teams. The efforts of these teams must be carefully managed in order to best serve the students who rely upon them. Collaboration is essential as the responsibilities of one department can directly affect the efficacy of another, and any delay or missed steps can have serious consequences for students.
In addition to the logistical challenges faced by all colleges and universities, the student-focused approach at Rosedale adds significantly to the administrative workload of their teams. Classes at Rosedale don’t run on traditional school schedules that begin in the fall and spring. Instead, Rosedale offers courses year-round in order to better serve the needs of their students. Courses are offered as often as every five weeks, and they have morning and evening classes available. This flexible enrollment model means that applicants must be assessed, placed, and oriented quickly, sometimes in a matter of weeks. This requires a great deal of coordination between the admissions department, student aid, and the rest of the Rosedale faculty.
The team at FreeAgent was quick to recognize the unique challenges that Rosedale Technical College faced, and they were excited to help. They knew that Rosedale would need a solution that was tailored to their specific needs, and working together, they began to implement a plan that would help address Rosedale’s immediate challenges while also laying the groundwork for future development.
With the systems we were using before, leads were all put into a single bucket. Now we can see when someone applied and where they are in the cycle so that we can get them enrolled quicker.
We’ve gained instant visibility into lead stage, age and other critical information to providing relevant follow-up quickly.
Running campaigns used to be so much more time consuming, because all the data lived in different places.”
Rosedale Technical College needed to:
- Centralize their communications
- Share information between departments
- Assess obstacles to admission
- Empower their teams
- Nurture relationships with applicants
- Reduce the amount of data and processes managed via Excel spreadsheets
I can come in first thing in the morning and see where everyone is at right away. This alone has saved me a lot of time.
There’s several reports that I need every single week. With FreeAgent, it’s just one click and I can have it right there. That saves a ton of time.
The customization within FreeAgent is so critical. We can create Custom Fields and more that are tailored for the way we run our business.”
The Solution
The team at Rosedale looked at several CRMs in their search for a solution to the challenges they faced. They knew they needed something that could improve collaboration and visibility, but their unique business model meant that it couldn’t be a one-size-fits-all solution. They needed something that could be tailored to meet the specific requirements of each of their teams. What’s more, they needed to find a partner who, like them, was customer-focused. They couldn’t wait days or weeks for issues to be resolved or for new tools to be implemented. Response time was critical as they had students relying on them.
In FreeAgent, Rosedale found just what they were looking for. The flexible nature of the FreeAgent CRM allowed for Custom Fields to be created that could be used to track the specific information that was important to each of Rosedale’s teams. The platform also served as the central hub for all of their communications. Suddenly the admissions team could see not just who was applying, but what stage they were at in the process. They could see when the last communication was and who had made it. Student aid could notify other departments of potential hold-ups right away, allowing the team to respond to such issues quickly. Tasks could be assigned to specific team members, and reminders could be set for specific tasks. Collaboration became faster, simpler, and more dynamic.
The next step for Rosedale is to implement FreeAgent across even more of their teams. The success they have had has helped them to identify even more areas they could streamline and improve. As other departments have begun to see the benefits that the FreeAgent platform provides, they are becoming eager to get onboard themselves.
The Impact
- Meet with more applicants per week
- Increased visibility into applicant communications
- Improved collaboration between departments
- Decreased preparation time for marketing campaigns
- Reduced time spent searching for information
With FreeAgent on their side, Rosedale Technical College is poised to help more students than ever before. Their admissions team is saving as much as eight hours a week thanks to the greater depth of visibility that FreeAgent provides. They can quickly and easily assess an applicant’s status, improving their communications and speeding up the application process. This frees the team up to take more meetings or to spend more time assisting the other departments they work with.
The improved visibility also helps Rosedale gain insight into the reasons why some applicants don’t make it through to admission. They can use this data to make more informed decisions about course schedules and availability. As a school that prides itself on its ability to cater to the needs of its students, this information is invaluable.
The trades form the foundation of America’s workforce. Infrastructure development and maintenance are essential to the continued success of this country. Rosedale Technical College is a key player in ensuring that the next generation of tradespeople are fully equipped to carry us into the future. As they continue to foster this vital network, FreeAgent will be there to provide the expertise and insights required to maximize their efforts and realize their goals.
It’s definitely helped the teams work better together.
Having one centralized location for all of our information has made it easier to collaborate.
It’s so easy to use, which has really helped the team get on board with FreeAgent.”
“FreeAgent helps us to do our jobs quicker and to be more efficient. That means we can take more appointments than before or be out in the school where people need support.
It’s created a domino effect, because the easier it is for us to do our jobs, the more areas are positively impacted.”
Dave Detar
Senior Admissions Advisor | Rosedale Technical College
FREEAGENT SUCCESS STORY