Exams Manager Case Study – University of South Australia

Clients:	University of South Australia
Project Title:	Implementation of Databee Exams Manager
No. of Users:	University of South Australia has over 36,000 students across 4 campuses around Adelaide and 2 locations in regional Australia. The Exams Office has 4FTE staff.

Client Endorsement

“Incorporating Exams Manager into our business processes is the best move we’ve made.” Being able to access all data in one product has streamlined and improved our exam management process. At all times Databee staff were responsive to feedback, they tailored the system to meet our requirements and worked collaboratively with our team. We are extremely happy with Exams Manager, the functionality it provides and the results it has delivered for our team and university.”

Michelle Brereton, Manager: Exams, Results & Scholarships, University of South Australia.

The Challenge

The University of South Australia had been looking for a reasonably priced system to replace the outdated, manual system they had been operating. In order to meet tight security requirements, the system had to sit on existing University servers. This, combined with a successful track record of working for multi-campus universities, a capacity to deal with multiple exam events and extensive student numbers, meant the Exams Manager system became their perfect solution.

Historically, all administration tasks required to complete the exam management process were manual. This involved staff members using multiple excel spreadsheets and access databases, resulting in the overall process being complex, time consuming and open to human error.

The University of South Australia were looking for an all-in-one system which would not only reduce the
inefficiencies of the current system but one which could integrate easily into their existing IT set up.

The Solution

Implementation began in December 2012 to fit in with the University’s tight exams schedule. Five short months later the live system was already in use.

One of the unique selling points Databee has is that implementation and training is carried out by ex- Exams office staff . This invaluable insight into workflow and the exams process means the end product fits the exact needs of the user and is intuitive to the specific issues which may arise.

Exams Manager is a fully comprehensive system for the administration of exams. The system includes its own websites for use by staff and students and the interface is simple and easy to use. With no need to export to other systems the implementation required minimal IT resources resulting in a quick implementation.

A key selling point for the University of South Australia was the ability to set up Exams Manager on internal university servers. The Exams Manager system was integrated with the University’s PeopleSoft student records system to receive a daily update of student data.

Working collaboratively throughout the implementation meant new features could be added at the request of the Exams Office staff . This feedback and timely system upgrades ensured the University of South Australia got a system that was completely in tune with their unique set of requirements.

For Databee, these on-site improvements, instigated by the user, have resulted in new features and benefits for future users of the system; an excellent example of product development direct from the customer base.

The Solution

For the Exams Team, accuracy of data, security and efficiency have been the key benefits. Having Exams Manager has allowed the team to audit and review a number of processes. This has become a catalyst for change, producing more streamlined business practices as a result. This has increased the quality of customer service and has created an improved work environment.

The audit and reporting functions are vital and effective parts of the software making this ongoing requirement less labour intensive and complex.

For students, the key benefit has been ease of access to information. The web interface is simple and easy-to-use and personalised exam timetables have reduced stress and allowed students to receive clearer more specific exam timetable information.

Consistent information on exam paper coversheets has also been a great benefit to students and staff. For students, they can see pertinent and consistent information at a glance and for the Exams Office, it not only projects professionalism and quality in all correspondence but it has made actions quicker and events easier to process.

Communication with both students and staff members has been rationalised and is now clear and consistent which has improved the overall experience for all involved.