Newcastle University

Industry : Higher Education

Products : Undergraduate and Postgraduate Study

Employees : Over 6,000 staff members across four campuses.

Website : https://www.ncl.ac.uk/

Full Story

Newcastle University, a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, has been advancing education and research since 1834. With over 29,000 students from 145 countries, it is ranked among the top 130 universities globally.

Newcastle University’s student fees management system was initially implemented over 18 years ago. The bespoke system had become increasingly challenging to maintain, with over 400,000 condition records needing to be set up each year for a student body of 30,000. This inefficiency resulted in a significant administrative burden and created a need for better transparency in fee calculations.

Implementing it.education to Streamline and Future-Proof Fees Management

NTT DATA Business Solutions collaborated with Newcastle University to implement an additional component of it.education for student fees. The new fee management functionality replaced the university’s outdated bespoke system, addressing key challenges by significantly reducing the number of condition records required and improving transparency in fee calculations.

The project’s key objectives included:

• Reducing the administrative burden by minimising the number of condition records to a manageable figure.
• Improving transparency in the fee calculation process, making it easier for staff to understand and reconcile fees.
• Ensuring future scalability by providing a flexible solution that could adapt to regulatory changes and future growth.
• Maintaining continuity in the university’s broader operations by integrating the new system without disrupting other key processes.

Significant Improvements in Efficiency and Transparency

Following the successful implementation of the student fees management solution, Newcastle University realised several critical benefits:

1. Reduced Maintenance Effort: The new solution reduced the number of condition records by leveraging configurable fee types within the it.education solution. This significantly decreased the time required for setting up records each year, saving administrative resources and reducing the potential for errors.
2. Enhanced Transparency: The new solution consolidated all relevant information regarding fee calculations in one place, allowing staff to quickly identify how specific fees were determined. This improved transparency and made it easier for staff without financial expertise to manage fee-related queries without relying on finance teams.
3. Future-Proofing: The flexibility of the it.education solution allowed the university to future-proof its fees management system. Any changes in legal requirements, such as those introduced by Brexit, could be easily configured without requiring substantial adjustments to the system. This adaptability made the system scalable for future growth.
4. Seamless Integration: Despite the complexities of the existing infrastructure, NTT DATA successfully integrated the enhancement of the it.education solution with minimal disruption to key processes at the university. This smooth integration ensured that Newcastle University’s day-to-day operations continued without interruption.

These results have enabled Newcastle University to effectively manage student fees both now and in the future, establishing a more efficient, transparent, and scalable system. This approach has not only reduced the administrative burden but also aligns closely with the university’s long-term strategic goals.

“The project was delivered on time, with exceptional quality and under budget. This success reflects the team’s dedication and skill in exceeding our objectives. A big thank you to everyone involved.”

David Sharples, Head of Enterprise Solutions and Software Engineering at Newcastle University