SaaS innovation enables first-class student experience at University of Leicester

The University of Leicester is further optimising its operations moving to TechnologyOne’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, enabling its agile IT team to manage complex scheduling and resourcing for its 20,000 students and 3,800 staff anywhere, anytime, from any device.

Renowned for its innovative research and dedication to delivering outstanding student experiences, the University of Leicester chose to move its old on-premise Timetabling and Scheduling (T&S) solution, to TechnologyOne’s trusted SaaS solution to reduce the administrative burden on the IT team.

University of Leicester Timetabling and Examinations Manager, Matt Kaylor, said: “Prior to TechnologyOne, the exam timetable alone took us over a fortnight to develop and as the software was just bolted onto our existing system the vendor took no responsibility when we ran into problems. Exam Scheduler was a revelation! It completely changed the way we schedule exams; at the push of a button, Exam Scheduler generates a flexible schedule that we can then finesse using the built-in metrics. We can ensure that we are providing a high-quality experience for all our students and free up time within the team to spend on our Alternative Arrangements (NEPs), which are growing massively across the sector year on year. It allows us to be smart with our team resource and devote the right amount of time to the right parts of the process.”

“We've seen significant performance improvements with SaaS, despite the fact we are working with huge datasets, it is a slick operation. We have a true partnership with TechnologyOne, which regularly releases software updates to ensure operations are running seamlessly. This allows our team to focus on what matters—supporting the future workforce, maximizing research resources, facilitating exams and assessments, and monitoring students’ attendance, all so we can get them across the stage on graduation day."

TechnologyOne provides a true SaaS solution, focusing on device flexibility and future readiness for universities. By regularly deploying platform-wide security enhancements, it ensures universities are provided with optimal protection.

TechnologyOne UK Executive Vice President, Leo Hanna, said: “At a time where universities are under significant pressure to do more with less, we are thrilled that the University of Leicester is continuing to embrace smart digital solutions to improve its operational resilience. Our SaaS solution facilitates agile timetabling adjustments, responding promptly to evolving academic requirements and unforeseen changes, streamlining administrative processes while accommodating the university’s growth.”

“Managing extensive IT infrastructure and servers is not a primary focus of universities, it's costly and carries significant risks. TechnologyOne takes full responsibility for the complete outcome of the solution experience – not just the software, enabling the University of Leicester to leverage the expertise of our highly skilled in-house consulting team, so they can focus on delivering enriching educational experiences for students.”