Wilfrid Laurier University Transforms OUAC Data Management with Axiom Elite

Their Need:

An Ontario-based institution, Wilfrid Laurier University, faced significant challenges in efficiently processing OUAC (Ontario University Application Centre) XML data. Their legacy integration was prone to failures when data irregularities occurred in individual records, causing entire datasets to become unavailable to functional teams. This resulted in a surge of emergency ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) support tickets, delaying operations and increasing manual workload. "Previously, our integrations would fail outright if there were anomalies in singular records of data," confirmed Tim Didier, Associate Director, ICT Enterprise Applications Development. The university sought a reliable, automated, and scalable solution to streamline data integration while reducing dependence on ICT resources.

Additionally, Wilfrid Laurier University was transitioning to a Salesforce-based admissions system and needed a solution capable of seamlessly integrating with Ellucian Banner. Ensuring data accuracy and maintaining system connectivity during this migration were critical objectives. "Without the Axiom Elite software and its development team, we would not have been able to complete the integrations on time," Didier emphasized.

Our Solution:

Axiom Higher Education custom developed a tailored integration solution specifically designed for all OUAC institutions. This integration provided several key enhancements:

Automated Data Processing: Axiom Elite's intelligent automation identifies, flags, and quarantines data errors without disrupting the overall import process. This empowers functional teams to directly manage and resolve data anomalies, significantly reducing their reliance on ICT support and streamlining their workflows. "Axiom Elite's ability to recognize, hold, and mark errors when there are problems with the data has allowed a better division of responsibility between ICT and functional units," explained Didier. This empowered functional teams to manage data anomalies independently, reducing the need for ICT intervention.

- Seamless Integration with CRM's and SIS's: The system’s flexibility and built-in Banner integration procedures enabled Wilfrid Laurier University to complete its migration to Salesforce while maintaining a stable and efficient connection with Banner.

- Enhanced Reliability and Efficiency: The automation and error-handling capabilities of Axiom Elite significantly reduced maintenance time and support tickets, ensuring a more stable and predictable data integration process. "The reliability has improved, and ICT based maintenance has been reduced," stated Didier.

- Advanced Import Method: Axiom Elite's Advanced Import method, specifically for OUAC institutions, automated XML integration between OUAC and SIS and CRM systems.

The Result:

As a result of implementing Axiom Elite, Wilfrid Laurier University experienced improved reliability and data integrity, ensuring student application data is consistently available and reducing processing delays, an outcome directly applicable to all Ontario-based universities processing OUAC data. ICT resources were significantly optimized, removing the burden of daily or weekly OUAC distribution triaging, freeing up valuable staff time across Ontario institutions. The adaptable framework of Axiom Elite facilitated an accelerated Salesforce migration, maintaining an efficient connection with Banner, a benefit for any university modernizing its systems. Functional teams gained greater autonomy, addressing many issues directly within the Axiom Elite interface, a crucial capability for efficient data management in all Ontario institutions. Furthermore, the university benefited from real-time automation, seamlessly obtaining student information and saving energy previously spent on manual data entry, providing a standardized, efficient solution for all Ontario universities using OUAC.