Process and Functional Analysis

Process and Functional Analysis

How can a higher education institution improve admissions, financial aid, registration, and student financial services? When one questions how we perform our work, the answer is typically "that is the way we have always done it."  Unfortunately, many of these cherished work processes are based on archaic manual systems or on non-integrated legacy student information systems.  When we do attempt to improve, or "automate," our work, we often follow the same legacy work processes.  focusEDU's process analysis and reengineering consultants can help improve or redesign work processes to achieve significant productivity and efficiency gains.

Function vs. Process

Work activities are typically organized around functional units. An institution is thus viewed as a series of specialized vertical organizational structures.  Each is responsible and optimized for a defined set of functions. All work is based upon these sets of vertical compartments. For example, in higher education, distinct functional units are responsible for the functions of recruitment, admissions, financial aid, registration, billing, etc.

A process is a series of steps designed to produce a product or service. More precisely, a process is a logical and finite set of observable interrelated work activities utilizing input.  When performed in a pre-defined series, produces output. Processes have internal and external customers and are independent of an organization's functional boundaries.

Cross-Functional Processes

Although it is possible that all steps in a process may be contained within one functional area (e.g., billing), most processes are cross-functional.  They span the white spaces between the boxes on an organization chart.

These white spaces, where hand-offs occur between functional units, are typically the places process delays and disconnects (things that go wrong in a process step) occur.  This is even though each individual functional unit may be performing efficiently and effectively.

A cross-functional process view of work, as opposed to a functional view of work, can uncover these disconnects and enable their correction. For example, when attempting to improve the registration process, one should not merely examine the functional activity of enrollment in classes, but should analyze the entire end-to-end process of registration, including course selection, schedule building, enrollment, application of financial aid, tuition assessment, billing, etc.

Process Mapping

Process Mapping is an important analytical tool for determining how a process works, from start to finish.  It focuses on the flow of work and people through departmental work areas.  The value each successive step in the process adds to the final product or service. The focusEDU approach to process mapping builds the process mapping team, creates consensus on the existing process terms and activities.  It identifies process disconnects, and evolves an environment that facilitates creative solutions.  This will address the disconnects and improve or re-create the process.

Business Process Review and Redesign Consultants

This powerful process mapping technique can be applied for process improvement to obtain measurable productivity and efficiency gains, or for more ambitious business process reengineering projects .

focusEDU's experienced cadre of functional and technical process analysis and reengineering consultants will facilitate the discovery and analysis of your existing work processes.  This provides an effective tool in improving or reinventing your processes.

Positive Results to Help You Attain Your Goals

Our Consulting Directors are recognized leaders and will work with you to ensure enrollment management consulting and national searches success:

• Your admission outreach initiatives generate an enrolled entering class with the qualities, quantities and demographics you seek.
• That financial aid and scholarship packaging plays a positive role in student retention and does not become a factor in student attrition.
• The coordination with academic leadership so course availability for students establishes satisfactory progress toward students degree and program objectives.
• That enrollment management is strategically optimized for success.
• Advisement, counseling and needed support services will retain the students you recruited.
• Students will complete their degree/programs requirements in a timeframe that is acceptable to your students and the institution.
• Structures and programs for payments of tuition and fees that will meet an institution's revenue objectives without placing students and families into financial hardship.
• The outcomes and deliverables of our assessments and evaluations will strategically assist your institution for enrollment management success.

Processes and Functions We Assess for Student Financial Services

The following processes and functions are core Student Financial Services the consultants of focusEDU will assess and ensure compliance and best practices delivery for transparent institutional success:

• Identifying and managing collection agencies
• Collection software for delinquent tuition and fees and student loans
• Tuition and fee billing
• Tuition and fee payment plans
• Managing delinquent tuition and fee accounts
• Benchmarking “like” institutions
• Refunding
• Financial measurements of operational performance
• Courtesy calls to reduce receivables
• Monitoring loan default rates
• 1098T processing
• Managing Form 8300

Processes and Functions We Assess for the Registrar

The following registrar processes and functions are core and the consultants of focusEDU will assess and ensure compliance and best practices delivery for transparent institutional success:

• Organization structure and position descriptions
• Documentation of user processes
• NSC/NSLDS reporting protocols
• Transfer credit timeliness and workflows
• Degree Audit system alignment to Curriculum Committee program and course creations
• Classroom scheduling optimization and space utilization
• Degree completion and certification processes
• Diploma ordering systems
• Preparation for single-source external audit (A133)
• Military veteran’s certification programs
• Appropriate role in commencement activities
• Curriculum committee interfaces and workflow from Catalog to Course Schedule and degree audit systems

Processes and Functions We Assess for Admissions and Enrollment

The following processes and functions are core Admission and Enrollment Services that consultants of focusEDU will assess and ensure compliance with and best practices delivery for transparent institutional success:

• Assess institutional goals for student growth and align recruitment activities with measurable enrollment targets.
• Identify and prioritize new recruitment markets and evaluate the viability of emerging majors and academic programs.
• Collaborate with marketing teams to refine and execute recruitment strategies across digital advertising, print materials, personal communications, and institutional websites.
• Evaluate and standardize outreach practices for staff engaging with students, high schools, community organizations, and counselors.
• Review and enhance prospective student experiences on campus, including information sessions, tours, and faculty interactions, to ensure consistency and high-quality engagement.
• Examine the full application workflow, addressing record-keeping, assessment tools, communication timing, and staff efficiency to reduce bottlenecks and improve applicant progression.
• Implement or optimize CRM systems to support automated communications, lead tracking, workflow management, and reporting dashboards.
• Assess staff training, staffing levels, and departmental structure to strengthen productivity, collaboration, and operational clarity.
• Review and standardize processes for managing application data, including reporting timelines, compliance requirements, and data-quality controls.
• Evaluate communication and management of fees, deposits, and financial aid to ensure clarity, transparency, and improved student decision-making.
• Coordinate yield and enrollment transition activities with advising, housing, orientation, and student services to ensure admitted students complete all enrollment steps successfully.

Processes and Functions We Assess for Financial Aid

The following processes and functions are core Financial Aid operations that the consultants of focusEDU assess to strengthen regulatory compliance, operational effectiveness, student service, and institutional performance:

• FAFSA processing, ISIR review, federal match resolution, and student eligibility determination
• Verification, conflicting information resolution, professional judgment, dependency overrides, and special circumstance reviews
• Cost of Attendance development, need analysis, and annual financial aid system configuration
• Federal, state, institutional, athletic, and scholarship packaging and awarding
• Federal Pell Grant, Direct Loan, TEACH Grant, Federal Work-Study, and FSEOG administration
• Satisfactory Academic Progress policy implementation, monitoring, notifications, appeals, and reinstatement processes
• Return of Title IV calculations, withdrawal coordination, post-withdrawal disbursements, and return processing
• Disbursement controls, cash management, federal and state reconciliation, and coordination with student accounts and the business office
• COD, NSLDS, enrollment reporting, transfer monitoring, and regulatory reporting processes
• Financial aid policies and procedures, documentation standards, internal controls, audit readiness, staff training, workflow improvement, and operational stabilization