The Implementation of Ceremonies at Lancaster University, to Manage their Numerous Annual Graduation Ceremonies.
Lancaster University, a prestigious institution located in the United Kingdom, hosts numerous graduation ceremonies each year to celebrate the academic achievements of its students. With a diverse range of programmes and a significant number of graduating students, the university faced challenges in efficiently managing and organising these ceremonies.
The Challenge
The existing processes for graduation ceremony management at Lancaster University were out-dated and required significant development time to create the processes needed for effective ceremony management. Coordinating multiple ceremonies, handling guest registrations, allocating seating, and managing logistics posed significant challenges. Following a review of options, resource allocation and technological capability the university sought a bespoke, end-to-end solution to streamline these processes and enhance the overall experience for both graduates and their guests and facilitate effective management.
The Solution
Lancaster University collaborated with EventMAP, a leading provider of event management solutions, to implement a tailored Graduation Ceremony Management Web Software. EventMAP’s expertise in optimising event logistics and their proven track record in the education sector made them an ideal partner for this project.
Key Features of the Graduation Ceremony Management Web Software:
Online Registration System
Streamlined the registration process for graduates and their guests.
Provided a user-friendly interface for easy navigation and data entry.
Facilitated the capture of an array of key information from graduates, such as access requirements, number of requested guest tickets, thesis title confirmation, and personal and contact details verification.
Fully customisable registration form with options for fields, future-proofing the system in the event of changes to operational processes.
Seating Allocation Algorithm
Utilised advanced algorithms to optimize seating arrangements based on preferences and relationships among attendees.
Real-time Updates
Enhanced communication between the university and participants.
E-Ticketing and Check-in Management
Provided a dedicated native mobile app to streamline the attendee check-in and ticket verification process.
Automated Communication
Email notifications to keep participants informed about ceremony details, distribution of ticket, and any updates.
Data Output and Reporting
Worked with the University to define and deliver customised reporting options, such as presenter lists, names, lists for graduation programmes and seating plans.
Implementation Process:
Needs Assessment
Conducted a thorough assessment of the university’s graduation ceremony requirements and challenges.
Customisation
Tailored the software to meet Lancaster University’s specific needs, incorporating the university’s branding and custom features.
Training and Support
Provided comprehensive training to university staff on using the software.
Established a dedicated support system for ongoing assistance.
Testing and Feedback
Conducted extensive testing to ensure the software’s reliability and user-friendliness.
Gathered feedback from university stakeholders to make necessary refinements.
The Result
The implementation of the Graduation Ceremony Management Web Software by EventMAP at Lancaster University yielded significant positive outcomes:
Efficiency Gains
Drastic reduction in manual workload for university staff, allowing them to focus on other critical tasks.
Improved efficiency in ceremony planning and execution.
Implementation of digital tickets, negating the need for time-consuming printed ticket management.
Enhanced Participant Experience
Graduates and guests experienced a smoother registration process and received timely updates.
Data Accuracy and Integration
Reduced data entry errors through seamless integration with the university’s systems. Use of new data quality log functionality to streamline logging and correcting of any data issues.
Improved overall data accuracy and reliability.
Scalability
The software demonstrated scalability to accommodate the growing number of participants and changing ceremony dynamics.
Positive Feedback
Positive feedback from graduates, guests, and university staff regarding the software’s user-friendliness and efficiency.
The team appreciates the quick actions from the EventMAP team to investigate and remedy any issues within the system or native app.
The collaboration between Lancaster University and EventMAP resulted in the successful implementation of a Graduation Ceremony Management Web Software. The university now benefits from streamlined processes, increased efficiency, and improved participant experiences. The project exemplifies the positive impact of leveraging advanced event management solutions in the education sector, paving the way for future advancements in ceremony planning and execution.
Developing Ceremonies with EventMAP has resulted in time and cost savings; where we had to use two separate systems to complete some of our tasks, we now only have one… The end-to-end management is highly effective, allows us to track graduands’ journeys in a more comprehensive manner and ensure that we can respond to changing circumstances or processes quickly and easily…
Working with EventMAP to develop the system was an excellent experience; the team brought so much expertise, interest and a genuine commitment to understand the idiosyncrasies of our work, which resulted in an excellent product…
Dr. Anna Mackenzie
Head of Corporate and Ceremonial Events, Lancaster University
