How AB Tech Modernized Student Services and Cut Manual Workflows in Half

^Problem

Inefficient registration and compliance workflows disrupting operations

A-B Tech, a public two-year institution in North Carolina, offers associate degrees, certificates, and continuing education programs that support workforce development and community growth. Within its Continuing Education division, which serves non-traditional learners and local employers, operational inefficiencies were slowing progress.

Student registration, faculty coordination, and compliance tracking were managed through disconnected systems—paper forms, spreadsheets, and emails—making it difficult to maintain accuracy, consistency, or visibility across the division. Manual workflows caused delays, data entry errors, and compliance risks due to missing signatures and untracked instructional hours. Adjunct faculty lacked reliable access to up-to-date class rosters and attendance records, and the IT team struggled to integrate siloed tools with enterprise systems like Colleague and Softdocs. Without centralized visibility, the division faced growing challenges in scaling operations efficiently and maintaining compliance.

Beyond the technical issues, A-B Tech also faced a cultural challenge. Staff had grown accustomed to manual workflows and largely viewed process improvement as someone else’s responsibility. “That’s just the way we’ve always done it” had become an unofficial mantra. Even departments that were aware of inefficiencies struggled to act on them, and data-driven decision-making remained limited. Valuable insights were trapped in spreadsheets and email threads, preventing leadership from making timely, informed decisions and limiting opportunities to optimize resources or improve student and faculty experiences.

The legacy systems in place also created budget and resource pressures. Managing student evaluations and compliance tracking through paper, Excel, and outdated software was not only time-consuming but costly. IT staff spent hours maintaining disparate systems and reconciling inconsistent records, leaving little capacity for innovation or strategic initiatives. The combination of fragmented systems, manual processes, and a culture resistant to change created an environment ripe for errors, delays, and inefficiency—highlighting the urgent need for a modern, centralized solution.

Q1

^Solution

Faculty and IT empowered to modernize operations

To address these challenges, A-B Tech turned to SmartSuite, a no-code platform designed to unify data, automate processes, and foster collaboration. SmartSuite’s flexible architecture allowed the college to replace legacy evaluation systems, streamline registration workflows, and manage compliance in a single, integrated workspace.

Data and Process Analyst Kaitlin Pierce and IT Developer/Administrator Matt Gudites led the initial rollout, demonstrating how SmartSuite could empower staff across departments. “Before SmartSuite, I was stuck with paper forms and spreadsheet chaos,” said Marie Eller, HRD Coordinator. “Now I’m running compliance-heavy courses from a dashboard—and my instructors love it.”

The platform gave faculty real-time visibility into enrollment, attendance, and compliance metrics, eliminating the need to wait for IT to pull reports. Interactive dashboards enabled instructors and administrators to track class status, manage inventory, and verify compliance at a glance. Manual data entry was slashed by over 50%, and error-prone bundled processes for registration data were replaced with automated workflows. The IT team also began planning to auto-sync records into Ellucian Colleague via SmartSuite’s API, ensuring that authoritative systems remained the source of truth while the platform served as a flexible front-end interface.

SmartSuite’s adoption also enabled IT governance improvements. The platform became a central hub for managing user access, approvals, and compliance processes internally, allowing the IT team to “govern itself” while maintaining secure oversight. “Our goal was automation without tool overload,” said Chris Harshman, VP of Operations. “SmartSuite lets us integrate, automate, and visualize—all in one place. The goal is for SmartSuite not to become a second source of truth, but a flexible frontend to drive our existing systems.”

The rollout was implemented in phases, with annual education pricing between $1,890–$12,000, giving leadership confidence to adopt gradually while scaling usage across departments. As adoption grew, staff gained confidence and ownership, designing and optimizing their own workflows without heavy IT involvement. This empowered employees to identify bottlenecks, improve processes, and contribute to continuous institutional improvement.

Q2

^Results

50% reduction in manual data entry paired with real-time visibility

SmartSuite has become both the operational backbone and the cultural catalyst for A-B Tech’s transformation.

The participating departments achieved a 50%+ reduction in manual data entry, while instructors now rely on interactive dashboards to track enrollment, attendance, and compliance in real time. Three compliance workflows have been fully automated, reducing errors and ensuring regulatory requirements are consistently met. Plans to auto-sync SmartSuite data into Colleague will further streamline operations and maintain alignment with authoritative systems.

The platform has also driven broader cultural change. Departments that previously operated in isolation now see their work as part of a unified, data-driven process. Staff approach problems with a mindset of continuous improvement, shifting from “we’ve always done it this way” to “how can we make this better?” Leadership now uses SmartSuite insights to measure ROI, optimize resource allocation, and guide strategic planning.

The phased rollout and proven ROI have prompted A-B Tech to consider a full-site license, enabling campus-wide adoption and eliminating constraints on departmental growth. By combining automation, data visibility, and user empowerment, SmartSuite has transformed how A-B Tech operates, making the institution more efficient, accountable, and forward-looking.

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Q4