Transforming universities: empowering relationships through The Partnership CRM Accelerator

Cultivating knowledge: the cornerstone of prosperous partnerships

At the heart of every university lies a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Universities engage with students, alumni, businesses, and governments to unlock their potential to create meaningful change for both the individual and society at large. Far from being a solitary endeavour, it is a dynamic collaboration that propels us all forward.

The cultivation of successful partnerships between universities and businesses requires a genuine commitment from both sides. Senior management must lead by example, investing time and resources to explore mutual possibilities. Effective communication ensures a harmonious and coherent discourse, revealing shared values, aligning goals and building trust. All of this is vital to discover the various touchpoints a business has within a university and the untapped potential they hold.

From this position, data-driven decision-making becomes paramount. The Partnership CRM Accelerator serves as the neural connection between knowledge and actionable insights, offering institutions a 360-degree view of their engagements, prospects and more.

The Partnership CRM Accelerator

Real-time dashboards provide senior leaders with insights, fostering a deeper understanding of partnership value and impact. A Research and Commercialisation Director with a focused interest in IP management or enterprise start-ups — for example — can immediately see the status of all related opportunities in one central place, removing the need to relentlessly search multiple databases for information. Similarly, the Head of Student Experience can effortlessly find data on the number of student placements or projects by school by engaging the industry sector or geographic location with a simple click.

The Partnership CRM Accelerator stands as a comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) platform that equips universities with the tools they need to effectively manage engagement, marketing, and partner support. With a data-driven approach, universities are able to assess leads, make informed decisions, and accelerate the engagement cycle.

By leveraging Fluido’s PCA, universities can revolutionise their relationships and achieve overall greater impact, revenue, and engagement. This simple out-of-the-box answer to business development in an HE context enables universities to capture all their interactions with partners, collaborators, and customers in one place. Built on the core functionality of Salesforce, and with the knowledge and understanding of the specific requirements a university has in its various activities, PCA offers a high-powered and fast-track solution towards a partner-centric experience.

With a common process and social platform, universities can strengthen connections with partners and streamline information sharing and collaboration.

Universities using the PCA can analyse existing data to see where existing strengths as well as new potential lie with relationships, for example, where an opportunity for student placements or projects could fit with an existing commercial research partner or where a one-off consultancy opportunity could develop into something offered across the organisation. The Partnership CRM Accelerator gives the power to unlock opportunities that were previously hidden.

Across Europe, funders expect universities to play a pivotal role in driving economic growth through innovation. A symbiotic connection between academia and business becomes instrumental in achieving this, and the Partnership CRM Accelerator becomes a powerful ally, highlighting opportunities and unearthing new ways for universities and businesses to collaborate. PCA equips universities with an understanding of their partners and stakeholders and the complexity and potential opportunity of those relationships.

Personalised and customised: The gateway to excellence

Built using Salesforce Sales Cloud, PCA empowers universities to adapt to ever-evolving business dynamics. Universities can tailor their processes for specific engagement teams and partners. With personalised alerts and campaigns, universities can foster deeper connections with prospects, showcasing impact and cultivating robust relationships.

Business Development and Engagement teams across schools, colleges and institutes gain the flexibility to access and share data, seek approvals, and drive deals using their smartphones — anytime and anywhere. This seamless accessibility bolsters productivity and opens doors to new opportunities.

Following implementation, universities can streamline their processes by offering their business development and engagement teams the necessary training and support to maximise impact. PCA’s effectiveness allows universities to focus on the right prospects, to shorten business development cycles and increase success rates. The Partnership CRM Accelerator empowers universities to realise their objectives more efficiently, ensuring optimal outcomes for each partner business and organisation.

Universities gain greater control over their own data, minimising uncertainties even when individuals transition out. Dynamic reports and dashboards equip university decision-makers to make genuine data-driven decisions, as well as providing efficient tools to monitor and analyse monthly team progress, including the HESA reporting requirements. Through clear and actionable reporting, universities can gauge the effectiveness of their business processes and further align business development — boosting overall productivity.

With Fluido’s PCA, all engagement data is consolidated into a centralised system, replacing outdated and ad hoc methods. This data management refinement empowers universities to foster steady growth, resulting in increased partner retention and maximising potential business development revenue.

Conclusion

The Partnership CRM Accelerator emerges as the key to unlocking the fullest potential of university–business partnerships. With a data-driven culture and strategic relationship management, universities can confidently steer societal transformation. This collaborative ethos strengthens research, elevates teaching methodologies, and equips students with real-world skills. As universities embrace CRM, they solidify their role as agents of change and champions of innovation. Together, universities and businesses will shape a brighter future for generations to come.

To hear how universities are currently using this approach to maximise the impact of their academics, broaden the reach of their institution and capture the full potential of the impact they can make on society, listen here.

Within eight weeks, we can create your university’s platform and establish the initial suite of opportunities based on your requirements.