Universities are feeling the pressure from tighter budgets, outdated systems and rising expectations from students and staff. Many have already done the easy fixes like cutting costs, tweaking systems and finding quick wins. But that’s no longer enough.
True transformation means asking the right questions. Are your systems truly fit for purpose? What needs to change in how you support students and plan for the future?
To explore what this looks like, we hosted a panel with leaders from the University of Warwick, De Montfort University, UCISA and AWS. Here’s what they shared and what higher education needs to do differently to move forward.
There’s a clear difference between launching new technology and achieving real, measurable outcomes. Many higher education projects start by focusing on new tools like automation, AI, or data dashboards. But technology by itself isn’t a strategy. Without a clear goal, these tools can just create more noise in an already busy ecosystem.
Every transformation should begin with the why. Why are we doing this? This is then followed by ‘What problem are we solving for students, staff, or the institution?’ ‘What does success look like and how will we measure it?’
Once these outcomes are clear, you can work backwards to shape the right processes, identify the capabilities you need and choose the tools that support them. Projects driven by outcomes and not just technology are much more likely to succeed.
| Key takeaway: start with the why in transformation. Without a clear purpose, you’re just adding more tools to an already noisy ecosystem. |
Where budgets are tight, universities often prioritise short-term fixes instead of sustainable transformation. They cut costs, simplify a few processes and call it “transformation.” But real, lasting change requires a clear, long-term vision.
A better question to ask is where you want this team or function to be in five years. Defining a target operating model, which provides a shared vision for how a team or function should work in the future, helps you map out the changes needed. After that you can consider which systems or tools are worth investing in.
Amazon follows a similar approach. Before building anything, they focus on deeply understanding the customer’s challenge and then design a solution to address it.
| Key takeaway: define where you want your team or function to be in five years before investing in technology. Work backwards from that vision to ensure every step and tool supports lasting transformation. |
Universities often face challenges with system interoperability when relying heavily on internally developed solutions. Complex, point-to-point integrations can create management difficulties and limit flexibility over time.
Instead of trying to build everything in-house, it’s more effective to tap into external ecosystems and develop strategic partnerships. These partnerships bring specialised expertise, fresh perspectives and scalable solutions that can accelerate transformation while reducing risk.
For example, NashTech’s partnership with the University of Warwick on their SITS to cloud migration delivered strategic insight and real value throughout the project, not just transactional support.
“It's been fantastic not only just to have a supplier, but a partner that's willing to come on that journey, understand our estate, understand what work we need to do. But more importantly, deliver value over and above the transactional requirements.”
Raja-Saleem Javaid - Chief Information and Transformation Officer at the University of Warwick.
| Key takeaway: don't build it all in-house. Go through a supply chain or an ecosystem and develop strategic partners that can bring their expertise into the opportunities that you have within your organisation. Suppliers should understand your university’s goals and collaborate closely to help achieve them. Make sure commercial agreements reflect shared transformation objectives so you’re aligned on long-term impact, not just short-term transactions. |
A common mistake universities make is focusing on selecting new platforms and integrating systems before thinking about how they will be used. True transformation only happens when people move forward with you.
If academic and professional staff don’t understand the purpose behind the change, or if students aren’t supported throughout the process, adoption suffers. Transformation in higher education is as much about shifting mindsets and ways of working as it is about implementing new systems. That means investing time in communication, training and support, and being transparent about the “why” from the start.
“The hardest bit is the transformation; solving problems for people, making sure they're adopting tools, that they've changed the ways of working. Putting real effort on taking people with you is something that you really need for success. And to take people with you, you have to be really clear about the why you're doing things.”
Andrew Proctor – AWS Executive Lead, UK Education
| Key takeaway: successful transformation begins with people. Clearly communicate the “why,” invest in training and support and help users understand how changes impact their work. Focus on how technology supports the university’s mission and makes work and student life easier. |
The complex bureaucracy in higher education often leads to technology strategies that are too broad or complicated. This makes it hard for universities to stay focused and say no to less important projects.
A laser-focused strategy that’s easy to communicate is key. Ideally, it should fit on a single page.
Andrew Proctor from AWS shared,:
“Any project, initiative, or new idea at Amazon can be expressed in a single page of paper. ”
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An effective strategy should:
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Universities collect a huge amount of data, but often they’re data rich and insight poor. This means they miss opportunities to make smarter decisions or reduce unnecessary costs.
The University of Bath is a great example of how to use data effectively. Instead of trying to analyse everything, they focused on a clear, practical problem: space utilisation. While meeting rooms seemed fully booked, many were empty. By analysing real usage, they avoided costly new space investments, which allowed the university to invest strategically elsewhere.
“It doesn't always have to be about cost savings, but cost avoidance, which enables you to invest more strategically” - Andrew Proctor, Executive Lead UK Education at AWS.
The key is starting with a specific business question, not just diving into data because it’s available. Focus on one area that matters most or something urgent that will bring people together, like student data.
| Key takeaway: focus your data efforts. Avoid overwhelming users with meaningless dashboard reports. Start with a specific business problem and build analytics that address it. |
Universities often overlook the untapped potential of existing technology. By reviewing current systems and aligning them better with user needs, they can achieve meaningful improvements without costly new investments.
For example, instead of replacing a student app, one university increased its effectiveness by shifting ownership internally and improving deployment.
This approach works especially well across multiple campuses, creating a unified strategy that supports flexible student journeys while reducing duplication and costs.
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Key takeaway: you don’t always need new technology to drive transformation. Often, optimising and better managing the systems you already have can deliver significant impact and set a stronger foundation for future growth. |
The universities that are succeeding aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the newest technology. They're the ones that: