The Hochschule der bildenden Künste (HBK) Essen is a state-recognized private art college with campuses in Essen and Wuppertal. At HBK Essen, people with artistic or design aptitude can study art or design regardless of their background or age. The diverse range of courses on offer includes fine art and design courses such as Game Art and Design (B.A.) as well as the innovative Master's degree course in Art and Cooperation (M.F.A.). The internationally oriented university relies heavily on the considered use of the latest digital technologies.
The challenge: Complex and inefficient processes
With regard to internal structures, administrative and teaching processes, the university sought a digital transformation early on in order to ensure the quality and efficiency of its processes. Thanks to INKUBIT , HBK Essen was able to successfully shape this transformation.
The Solution : A tailor-made digital infrastructure
INKUBIT developed a customized Solution to meet the specific needs of HBK Essen. This Solution included the implementation of Power BI, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365. These tools formed the backbone of the university's digital infrastructure.
Power BI: This powerful tool enables HBK Essen to manage and analyze its data efficiently. Power BI offers interactive visualizations and business intelligence functions that enable the university to make data-based decisions. By analyzing key performance indicators, HBK Essen has been able to continuously improve its processes.
Microsoft Teams: With the introduction of Microsoft Teams, as part of Microsoft 365, HBK Essen was able to significantly improve interdisciplinary collaboration. Teams enables employees to communicate in real time, share files and work together on projects, regardless of their location. This has not only boosted productivity, but also the university's innovative strength.
Microsoft 365: This suite of office tools supported HBK Essen in the digitalization of its daily work processes. Microsoft 365 includes applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint that are integrated into the cloud, enabling real-time access and collaboration. This ensured that all employees had access to the necessary resources and could work efficiently.
Dynamics 365: As a central CRM system, Dynamics 365 helped HBK Essen to manage student and lecturer data efficiently. Dynamics 365 makes it possible to bundle all interactions in one place and thus obtain a 360-degree view of the students. Automated processes and integrated data flows ensured smooth administration and improved service.
Results: Significant increase in efficiency and cost reduction
The results of this digital transformation speak for themselves. HBK Essen was able to achieve significant improvements by optimizing its processes and implementing new technologies:
Standardized platform through optimized administration and improved data management: The introduction of a standardized platform made administration and data management considerably easier. This led to a better overview and more efficient processes.
Establishment of a self-service portal for students: The new self-service portal enabled students to access important documents independently. This significantly reduced the administrative workload.
Increased efficiency in data entry, updating and analysis: By automating and standardizing data processes, HBK Essen was able to significantly increase its efficiency. This led to faster and more precise data analyses, which improved decision-making.
Development of internal training videos: In order to prepare employees for the new systems in the best possible way, INKUBIT developed internal training videos. These videos facilitated familiarization and created the basis for effective use for employees.
Continuous support during and after implementation: INKUBIT provided HBK Essen with comprehensive support, both during the implementation phase and afterwards. This ensured that the new systems functioned smoothly and that any problems were quickly resolved.
Overcoming bottlenecks and increasing overall productivity: The elimination of bottlenecks led to a significant increase in productivity. Employees were now able to concentrate on strategic tasks and the administrative workload was significantly reduced.
Digital turnaround at the HBK Essen
For our university, the quality of our teaching is paramount. Our aim was to ensure this by standardizing, streamlining and making work processes transparent. We hope that the introduction of the self-service portal will make self-administration much easier for our students in the long term. Staff will also benefit from improved tools. INKUBIT has provided us with a bespoke Solution that has been seamlessly integrated into our existing systems and has helped us to increase our productivity for the benefit of our students.
The partnership between HBK Essen and INKUBIT has shown how a targeted digital transformation can lead to significant improvements in efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction, in this case student satisfaction. The implementation of Power BI, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 has not only optimized internal processes, but also laid the foundation for future growth and innovation. This success story is an impressive example of how strategic vision can sustainably increase the competitiveness of an educational institution.