Customer Solution Case Study
/ University Uses CRM Software to Prepare Engineering Students for the Workplace
“Our feedback from local employers is that they want to recruit graduates with hands-on IT skills in CRM technology. eCONNEX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM have helped fill this gap in our curriculum.”
Prof. Dr. Rainer Geisler, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kiel University of Applied Sciences
Kiel University of Applied Sciences wanted a technology partner to provide customer relationship management (CRM) software for engineering students to learn about sales systems used in the workplace. The Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance (DynAA) offered Microsoft Dynamics CRM software and support from Microsoft Dynamics Partner eCONNEX. The university is producing its first generation of students with the CRM knowledge that local employers require.
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.Document published July 2011
Business Needs
With 5,600 students, Kiel University of Applied Sciences, founded in 1969 in northern Germany, has six faculties, including the Faculty of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. It has a reputation for innovative degree courses with intensive modularized learning in small groups. The university’s engineering faculties customize their curriculum to meet the needs of local employers for graduate recruits with a particular emphasis on IT skills.
In 2008, Prof. Dr. Rainer Geisler of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the university began considering ways to introduce into the curriculum practical workplace technologies for mechanical engineering, sales, and e-procurement software. He says: “By exposing our group of 80 students to technology they’ll later use in the workplace, they gain an advantage when it comes to employment—this was our primary objective.”
The university needed any partner it chose to follow several principles in designing the case studies for the coursework. Student assignments had to contain controllable results so the university could award grades depending on students’ level of attainment. In addition, the CRM software needed to run in the cloud as well as in a physical environment—helping to keep costs low. The department also wanted a low-maintenance system, with the ability to re-use materials each semester.
To achieve this aim, Prof. Dr. Geisler needed to collaborate with a major IT vendor that was willing to give his undergraduates access to proprietary CRM software.
Solution
The university approached the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance (DynAA), which offers academic institutions no-cost ways to obtain Microsoft Dynamics products, support plans, and training materials—and to network with peers and Microsoft Dynamics partners. Prof. Dr. Geisler says: “The positive response from Microsoft was a real boost to our morale after two years trying to interest other vendors. Within a couple of days, we were in touch with the Chief Executive Officer of eCONNEX to progress our plans.”
In the first year of the project, the university used the physical Microsoft Contoso environment with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 because the cloud solution wasn’t available yet. The university now plans to deploy Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Online.
Kiel-based eCONNEX—which specializes in Microsoft Dynamics CRM—took the lead in creating case studies for the students to work on using Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Online.
Alexander Eck, Chief Executive Officer, eCONNEX, says: “Our role is to support the strategic relationship between the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance and the university, as well as assisting in the practical work of setting up the case studies for the students. We’re interested in supporting this project to help introduce university students to Microsoft technology and equip them with skills for the workplace.”
Three separate case studies—involving customer administration, sales, and marketing—have been created by eCONNEX for the students to work on in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. eCONNEX plans to increase its collaboration with the university by allocating staff to give guest lectures in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
Benefits
Kiel University of Applied Sciences now has the support of an experienced Microsoft Dynamics Partner that specializes in Microsoft Dynamics CRM to support its teaching program for engineering students. Through the Microsoft DynAA, the relationship was established quickly and students are already benefiting from knowledge about how state-of-the-art Microsoft technology supports sales, marketing, and customer administration in the workplace.
· Engineering industry benefits from the scheme by getting skilled recruits. Working with Kiel University of Applied Sciences gave eCONNEX the opportunity to promote the use of Microsoft Dynamics CRM among students. This not only gives students the CRM skills they need to succeed in the workplace, but it also provides companies with much-needed skilled young professionals to recruit. Prof. Dr. Geisler says: “Our feedback from local employers is that they want to recruit graduates with hands-on IT skills in CRM technology. eCONNEX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM have helped fill this gap in our curriculum.”
· Students give positive feedback on CRM. The first group of students that started in 2010 responded positively to the curriculum. Many of them have extended the use of the technology in coursework beyond the cases studies, which represent 20 per cent of the overall marks for their degrees.
· First generation of graduates skilled in sales and e-procurement. The university is proud of having produced the first generation of graduates skilled in computerized sales and marketing techniques, and e-procurement. Prof. Dr. Geisler says: “This is good for our reputation as a teaching and research institution and could not have been achieved without Microsoft.”
· University seeks further academic collaboration with Microsoft. In the future, the university hopes to engage with Microsoft in providing content for its postgraduate courses.
· Robust technology offers low maintenance solution. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is easy for the university to operate, with little maintenance required. Support from eCONNEX is provided when necessary.
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.Document published July 2011