University of Lincoln

How the University of Leicester streamlined exam scheduling and improved support for students

The University of Leicester is embracing digital innovation to improve the student experience and boost its operational resilience.

Having already shifted off its earlier on-premise software to TechnologyOne’s SaaS+ platform in 2024, University of Leicester has already seen some noticeable benefits in the form of streamlined exam scheduling, reduced manual overheads, and allowed staff to focus on high-value student support.

At a time when universities are under significant financial pressure, the University of Leicester’s success story is an excellent example of how higher education institutions can deliver the best for students and staff and save money doing so.

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Customer story highlights: University of Leicester

• Cut exam timetable creation from two weeks to minutes using TechnologyOne’s Exam Scheduler
• Saved staff time to focus on growing demand for alternative arrangements (NEPs)
• Improved performance and resilience by switching to a SaaS-based solution

About the University of Leicester

Founded in 1921, the University of Leicester is a leading UK education institution known for its research excellence and commitment to providing first-class student experiences. Serving over 20,000 students and employing 3,800 staff, the university manages a wide range of academic and administrative services across its central campus and academic schools.

The challenge: an outdated, manual scheduling process

Before moving to TechnologyOne, the University of Leicester relied on a heavily manual scheduling tool that lacked efficiency, flexibility, and vendor accountability. Creating the exam timetable alone took over two weeks, consuming valuable time and resources that could be better spent on student support.

“It used to take over a fortnight to develop the exam timetable,” said Matt Kaylor, Student Registry Services Manager at the University of Leicester.

“The software was just bolted on to our existing system, and the vendor took no responsibility when we ran into problems.”

This left the timetabling team managing repetitive manual work under tight timeframes, with limited ability to adapt to the growing number of students requiring alternative exam arrangements.

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The solution: SaaS-based timetabling & scheduling

To address these challenges, the university adopted TechnologyOne’s Timetabling & Scheduling solution, moving to a fully managed SaaS+ solution. The rollout included key modules such as Exam Scheduler, Resource Booker, and Publish.

The decision to go with TechnologyOne was grounded in the need for automation, resilience, and real-time capabilities.

“Exam Scheduler was a revelation,” said Kaylor.

“At the push of a button, it generates a flexible exam schedule that we can then finesse using the built-in metrics. It completely changed the way we work.”

Performance also improved significantly. Rather than spending days on data manipulation and version control, the team can now spend that time supporting students.

“We’ve freed up our team to focus on alternative arrangements, which are growing massively across the sector year on year,” he added.

“Despite the fact we’re working with huge datasets, it’s a slick operation.

“TechnologyOne regularly releases software updates to make sure operations run seamlessly.”

The SaaS model allowed the university to shift away from managing infrastructure and patches and instead concentrate on delivering better academic services.

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The results: faster scheduling, better student outcomes

Since adopting TechnologyOne’s SaaS solution, timetabling has been transformed into a streamlined, collaborative process.

Timetables that once took weeks are now generated in minutes, and staff across the university, from the cleaning to academic teams, all benefit from a centralised, real-time view of scheduling data.

“Timetabling and scheduling is making life easier for everybody across the institution in some shape or form I’d say,” Mr. Kaylor said.

“We’re pushing out near real-time data to our students and our academics. We push data out and use open timetables or object timetables that’s accessed by portering teams, cleaning teams, and we’re making some real efficiencies and savings there.”

By freeing up time and improving data visibility, the university is better equipped to deliver an inclusive, well-supported student experience that scales with the needs of a growing, diverse campus population.

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