Problem: An Abundance of Local Applications
The University of California San Diego (UCSD) launched an initiative to overhaul legacy systems to prepare the institution for the future. During the overhaul, enterprise systems folks saw an abundance of local applications, developed on outdated technology in need of replacement.
The institution needed a modern forms and workflow solution that could handle what UCSD deemed as “lightweight” application needs across departments. Without adding a forms and workflow solution to their technology portfolio, local application development—and the inherent security risks and duplication of work—would continue.
Solution: Cloud-Native Forms and Workflow Solution Kuali Build
In 2018, UCSD partnered with Kuali Build, rounding out UCSD’s technology portfolio.
Kuali Build perfectly met the institution’s need for an easy-to-use, no-code forms and workflow solution. Technical and non-technical users could build applications in the software. Plus, the modern solution was built to scale with the institution and integrate with other campus systems.
After poking through a sandbox environment, UCSD process managers were thrilled with the potential of Kuali Build.
“I’ve been asking for something that will do all the things Kuali Build does for a long time. I’m excited to have my hands on it!” - Shawn Munro, Manager, Lean Bench and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt at UCSD
Results: Improved Institutional Agility Through Forms and Workflow
Munro had his sights set on automating a process to hire research graduate students. This process had been sitting on IT’s backlog for over four YEARS. With Kuali Build, Munro built the process himself in less than four HOURS. (Yes, you read that correctly!)
As UCSD moved the research hiring process to Kuali Build, they found Kuali Build provided the following benefits for the institution:
Improved Visibility and Security
Before using Kuali Build, UCSD managed the process via email and spreadsheets, which wasn’t ideal for keeping sensitive data locked down. Kuali Build’s visibility features enable a whole new level of data security for often overlooked processes like this one.
In the form builder, UCSD hid sections of the form, such as a back-office section, from certain users. Once the form was filled, UCSD was able to enforce granular access to the form’s data in the approval process. Only those with the right permissions could access sections such as a student’s eligibility, payroll, or other private information. Now, the data shared throughout the hiring workflow is much more secure.
Built-In Time-Saving Workflow
Kuali Build’s drag-and-drop workflow tool looks just like a process map. This was a huge plus for Munro, Manager and Lean Six Sigma certified black belt.
Before Kuali Build, faculty and staff had difficulty visualizing and recognizing process flaws. Kuali Build provides a visual workflow, with options to create branches, add integrations, and send notifications. The notifications feature was quite helpful; UCSD staff built the notification template once, then let the software do its thing.
Fast and Easy to Use from Start to Finish
The best part? This process was built in a matter of days. And, it was created by a non-technical user. As UCSD makes Kuali Build more widely available, faculty and staff won’t have to wait for IT to create their process or make adjustments—they can do it themselves.
“I like to refer to Kuali Build as self-service,” said Munro. “People who haven’t interacted with the tool can pick it up really quickly and control their own business processes and configurations. In other words, you don’t have to put in a ticket to change the wording on a form.”
