On Friday, 16 February 2024, the North-West University (NWU) went live with the first phase of the Student Information System (SIS) project as it launched the NWU Student Client Relations Management (Nexus CRM) module, ushering in a new chapter in the history of the university.

This phase of the SIS Eagle project focuses on marketing, recruitment, applications, and selections. The university’s application cycle for 2025 will be launched on Monday, 1 April 2024. As the university is making a significant leap into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), several dignitaries gathered in Building C1 on the Potchefstroom Campus to commemorate the project's first milestone. Associates from Anthology, the software provider, and staff across all the campuses also joined the celebration remotely.

The NWU’s project manager, Erik Marx, welcomed the acting vice-chancellor and SIS steering committee and acknowledged them for their contributions to the success of the project. “We are elated to have arrived at this turning point, and I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who assisted us to commemorate the beginning of the SIS Eagle Project,” he added.

During the launch event the four interphases of how the SIS project can be applied were explained:

1. Online enquiry
   Prospective applicants will be able to express interest in university events and activities by using these enquiry forms to pose queries.

2. Application portal
   Prospective students can register, apply for studies at the NWU, submit their applications, edit documentation, and track their status and progress, among other functionalities.

3. CRM system
   The CRM system comprises a live environment with workspaces tailored to each staff member's role and permissions. Staff can utilise these workspaces to organise campaigns and events, manage leads and engage with applicants or students.

4. NWU Student (SIS)
   This home page serves as the student information system, providing staff with workspaces for interacting with the students, student records, registration, results, accounts, and various other functionalities.

Acting vice-chancellor Prof Linda du Plessis, the deputy vice-chancellor for Planning and Campus Operations (Vanderbijlpark Campus), expressed the hope that the associates and colleagues will gather once more next year in honour of a successful registration on a new system.

Jean Stidworthy, director for Marketing and Student Recruitment, believes that using the SIS will improve the NWU student experience throughout the value chain. He said: “The SIS is acting as a crucial accelerator for our digital business strategy, as its capabilities will enable NWU personnel and students to be agile, and it will offer relevant stakeholder-focused platforms to streamline experiences.”

“The key to this launch is that we followed the university’s business strategy as a model, which made it a lot easier figuring out how to proceed going forward,” said Prof Marlene Verhoef, NWU registrar and project sponsor. She added: “We understand where we are going and the road we have been on, and today marks the beginning of the remainder of our life as a university."

In support of her, deputy registrar Prof Michael Temane stated that this launch is an investment in the university's future. He went on to illustrate that the collaboration between the NWU and Anthology will set the standard for the future operations for the university across the country.

Undoubtedly, the SIS Eagle project is preparing the NWU staff and students for the ever-changing digital world, and with the first phase already implemented the university will steadily experience an efficient and effective client-centred service.