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Increased automation and significant time savings add up to real return on investment.
Founded in 1903, Jewel & Esk Valley College (JEVC) is one of the larger further education colleges in Scotland, with around 400 staff delivering a variety of technical and vocational courses to some 8000 students across two campuses. The bulk of the college's £16 million annual revenue comes from the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC), but the college also receives income from other sources, including tuition fees from self-funded students, and takings from its residences and refectories. In addition, the college is currently managing a major capital project: a £44 million redevelopment of its campuses.
Better management
Following the appointment of a new principal in 2001, Alan Williamson joined JEVC as director of finance and he quickly realised that a new finance system was a priority "The Scottish Executive and the Funding Council were pushing for colleges to become financially sustainable and better managed. We were running a DOS-based accounting system that offered limited flexibility in how data could be recorded and presented to budget holders. It didn't provide quick or easy access to management information, and gave us only weak control over purchase order requisitions," he says.
After a rigorous evaluation, JEVC identified Dream, a CODA solution, as the best product to tackle these issues. For instance, since...