About Universities Canada
Client: Universities Canada
Industry: Education Foundation
Key Stakeholders: Justin Perrier (Scholarship Systems Analyst)
Client Since: 2015
Tools Used: SmartSimple Cloud
Overview
Universities Canada is the voice of Canadian universities, championing higher education, research, and innovation. Among its many responsibilities, the organization administers over 130 scholarship programs per year, funded by a mix of private and public sector partners. With a small team managing a massive workload, Universities Canada needed to transition away from its outdated, paper-based system to something scalable, self-sustaining, and efficient. SmartSimple Cloud for Scholarship Management was the solution that transformed their entire process, bringing significant time savings, improved tracking, better applicant experiences, and empowered internal teams to become more self-reliant.
Challenges
Before SmartSimple, Universities Canada was using a custom-built system from 1999 based on Oracle. Coupled with spreadsheets and boxes of paper files, this outdated setup presented several critical limitations:
- No scalability or ability to modernize
- Limited tracking and no online access for users
- Reliance on an external contractor for basic updates
- Difficulty meeting modern automation and accessibility expectations
Solutions Implemented
SmartSimple Cloud was identified as the only platform able to meet over 80% of the organization’s requirements, which included:
- Detailed workflow configuration
- Multilingual support
- Real-time processing
- Integration with existing accounting software
- Self-service configuration for internal staff
Impact & Outcomes
The shift to SmartSimple Cloud yielded transformational benefits across all aspects of Universities Canada’s scholarship operations:
- Eliminated Paper, Gained Efficiency
- Managing 10–12 review committees per year, with some reviewers handling up to 150 applications, the time and resources spent on paper processing were significant. SmartSimple replaced manual tasks with automated workflows, reducing errors and saving weeks of administrative time.
- Reviewer Access, Anywhere Anytime
- Reviewers now access applications via secure online portals, freeing them from time-consuming, physical shipments and enabling flexible scheduling.
- Seamless Financial Integration
- Justin developed a real-time integration between SmartSimple Cloud and their accounting system, ensuring award payments are accurate, timely, and traceable.
- Self-Sufficiency for the Team
- Thanks to SmartSimple’s flexibility and intuitive interface, staff learned to configure and maintain workflows independently, without relying on outside contractors.
Client Testimonials
“Thanks to SmartSimple Cloud, reviewers no longer have to take shipping time into consideration when planning their schedules. They can access the system through their own secured, personal portals at their convenience, no matter where or when they prefer to work. This new review process has received more praise than any other improvement made by SmartSimple Cloud.”
— Justin Perrier, Scholarship Systems Analyst
Key Takeaways
The implementation of SmartSimple Cloud marked a turning point for Universities Canada’s scholarship operations. With powerful automation, improved accessibility, and full self-sufficiency, the team has future-proofed their scholarship programs and enhanced the experience for applicants and reviewers alike.