How the University of Houston-Downtown Automated Transcript Processing

Learn how transcript automation is helping the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) save countless hours, shave a week off admissions decisions, and provide better service to prospective students.

Recognizing Challenges

The University of Houston used an outdated, inefficient imaging system to intake transcripts. “We actually did a test with our old imaging system, and it was more efficient to manually input transcript information because of all the errors,” said Anthony Stott, Application Lead. “When we discovered that our process was slower than manual entry, we knew it was time to explore a solution.”

The inefficiency in processing transcripts burdened staff while making UHD less competitive. “We couldn’t turn around admissions decisions in the time that we felt was sufficient because we didn’t have the data in our system to start evaluation,” said Lisa Lyle, Assistant Registrar of Articulation & Matriculation. “If we can’t get an admissions decision to the student, we are at a disadvantage compared to other institutions the student might be considering.”

Choosing a Solution

UHD wanted a product that could intake PDF transcripts and turn them into data. “We were looking for a reliable OCR technology because we receive a lot of PDF transcripts,” Lisa said.

When it came time to make a final decision, UHD prioritized a solution that seamlessly integrated with their current technology. “We wanted an out-of-the-box solution that integrated well with our existing system,” explained Joshua Wood, Functional Technical Support Analyst. “Knowing that [Data Automation, powered by Raptor] integrated with PeopleSoft and Parchment made the decision a lot easier.”

Implementing Successfully

Anthony Stott was wary of undertaking a new solution but was pleasantly surprised how quickly the project was up and running. “It didn’t take more than a few months to implement this solution, including some customizable features we asked for,” Anthony explained. “It really wasn’t a painful integration at all, and I can’t think of any serious roadblocks throughout the entire implementation.” The implementation consisted of two primary phases. “We first established the SFTP connection between Parchment Receive Premium and the Data Automation, powered by Raptor, and then from there, it was loading the data into PeopleSoft,” Anthony said. Additionally, customer service and the attention from the Raptor and Parchment teams was excellent. “Throughout the process, anytime we needed to talk, they made themselves available. If we had questions, they were right there. That type of attention is so valuable,” Lisa said.

Reaping the Benefits

According to Lisa Lyle, Assistant Registrar, before UHD implemented Parchment Receive Premium and Data Automation, they couldn’t keep up with the transcript volume and were weeks behind on evaluation. “We were completely underwater with processing transcripts, and we were never going to catch up. I can’t imagine where we would be without Parchment Receive and the [Data Automation, powered by Raptor] tool.”

Since implementing Data Automation with Parchment Receive Premium, UHD has successfully processed over 30,000 transcripts without manual intervention, creating a better experience for applicants. “This project has allowed us to make admissions decisions faster, which provides better service to our prospective students and makes us more competitive,” Lisa said.

There’s always more to learn.