This checklist is designed to help your team transition from manual administrative tasks to a streamlined, relational admissions process.
Phase 1: Identifying Administrative Friction
- Before you can automate, you must identify where the "relational paradox" is occurring in your daily schedule.
- List Every Step: Map out every action from the initial inquiry to the final admission decision. Where are these steps and being tracked? What platforms or programs are currently being used?
- Flag Redundant Data Entry: Note every time a staff member has to type the same information into two different places, such as a spreadsheet and an SIS.
- Track Time Waste: Estimate how many hours per week are spent completing tasks manually that could be automated (i.e. - setting reminders, sending emails, taking notes, etc.)
- Identify "Lost" Data: Locate where pastoral notes currently live—paper files, email threads, or sticky notes—and determine if they are accessible to the whole team.
Phase 2: Selecting and Setting Up the Workflow
- Once you have mapped the "administrative noise," select tools that prioritize relational interactions with prospective families and students.
- Compare Tool Alignment: Evaluate your current tools (Google Forms, CRM, or SIS) against platforms that make way for more personalized interactions to see which better supports faith-based values.
- Automate Logistics: Set up automated triggers for interview reminders and follow-up emails so families never miss a touchpoint.
- Centralize the Dashboard: Ensure all family interactions, documents, and interview reflections are routed to one single, visible location.
- Create Pre-Interview Briefs: Design a workflow where interviewers automatically receive student profiles and pre-interview prompts before the meeting starts.
Phase 3: Training for Human-Centered Technology
- The final step is ensuring your team uses the time saved to double down on pastoral care.
- Schedule Training: Guide staff on how to use digital prompts and store their reflections digitally for future reference.
- Shift Focus to Engagement: Explicitly reallocate saved hours to high-touch activities like personal phone calls, video follow-ups, or longer interview times.
- Audit Relational Metrics: Regularly check if parent satisfaction or staff engagement has improved since the workflow was implemented.
OpenApply Feature Note
OpenApply allows you to build these "Smart Workflows" directly into the platform, automatically routing forms and notifying the right staff members so pastoral notes are always visible and never lost.