Seneca College, located in Toronto, Canada, is one of the largest colleges in Canada serving a diverse student population across multiple campuses. With a commitment to innovation and student success, Seneca maintains comprehensive student support services while managing high volumes of inquiries and support requests. The college’s focus on technology integration and student experience excellence drives continuous improvement in service delivery methods and support capabilities.
THE CHALLENGE
Seneca College faced significant challenges in managing the growing volume and complexity of student support needs:
High-Volume Support Demands:
- Overwhelming volume of student support requests across multiple service areas
- Limited staff resources to handle increasing inquiry volumes during peak periods
- Extended response times during high-demand periods affecting student satisfaction
- Need for 24/7 support availability exceeding traditional staffing capabilities
Resource Allocation Issues:
- Staff time consumed by repetitive, routine inquiries that could be automated
- Limited ability to scale support services during enrollment periods and deadlines
- Need to redirect staff focus to complex, high-value student support activities
- Pressure to maintain service quality while managing resource constraints
Student Experience Gaps:
- Students requiring immediate responses outside traditional business hours
- Inconsistent response quality depending on staff availability and expertise
- Limited self-service capabilities requiring students to wait for staff assistance
- Need for accessible, convenient support options aligned with student preferences
Technology Integration Requirements:
- Need for solution integrating with existing PeopleSoft Campus Solutions environment
- Requirement for AI-powered capability handling diverse inquiry types
- Need for scalable solution accommodating future growth and expansion
- Requirement for seamless integration with existing student information systems
THE SOLUTION
Seneca College partnered with Oracle and IntraSee to implement “Sam,” an advanced digital assistant solution:
Comprehensive AI-Powered Support:
- Deployed sophisticated digital assistant capable of handling diverse student inquiries
- Implemented natural language processing for intuitive student interactions
- Created comprehensive knowledge base covering broad range of support topics
- Established intelligent routing for complex inquiries requiring human intervention
Advanced Integration Capabilities:
- Seamless AI integration for PeopleSoft Campus Solutions infrastructure
- Real-time access to student information for personalized support responses
- Integration with Oracle technology stack leveraging enterprise-grade capabilities
- Coordinated implementation with IntraSee’s specialized chatbot technology expertise
24/7 Support Availability:
- Continuous availability providing support outside traditional business hours
- Immediate response capability eliminating student wait times for routine inquiries
- Consistent service quality regardless of time of day or inquiry volume
- Enhanced accessibility supporting diverse student schedules and time zones
Intelligent Automation Features:
- Automated handling of routine inquiries freeing staff for complex support needs
- Personalized responses based on student information and inquiry history
- Progressive learning capabilities improving response accuracy over time
- Escalation protocols ensuring complex issues receive appropriate human attention
IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS
The IDA digital assistant implementation required careful coordination between multiple technology partners:
- Requirements analysis and use case identification across student support services
- Integration planning with existing PeopleSoft Campus Solutions environment
- Knowledge base development covering comprehensive range of student inquiries
- AI training and natural language processing optimization
- Testing and validation across diverse inquiry types and scenarios
- Staff training on digital assistant management and escalation procedures
- Phased rollout with performance monitoring and optimization
- Ongoing enhancement based on usage patterns and student feedback
The collaborative approach between Seneca College, Oracle, and IntraSee ensured successful implementation while maintaining integration with existing systems and processes.
RESULTS AND OUTCOMES
The “Sam” digital assistant implementation delivered remarkable results for Seneca College:
Exceptional Volume Management:
- Successfully handled over 100,000 student support interactions in first 12 months
- Demonstrated capability to scale support services without proportional staff increases
- Maintained consistent response quality regardless of inquiry volume or timing
- Established reliable foundation for handling peak period demand spikes
Operational Efficiency Enhancement:
- Automated handling of routine inquiries freeing staff for complex, high-value support
- Reduced response times for student inquiries improving overall service experience
- Enhanced resource utilization enabling staff focus on strategic student support initiatives
- Improved service consistency through standardized automated responses
Student Experience Transformation:
- Provided 24/7 support availability meeting student expectations for immediate assistance
- Enhanced accessibility accommodating diverse student schedules and preferences
- Improved satisfaction through quick resolution of routine inquiries and requests
- Established convenient, user-friendly support channel aligned with student technology preferences
Technology Innovation Success:
- Demonstrated successful AI implementation in higher education environment
- Established Seneca College as leader in educational technology innovation
- Created scalable platform supporting future enhancement and expansion opportunities
- Achieved seamless integration with existing enterprise systems and infrastructure
Strategic Value Delivery:
- Enhanced institutional capacity to serve growing student population
- Reduced operational costs while improving service quality and availability
- Created competitive advantage through innovative student support capabilities
- Established foundation for continued digital transformation in student services
- Provided
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“Sam has revolutionized how we support our students. In just 12 months, our digital assistant has handled over 100,000 interactions while maintaining high quality responses and student satisfaction.”
– Seneca College Student Services Leadership
“The integration with Oracle and our existing PeopleSoft systems has been seamless. Students receive personalized, accurate responses based on their actual student information and status.”
– Seneca College IT Team
“Our staff now focuses on complex student needs that require human expertise, while Sam handles the routine inquiries efficiently and accurately. It’s transformed how we deliver student support.”
– Student Support Services Manager
“The 24/7 availability has been a game-changer for our students. They receive immediate assistance regardless of when they need help, significantly improving their overall college experience.”
– Seneca College Administration
KEY BENEFITS DELIVERED
- Exceptional performance handling 100,000+ student support interactions in first 12 months
- 24/7 support availability eliminating wait times and improving student satisfaction
- Automated handling of routine inquiries freeing staff for complex, high-value support activities
- Seamless integration with existing PeopleSoft Campus Solutions infrastructure
- Scalable AI-powered solution accommodating future growth and expansion needs
- Enhanced operational efficiency through intelligent automation and resource optimization
- Improved student experience through immediate, accurate, and personalized responses
- Established technology innovation leadership in higher education sector
- Reduced operational costs while maintaining and improving service quality
- Created foundation for continued digital transformation in student services
- Demonstrated successful collaboration between educational institution and technology partners
- Enhanced institutional capacity to serve diverse, growing student population