Office of the Independent Adjudicator

The Customer 

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA) is an independent organisation that provides an impartial, transparent dispute resolution service free of charge for higher education students in England and Wales. The OIA examines complaints from students who have used the internal complaints procedures of their higher education provider and expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome. 

The OIA’s primary aim is to ensure fair outcomes for students and promote good practice in higher education providers. It plays an important role in upholding the rights of students and using learning from complaints to help improve policies and practices in higher education in England and Wales. 

The Challenge

The OIA approached Hitachi Solutions having identified several challenges in its operations. Following a system update, the OIA observed a substantial increase in annual complaints and changes in the processes it was following. Another challenge was that two key areas, complaints and membership, used different IT systems, and the lack of connectivity between them reduced efficiency and required manual effort to coordinate. 

The OIA wanted to streamline its casework IT system processes, reduce reliance on sharing case information by email, improve functionality, and further develop its portal to strengthen security. It also wanted to upgrade its membership IT system and enable automated integration between this and casework information to support data integrity and reduce duplication of effort. 

We could see that we could improve efficiency and effectiveness through using a modern, integrated approach and reduce organisational risks from using older software. Working in partnership with Hitachi Solutions meant we achieved our project goals and delivered new systems which have been smooth to transition to and will support our organisation’s continued growth.

The Solution

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service was implemented by Hitachi Solutions throughout the OIA, establishing a centralised platform connecting complaints and membership systems. This platform improves data viewing, searching and reporting, offering clarity and streamlining information, with membership information, correspondence and documentation linked to cases and contacts now all within a single, modern system. The OIA has strengthened its security measures and can now adjust security preferences based on the sensitivity of each case. 

Improved portals allow students, their representatives and higher education providers to more effectively monitor and track the progress of their cases using personal logins, and to upload case-related information in one central location, enhancing visibility and accessibility. The information gathered about a complaint can be extensive and typically comes in various file formats, so to make it easier for case-handlers, students and providers to view, it is sometimes compiled into a single PDF file with bookmarks to aid navigation. An additional feature has been added to the Dynamics 365 platform to help create these PDFs automatically, combining the data from the portal with other relevant information linked to the individual’s profile. 

Why Hitachi Solutions

The OIA valued a partner that could turn its processes into slick system functionality, with patience, understanding and a genuine ‘one team’ approach to often complex requirements. 

Hitachi Solutions were really good to work with, expertly turning our processes into slick system functionality. Their patience, understanding and ‘one team’ approach to this project facilitated a free-flowing, inclusive environment. Hitachi Solutions’ expert technical teams have delivered a great user experience, employing creative thinking to deliver to our often complex requirements.

The Benefits 

• A single, centralised platform connecting complaints and membership, replacing two disconnected systems 
• Improved data viewing, searching and reporting 
• Membership information, correspondence and documentation linked to cases and contacts within one modern system 
• Strengthened security, with preferences adjustable to the sensitivity of each case 
• Improved self-service portals for students, representatives and providers to track cases and upload information 
• Automated PDF generation that compiles case information with bookmarks for easy navigation 
• Reduced reliance on sharing case information by email 

What’s Next? 

The OIA will continue its journey closely with Hitachi Solutions, with the Lifetime Services team ensuring ongoing support for the solution and upgrades as needed. As the OIA continues to familiarise itself with the platform, it aims to refine processes and develop further functionality informed by the feedback of users and the areas they identify, and to make better use of its data. The OIA also wishes to use Hitachi Solutions’ expertise in future, exploring options such as AI to develop its processes across the organisation.