CASOS DE ÉXITO

Transformation of academic management with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform

The Challenge

The management and coordination between platforms such as their CRM, the academic management system Classlife, the virtual classroom Blackboard, their ERP Business Central, and corporate identity systems like Active Directory and Entra ID, represented a key challenge for their operational efficiency. Therefore, U-tad needed to modernize its digital ecosystem, integrate the different systems, and enable new automation capabilities.

U-tad, Centro Universitario de Tecnología y Arte Digital, is a private educational institution that is a reference in training professionals in areas such as animation, video games, digital design, artificial intelligence, or software engineering. Their academic model combines innovation, technology, and industry connection to prepare students in the most demanded competencies in the labor market.

U-tad started from a situation where a large part of their processes were already automated. However, the technological infrastructure that supported these automations had become obsolete, making maintenance difficult and preventing evolution at the pace the business demanded. With a constantly growing academic community and multiple technological systems coexisting, U-tad manages a large number of processes daily related to students, teachers, classes, and face-to-face events aimed at future students.

The Journey

From Axazure, we have accompanied U-tad in a technological renewal process focused on modernizing their digital ecosystem and enabling new growth capabilities. Although they already had a high level of automation, their systems had become obsolete, with both technical and functional limitations that prevented them from advancing and evolving at the pace the institution required.

Through Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, from Axazure, we automated and integrated their key systems, allowing for centralized, robust, and scalable management.

We connected their CRM with academic platforms like Classlife and Blackboard, which allows for centralized academic information and ensures smooth communication between departments. It has also been integrated with their ERP, Dynamics 365 Business Central, and corporate identity systems, both Active Directory On-Premise and Entra ID, achieving automatic synchronization of student and teacher data across all platforms.

A custom connector has also been developed in Power Platform, thanks to which it has been possible to automate the internal management of users and security groups in Active Directory. Through this connector, it is possible, for example, to automatically create the structure of security groups at the beginning of each academic year, dynamically assign users to groups according to the subjects they are enrolled in, or continuously maintain the AD, eliminating obsolete groups and revoking access or licenses to users who have been deregistered.

Additionally, with Power Automate, we have designed flows that automate the onboarding and offboarding processes for academic staff. This means that whenever a new student or teacher joins, the system automatically generates their institutional email, assigns the appropriate permissions, includes them in the corresponding security groups, and registers them in all necessary platforms without manual intervention.

Finally, we have also developed an access control application with Power Apps for events, such as the U-days organized by U-tad. From Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, personalized invitations are managed and sent to attendees, which include a QR code. At the event entrance, a tablet scans this QR code and collects additional information through a brief questionnaire, which is directly saved in the potential student’s profile within the CRM.

In this way, all information, both of potential and current students and the teaching staff, is kept synchronized across all systems and centralized in Dynamics 365, ensuring real-time data consistency.

The Conquest

Nayra Déniz Benitez, Chief Technology Officer U-tad

“It was not just about modernizing systems, but about preparing the institution to grow, adapt, and continue innovating. Now we have regained control over the systems and have a more complete, robust, and scalable infrastructure, meaning we can achieve more.

The automation and integration of our platforms have transformed the management of our internal processes, improving efficiency and allowing us to focus on offering an innovative and quality educational experience. We appreciate the closeness, proactive approach, and constant support from Axazure, which has been key to optimizing our operations and continuing to innovate.”

Thanks to these solutions, U-tad has left behind the limitations of its old infrastructure. Today, they have a technological platform ready to support their growth.

This new infrastructure not only meets current needs but also enables U-tad to keep advancing: more automation, more integration, and greater responsiveness to the demands of an increasingly dynamic environment.

Today, key systems are interconnected, ensuring complete traceability and a 360° view of students, teachers, and internal processes. Additionally, the automatic synchronization of data between platforms has significantly reduced manual errors and improved operational efficiency at all levels.

Thanks to the integration between Dynamics 365, Business Central, Classlife, Blackboard, and identity systems, the U-tad team has accurate, accessible, and real-time updated information, allowing them to make faster and more informed decisions in a much safer and controlled environment.

Moreover, the automation of critical processes (such as the onboarding and offboarding of academic staff or the assignment of permissions in Active Directory) has freed up time and resources that were previously dedicated to repetitive tasks. Now, the team can focus on more strategically valuable tasks.

Event organization has become more agile and effective, improving both the attendee experience and the quality of the collected data. All of this optimizes the use of their technological resources and maximizes the benefits of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Today, U-tad has a modern, robust, scalable infrastructure aligned with its educational vision, ready to continue innovating and growing with a solid and well-integrated technological foundation.

CONCLUSION

The collaboration between U-tad and Axazure demonstrates how a well-defined technological strategy can drive the transformation of an educational institution. With seamless platform integration, automation of key processes, and unified data management, U-tad has improved its internal operations and the experience of its educational community.

Thanks to continuous and close collaboration, at Axazure we continue to support U-tad on the path towards more agile, connected, and innovative management, aligned with current challenges and everything that is yet to come.