Here's a question that's probably crossed your mind more than once: When should I actually digitize this process?
You've got fellowship applications, travel grants, dissertation approvals, assistantship forms, dozens of paper processes that could potentially be automated. But where do you start? And how do you know if it's worth the effort?
Carol Wicks, Associate Dean, Louisiana State University, has the answer. And it's brilliantly simple.
"Anytime a piece of paper comes across my desk, and I recognize that's the fifth or sixth time I've seen that piece of paper, I'm in InfoReady trying to figure out if I can move it. I really look to InfoReady to get rid of a lot of paper."
That's it. No complex ROI calculations. No lengthy committee discussions. Just: Have I seen this paper five times? Time to go digital.
By the time you've handled the same form five times, you know everything about it.
You know exactly where it gets stuck in the approval chain. You know which reviewer always needs a reminder. You know how long it takes to chase down signatures. You know the questions applicants always get wrong.
Most importantly, you know viscerally how much time you're spending on this one repetitive process.
That's when the math becomes obvious. The hour you invest setting up a digital workflow will save you dozens of hours over the coming year. Maybe hundreds.
Carol’s approach is refreshingly practical. She skips the big buzzwords and focuses on the everyday hassles—the paperwork and emails that keep piling up—and makes them simpler, one task at a time.
She’s not interested in overcomplicating things. When a special competition for graduate students comes up, all it takes is a quick note: “Can you set this up in InfoReady?” And it just happens.
From one-off requests to regular processes, Carol knows when it’s time to move things online. That’s why paper-heavy routines get digitized sooner, turning busywork into smooth workflows.
The payoff? Fewer stacks of paper. Fewer endless email chains. More time for the work that matters.
Here's what typically happens once you digitize that first paper form: you start seeing opportunities everywhere.
That travel grant application you process every month? Digital. Those dissertation committee approvals? Digital. The assistantship applications that pile up each semester? Also digital.
In fact, 80% of InfoReady users start with one use case and end up using the platform for three or more different processes. Not because they planned it that way, but because once you successfully eliminate one paper headache, you start spotting the others.
Carol's fifth-time rule becomes second nature. You develop a radar for repetitive processes. Sometimes you don't even need to wait for the fifth occurrence; by the third time, you're already thinking, "This needs to be digital."
Look at your desk right now. What forms keep appearing? Which processes make you think, "Here we go again"?
Start counting. When you hit five, you have your answer.
You don't need to overhaul your entire graduate school operation overnight. You don't need to wait for a strategic planning cycle or a major IT initiative. You just need to identify one repetitive paper process and move it to a digital workflow.
Then watch what happens. You'll save time. Your faculty will appreciate the streamlined process. Your students will have a better experience. And you'll start looking for the next opportunity.
Because once you eliminate one paper process, you'll wonder why you waited so long.
Ready to ditch the paperwork for good? We'll be at the Council of Graduate Schools Annual Meeting on December 4-5. Stop by and talk to our team about the specific challenges you're dealing with. We'll show you how InfoReady works and whether it's the right fit for your graduate school.
Can't make it to CGS? No problem. Reach out to us and we'll set up a time to chat and walk you through a demo.