Student success is the primary objective for the Technische Universität München (TUM), as today’s students represent the future of global society. To ensure students achieve the best possible outcomes, we are taking a data-driven approach to digitalization. By applying process intelligence, the university can now identify academic pathways that indicate a student may need additional support, allowing for proactive guidance and support to help them successfully complete their programs.
Why the Technical University of Munich is applying process intelligence to student success
Dr.-Ing. Alexander Braun, CIO, Technische Universität München, (left) and Angela-Sophia Gebert, Head of Academic Alliance, Celonis, (right) outside of the Technische Universität München (TUM)
A data-driven approach to student support
While the goal of supporting student success is clear, integrating the necessary data was more challenging than initially anticipated. Academic records were housed within a single management system but were distributed across complex, independent data tables that made it difficult to see the "bigger picture" of a student's journey. TUM initially attempted to use existing reporting systems, but these tools struggled to structure the data in a way that reflected the highly individualized paths students take.
In a university environment, every student follows a unique lifecycle. Courses, lectures, and exams are taken in varying combinations and orders, causing parallel programs to diverge quickly. TUM realized that this was not simply a data storage problem, but a process problem. Consequently, applying process intelligence through Celonis became the logical next step to connect these disparate touchpoints into a cohesive narrative.
Connecting the student journey with process intelligence
TUM has a deep historical connection to process intelligence; the founders of Celonis originally met while studying at the university. Today, TUM partners with the Academic Alliance, Celonis’ global university cooperation program, enabling process intelligence to be taught across a number of our schools.
And now by utilizing the Celonis platform, TUM has successfully connected data from its management systems to create a comprehensive, system-agnostic view of study programs and the student lifecycle. We’ve introduced a dynamic dashboard that allows student offices to identify individuals who may be encountering roadblocks in their courses. This enables automated, supportive communication to offer tutoring or counseling before a student falls behind. This tool is already active at Campus Straubing, the TUM School of Life Sciences, rolling out at the School of Engineering and Design next, with further plans for a university-wide rollout starting with the School of Management.
The broader benefits of connected academic data
Connecting data across the university provides benefits that extend far beyond individual student support. TUM is developing dashboards to analyze the evolving popularity of elective modules and study programs over time. These insights help the university understand shifting research interests and adapt academic offerings to meet the modern needs of the student body.
Furthermore, process intelligence simplifies complex reporting and accreditation requirements. For example, the TUM School of Management holds a "Triple Crown" accreditation, and the stringent evidence required for these reviews is now far easier to access. By exploring vast volumes of performance data, TUM gains a clearer picture of student backgrounds and performance trends across different modules.
A vision for empowered students
The future of this initiative involves putting these insights directly into the hands of the students. By providing students access to their own process data, TUM aims to help them take control of their own assessments and determine their best next steps. This could even lead to the development of automated student advisors or digital counselors that provide real-time guidance based on a student’s unique academic trajectory.
Ultimately, process intelligence helps drive student success by making academic reporting simpler and program decisions smarter. By optimizing these internal processes, TUM is ensuring that its resources are focused on its most important mission: preparing students to benefit the world we all inhabit.
Take a look at the Celonis Academic Alliance to find out how a network of 900+ academic institutions and over 1,600 professors are training the process intelligence workforce of tomorrow.
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