Our client is a public university in Australia with approximately 22,500 higher education students. The university was a pioneer in teaching external students by correspondence and is Australia’s most experienced provider of distance and now online education.  

The Research Information Management System (RIMS) project aimed to modernise our client’s research information management by replacing outdated systems and manual processes. RIMS will integrate data on research activities, grants, researchers, and publications, improving efficiency, compliance, and performance reporting.  

It will also enhance integration with other university systems and support business transformation for Research Services, Library Services, and Business Intelligence.

Terra Firma was engaged to provide project expertise and drive the implementation of the RIMS. The project team is comprised of experts in business and technical project management, change management, functional and system analysis, and project controls. 

Reporting to the Executive Steering Committee led by the Chief Operating Officer, the objective was to seamlessly manage multiple work packages and vendors to integrate systems, streamline processes, and engage stakeholders to meet our client’s future research information needs.  

The project involved identifying business and system requirements, overseeing procurement and deployment of technical solutions, coordinating cross-functional teams, and facilitating communication with both internal and external stakeholders.  

Scheduled for completion in June 2024, the RIMS project has already delivered significant improvements for our client, including:  

 Streamlined Processes:  

• Replaced outdated systems and manual processes, leading to substantial business transformation.  
• Integrated with other university research systems, eliminating the need for manual data entry into multiple systems.  
• Upgraded integration capabilities to maximise the use of research information for various business processes. 

 Enhanced User Experience:  

• Improved experience for students, supervisors, and administration staff.  
• Increased attraction and retention of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students at the university.  
• Reduced processing times and automated workflows.  

 Improved Reporting:  

• Enhanced reporting capabilities for various research outputs, including HDR theses, research datasets, and compliance with research integrity.  
• Improved accuracy in reporting data for HDR program applications, compliance, and maintenance of registration at the university