Swim urges colleges to start tech decisions with the problem

Swim Digital Group is pressing higher education leaders to define the problem before buying new CRM, AI, or other technology tools. The message lands as colleges and universities face fast-changing tech options but often struggle more with process, ownership, and communication than with the software itself.

Why it matters: - Colleges and universities are investing in faster-moving technology, but new platforms will not fix unclear goals, broken workflows, or cross-department confusion. - The message is especially relevant as higher education weighs CRM upgrades, AI tools, and other systems that can improve execution but cannot define institutional strategy. - The stakes are practical: better student experience, less staff friction, and clearer use of institutional resources.

What happened: - Swim Digital Group is urging higher education leaders to begin technology planning by naming the problem they want to solve. - CEO Trimeka Benjamin said institutions often ask first which platform to buy, when they should first ask what needs to change. - Swim framed the message around colleges and universities evaluating new CRM platforms, AI capabilities, and other tools.

The details: - Swim said its work with colleges and universities on CRM implementation, enrollment, communications, and institutional operations has shown a recurring pattern. - The core issue is often not the software. - Common obstacles include uncoordinated communication across departments, enrollment processes without clear ownership, and teams using different definitions of success. - Replacing a CRM rarely solves those problems when the underlying workflow is the real issue. - Benjamin said technology should support decisions an institution has already made about what needs to change. - AI can reduce repetitive work, help teams communicate at scale, and surface information for better decisions. - AI cannot decide which problems matter most, assign ownership, or determine what students need from an institution. - Swim encouraged leaders to ask what should become easier for students, where students face unnecessary barriers, whether departments share goals, which processes create extra staff work, and how success will be measured. - An institution may already have the technology it needs but still lack clear processes, consistent communication, or shared understanding of how that technology should be used. - Swim also pointed readers to the August issue of The Current, described as a monthly perspective on what higher education should be thinking about next.

Between the lines: - The argument is not anti-technology. - It is a warning that higher education can mistake procurement for progress. - The emphasis on process, ownership, and student friction suggests many institutions may need operational alignment before another software purchase. - The AI point reflects a broader theme in higher ed: new tools can accelerate work, but they do not replace institutional decision-making.

What's next: - Swim expects higher education leaders to keep facing pressure to adopt new tools as technology continues to change. - The company argues that future decisions should focus less on what is available next and more on what the institution needs technology to do. - Swim says the best outcomes will come when leaders understand the problem first and then choose tools that fit the work.

The bottom line: - In higher education, the fastest way to a better tech decision may be to slow down and define the problem first.