The Full Story
Middlesex University London has recognised for some time that its Clearing process needed modernisation. Disparate systems and communication channels, in particular phone calls without full logging or visibility alongside chat or email, meant staff couldn’t track the full student journey. Expectations from students were changing. Digital natives expect responses on platforms they use, not just via phone.
Since 2019 Middlesex has been using Gecko to support its Clearing process. Gecko was implemented as their front facing inquiry platform for Clearing, and Middlesex expanded the range of channels, including chat, social platforms, WhatsApp, to meet students where they are. Critically, the integration with Radius and previous systems allowed data from different platforms to flow into a unified case management system, reducing manual work and improving oversight.
This infrastructure proved useful during turbulent times, for example when the government made late changes to A level results that affected Clearing. Because of their digital readiness and the flexibility of the Gecko platform, Middlesex was able to adapt processes quickly, even over a weekend, something that would have been very difficult without Gecko’s tools in place.
Student engagement benefits included better multi platform accessibility and more consistent, effective contact. Staff were able to redirect effort from manual tasks to improving engagement and experience. Middlesex particularly values having visibility over chat transcripts, call logs and emails under one system, so they can see everything a student did, said, and asked.