Issue link: https://www.smartcommunications.com/resource-center/i/1487171
When it comes to the financial services industry, 67 percent of customers feel that their preferred methods of communication aren't always being taken into consideration. 1 Prioritizing digital transformation is no longer an option, it's a must for companies looking to gain a competitive edge in today's customer-driven age. One of the leading student aid organizations in the U.S. is keenly paving the way for the financial services industry after tapping Smart Communications to drive its digital transformation journey, kicking the organization's efforts into high gear and powering nearly 600 million communications annually. www.smartcommunications.com Meet PHEAA Founded in 1963 by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has grown to be one of the top providers of student financial aid services in the U.S. PHEAA now serves millions of students and thousands of schools across the nation through its loan guaranty, loan servicing, financial aid processing, outreach, and other student aid programs. PHEAA dedicates earnings to support its public service mission and to pay its operating costs, including administration of the Pennsylvania State Grant and other state-funded student aid programs. PHEAA continues to devote its energy, resources, and imagination to developing innovative ways to ease the financial burden of higher education for students, families, schools, and taxpayers. Since opening its doors over fifty years ago, PHEAA has served millions of aspiring students and awarded more than $11 billion in grants and aid. Leaving Legacy Systems Behind In 2014 PHEAA came face-to- face with a decision that would likely be the company's biggest customer-focused one to date – parting ways with an aging, cost-burdening legacy customer communications management (CCM) system. Over the years, PHEAA had accumulated a tremendous number of templates, and keeping them updated was a time-consuming process. PHEAA needed a way to scale their communications – that's where Smart Communications came into play. PHEAA Powers a Digital-First Approach With Smart Communications Smart Communications' cloud-based solution has allowed us to scale our business at the level and agility we need, while lowering our cost of ownership and keeping sensitive data safely stored behind our firewall. – Kate Pocalyko, Communications Platform Product Owner at PHEAA