Swim Calls on Higher Education Leaders to Start With the Problem, Not the Platform
TAMPA, FL, UNITED STATES, August 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The pace of technological change in higher education is rapid, yet discussions about what institutions truly require from those technologies frequently occur too late. As colleges and universities evaluate new CRM platforms, artificial intelligence tools, and other solutions, Swim Digital Group is urging leaders to first tackle a more essential query:
Which challenge are we aiming to address?
“Nearly every technology discussion kicks off with the question, ‘What platform should we purchase?’” remarked Trimeka Benjamin, CEO of Swim Digital Group. “Before weighing vendors or arranging product walkthroughs, institutions ought to stop and pose a different question: ‘What challenge are we trying to solve?’ Once that is answered, technology choices become far more straightforward.”
Throughout the last several years, Swim has partnered with colleges and universities nationwide on CRM deployment, enrollment, communications, and institutional operations. Across these engagements, a recurring pattern emerges: technology performs best when institutions have clarity on the issue it is meant to resolve, the way work should proceed, and how users will engage with it. Frequently, the obstacle is not the software. It is uncoordinated communication between departments, enrollment processes lacking defined ownership, or teams that operate under conflicting definitions of success. When such difficulties exist, swapping out a CRM seldom fixes the root problem, because the technology was never the main barrier.
“Technology can certainly help institutions operate faster and allocate resources more effectively,” Benjamin said. “But if admissions, marketing, IT, student affairs, and academics are not aligned on what they aim to achieve together, no platform will mend that. Technology ought to back decisions the institution has already settled regarding what needs improvement.”
Technology can enhance execution. It cannot define it.
The swift expansion of artificial intelligence makes that distinction even more critical. AI can cut down on repetitive tasks, assist teams in communicating at a larger scale, and highlight information that aids better decision-making. However, it cannot determine which problems are most significant, clarify who is responsible for each task, or decide what students truly need from an institution.
“AI is opening up remarkable possibilities for higher education,” Benjamin noted. “But it does not take the place of understanding how operations currently function. Institutions still need to examine their processes, decide who owns what, and pinpoint where students encounter friction. AI can support that effort, but it cannot make those judgments on your behalf.”
Rather than starting with which technology should be next, Swim recommends that institutional leaders first reflect on:
What are we trying to simplify or improve for students?
Where are students facing unnecessary hurdles?
Are multiple departments pursuing the same objectives?
Which procedures are generating extra work for staff?
How will we tell whether a change is truly effective?
The responses often point to opportunities that have little connection to buying another platform. An institution may already possess the necessary technology but be missing clear procedures, consistent communication, or a shared agreement on how the technology should facilitate the work.
As technology keeps evolving, the question for institutions is not simply what becomes available next. It is whether they grasp what they need technology to accomplish.
“Technology will keep evolving,” Benjamin said. “The aim is not to own the newest technology. It is to have technology that supports the work your institution needs to do and that your staff knows how to use effectively. When you grasp the problem first, you can make far better decisions about which tools belong in the solution.”
Read the August Issue of The Current: A monthly perspective from Swim on what higher education should be thinking about next.
About Swim Digital Group
Every institution has good people doing important work. Swim Digital Group jumps into that work with colleges and universities to understand how things operate today, where students and teams experience friction, and what is getting in the way. From enrollment and communications to technology and institutional operations, Swim helps campus teams make practical decisions about what needs to change and how to carry the work forward.
Learn more at swimdigitalgroup.com.
Caroline Day
Swim Digital Group
cday@swimdigitalgroup.com
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