Building the Next Generation, One Application at a Time

About the SME Education Foundation

The SME Education Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, a nonprofit serving the manufacturing industry. SME-EF “inspires, prepares and supports the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent”. This includes student summits, tailored curriculum and many other initiatives.

Some of the Foundation’s most impactful work comes from their scholarship programs. In the last 20 years, SME-EF has awarded over $18 million in scholarships to more than 5,000 high school and college students.

Situation Analysis

Previously reliant on labor-intensive, paper-based processes, the SME Education Foundation faced significant challenges in scaling their scholarship programs to meet increasing demands.

Our Approach

Orchestrate transformed SME-EF’s scholarship administration by digitizing it into a cohesive, scalable online platform, which allowed for sophisticated management of application and review processes.

Services Provided

• Custom Software Development
• Business Process Analysis and Reengineering
• Data Integration and Management
• User Experience Design
• Training and Support Services
• System Maintenance and Upgrades
• Application and Data Security

Project Features:

• Intelligent Search and Eligibility Module
  Automated vetting processes for filtering applicants according to custom-defined criteria.
• Renewal Scholarship Application Module
  Streamlined the process for recurring applicants, ensuring continuity and ease of application.
• Need-Based Scholarship Administration
  Enabled the foundation to offer scholarships based on financial need, significantly expanding their support to underserved students.
• Reviewer Training and Portal
  Standardized the review process across various scholarships, reducing inconsistencies in scoring and enhancing decision-making.
• Scholarship Dashboard
  Provided a comprehensive view of the scholarship lifecycle, facilitating better tracking and management of funds.
• CRM Integration
  Ensured consistent and accurate data across all systems, enhancing strategic decision-making.

Results

The introduction of the Orchestrate platform by Tectonic led to a steady increase in applications over the last five years, particularly from colleges and universities targeted by SME-EF’s marketing efforts. The platform also enabled the administration of need-based scholarships, with nearly 50% of the awards in 2023 being need-based, a significant increase from previous years.

By implementing the Orchestrate platform from Tectonic, SME-EF has not only optimized operational efficiency but also significantly expanded its capacity to support more students in achieving their educational goals.

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The Orchestrate platform and (solutions team) have been a valued asset and partner to the SME Education Foundation Scholarship Program Administration. The SME Education Foundation has a very nimble scholarship team, and we heavily rely on Tectonic to help us better facilitate our scholarship program and adapt to the ever-changing needs of our scholarship program. The team at Tectonic is quick to respond to questions and provide solutions that address programs concerns big or small.