--- title: "Case Study: Carroll University Consolidated Legacy Apps with Softdocs" description: By adopting Softdocs, Carroll University streamlined workflows, improved transparency, and achieved near-100% campus adoption. image: https://48231846.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/48231846/blog-media/carroll-university.jpg --- [Bridge 2026](https://softdocs.com/bridge/2026) [Support](https://community.softdocs.com/s/login/) [Webinars](https://softdocs.com/webinars) [Blog](https://softdocs.com/blog) [![Softdocs](https://48231846.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/48231846/logos/softdocs/NEW/Softdocs%20Logo%20-%20RGB%20-%20Purple.svg) ](https://softdocs.com/) - Platform The leading document management and process automation platform for higher education, K-12 districts, and government agencies. 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But as its campus community grew, aging systems began to slow down daily operations. Staff in HR, Academic Affairs, and other departments relied on email chains, spreadsheets, and manual routing to move documents and approvals. What began as a need to modernize document storage soon evolved into a university-wide digital transformation powered by Softdocs.  ## Challenges: From Document Storage to Digital Transformation  The initial goal was simple: replace the outdated imaging platform that had reached its limits. For years, Carroll had relied on a legacy document-imaging system that couldn’t keep up with modern technology. Departments wanted a secure, centralized platform for managing sensitive records and a smoother process for scanning and storing files.  > For the first seven years I was here, we used technology that just didn’t keep up. We needed something more secure, more modern, and easier to manage. > > Hannah Kannal, Assistant Director of Business Solutions Carroll University ## Why Softdocs: Built for Higher Education, Ready for Scale During the RFP process, Carroll prioritized security, ease of transition, and scalability. They needed a system that could handle large volumes of scanned documents, protect FERPA-regulated information, and simplify student-record access when requests came in.  Softdocs had it all and more: - **Physical scanning integration** to easily digitize paper records from departments like the Registrar’s Office. - **Granular security and permissions **to ensure access control for sensitive documents. - **FERPA compliance and file portability**, enabling one-click retrieval of complete student files. > Security and permissions were huge for us. And being able to pull a student’s full file at once was a game-changer. > > Hannah Kannal, Assistant Director of Business Solutions Carroll University What started as a document-retention initiative quickly revealed a broader opportunity: a single platform that could transform how the university worked. ## The First Big Win: Campus Employment Application The university’s first Softdocs project became its proving ground. Human Resources—then responsible for student employment—was bogged down by manual tasks and bottlenecks. Using Forms and Workflow, Carroll automated the process end-to-end. Students could now submit applications electronically, select multiple job preferences, and have their forms automatically routed to the appropriate supervisors. Approvers received instant notifications, and HR gained complete visibility into every step.  > Before Softdocs, it was paper applications, manual Excel tracking, and email approvals. One person in HR managed the whole thing. Supervisors no longer wonder where things are in the process. They just open the dashboard and see it instantly. > > Jacob Oswald, Systems Analyst Carroll University The success of this first workflow sparked momentum across campus. The model proved so effective that departments began requesting new workflows of their own. The student-employment project became the blueprint for campuswide innovation—and later earned Carroll a Softdocs Bridge Innovation Award recognizing its creativity and scalability.  ## Expanding Across Campus From that initial project, growth accelerated quickly. Each new process built confidence, and soon nearly every department on campus was using Softdocs.  > We started solving one problem at a time, and it just spread. Now, almost every department uses Softdocs in some capacity. > > Jacob Oswald, Systems Analyst Carroll University Today, Carroll reports near-total adoption across HR, Finance, Academic Affairs, Financial Aid, and Student Services. Even Public Safety, the lone outlier, interacts with Softdocs indirectly through shared workflows for student employment. What began as a technology deployment has become part of the university’s daily rhythm—streamlining how people collaborate, approve, and act.  ### System Consolidation: Retiring Legacy Tools As Softdocs gained traction, Carroll began replacing the patchwork of disconnected applications that had accumulated over the years. Their former imaging system was retired first, followed by Formstack, which had once been used for data collection but was no longer necessary.  - **Google and Microsoft Forms replaced**, ending fragmented request tracking and ensuring consistent, secure routing. - **Docusign phased out**, as native Softdocs eSignatures made third-party tools unnecessary. - **Legacy document management system retired**, eliminating outdated workflows and modernizing record storage. > We realized we didn’t need to pay for all these separate tools. Softdocs could handle it... and do it better. > > Hannah Kannal, Assistant Director of Business Solutions Carroll University These changes gave the university a simplified, compliant, and cost-efficient ecosystem—a single, trusted platform for content, workflows, and approvals. ## Results: Transparency, Efficiency, and Collaboration The transformation has delivered tangible improvements across the university. What used to be manual and time-consuming is now transparent and trackable.  - **Near 100% campus adoption **of the Softdocs Platform - **Dozens of workflows automated **across HR, Finance, and Academic Affairs  - **Multiple legacy tools retired**, reducing cost and complexity  - **Improved visibility and accountability** across complex, multi-department processes  - **Empowered internal teams** to build and scale workflows independently > Communication and transparency are number one. We’ve moved major processes that touch four, five, six departments into Softdocs. Now everyone knows exactly where each form is. > > Hannah Kannal, Assistant Director of Business Solutions Carroll University Faculty and staff who have been with Carroll for decades say the difference is dramatic: fewer delays, fewer questions, and more confidence that every task is handled securely and on time. ## Innovation as a Mindset The Bridge Innovation Award validated Carroll’s efforts, but also motivated the team to keep pushing forward. > It pushes us to think bigger. Every year we want to top what we did before. > > Jacob Oswald, Systems Analyst Carroll University That mindset has made more than a system. It’s now part of the university’s innovation culture. Departments regularly approach IT with new ideas, and the team prototypes, tests, and deploys them internally. > One of the best things about Softdocs is that we can build almost anything ourselves. We don’t have to escalate everything to support. > > Hannah Kannal, Assistant Director of Business Solutions Carroll University By empowering in-house problem-solving, Carroll’s IT and business teams have strengthened cross-campus relationships and built momentum for continual improvement. ### The Next Phase: Intelligent Data Processing and Security Carroll’s evolution with Softdocs continues. The university recently implemented [Intelligent Data Processing (IDP)](https://softdocs.com/platform/intelligent-document-processing) and Print-to-Scan capabilities to simplify document capture for departments that handle large volumes of records and email attachments. Security remains central to their strategy.  > We feel fully confident in the platform, especially with Softdocs being NIST SP 800-53 certified and government-contract certified. > > Jacob Oswald, Systems Analyst Carroll University Carroll’s IT team manages all forms and workflows centrally, maintaining strict controls while still enabling flexibility. The platform’s security and audit capabilities have strengthened compliance and trust across campus.  ## Lessons Learned and Advice to Others  When asked what advice they’d give to other institutions, Carroll’s team focused on scalability, empowerment, and partnership. They emphasize starting small, proving success, and then expanding quickly based on that success. Training and enablement are crucial; Carroll builds and manages its own workflows, allowing rapid iteration without dependency on external support. > Softdocs is easily one of the top three software systems we use as an institution. The workflow dashboard has revolutionized how we work. > > Hannah Kannal, Assistant Director of Business Solutions Carroll University For Carroll University, Softdocs has become far more than a vendor—it’s a true partner in transformation. What began as a document-storage project has evolved into a catalyst for lasting change, transforming not just systems but the university’s culture itself into one defined by efficiency, transparency, and continuous innovation. ![Carroll University](https://48231846.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/48231846/carroll%20uni%20logo.svg) Location Waukesha, Wisconsin Size of organization ~ 3,100 students Tags Higher Education Electronic Forms Compliance Human Resources Document Management Finance Docusign ## More Higher Education Case Studies [![](https://48231846.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/48231846/blog-media/bunker-hill-community-college.jpg) ##### How Bunker Hill Community College Went Fully Paperless and Now Delivers Financial Aid Weeks Earlier with Softdocs Learn how Bunker Hill Community College went fully paperless, delivering financial aid packages weeks faster and reducing review times. Higher Education Electronic Forms Student Services Financial Aid Ellucian Colleague Perceptive Content ](https://softdocs.com/case-studies/how-bunker-hill-community-college-went-fully-paperless-and-now-delivers-financial-aid-weeks-earlier-with-softdocs) [![](https://48231846.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/48231846/roger%20williams%20university.jpg) ##### How Roger Williams University Achieved Nine Years of Integrated Workflow Success with Softdocs Roger Williams University built nine years of campus-wide workflow automation with Etrieve, turning a small team into an engine of institutional process improvement. Higher Education Electronic Forms Workflow Managed Services Ellucian Colleague ](https://softdocs.com/case-studies/how-roger-williahow-roger-williams-university-achieved-nine-years-of-integrated-workflow-success-with-softdocs) [![](https://48231846.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/48231846/UMass%20Amherst.jpg) ##### How the University of Massachusetts Built a Foundation for Long-Term, System-Wide Scale with Softdocs The University of Massachusetts replaced ImageNow with Etrieve to scale workflows, share services, and modernize systems across multiple campuses. Higher Education PeopleSoft Document Management ImageNow ](https://softdocs.com/case-studies/how-the-university-of-massachusetts-built-a-foundation-for-long-term-system-wide-scale-with-softdocs) [![](https://48231846.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/48231846/blog-media/university-dubuque-featured-image.jpg) ##### How the University of Dubuque Replaced Legacy Tools and Built Campus-Wide Efficiency with Softdocs The University of Dubuque modernizes workflows, eliminates manual processes, and recovers over 40 hours/week by utilizing Etrieve to streamline operations. 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