Eliminating Manual Process and Improving Insights with Explorance Blue at Stockholm School of Economics

About Stockholm School of Economics

Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) is a leading European business school based in Stockholm, Sweden, serving approximately 2,000 students. Established in 1909, SSE is recognized for its strong academic reputation, global outlook, and close collaboration with industry. The institution offers a full range of programs, including Bachelor, Master, MBA, PhD, and Executive Education. With a focus on research excellence and real-world impact, SSE prepares high-achieving students to lead in a fast-changing, data-driven global economy.

The Challenge: Manual Processes Slowing Down Insights and Scalability

At Stockholm School of Economics, a strong foundation for program evaluation was already in place. The institution had developed a stable quality assurance system and was well-versed in collecting data. However, the way that data was managed created significant operational challenges.

Course evaluations survey processes relied on a locally built database that required extensive manual intervention. Data had to be transferred between systems for survey administration, creating inefficiencies and increasing the time required to manage evaluations.

As Assia Viachka, Quality Coordinator at SSE, explained:

“We had been using a local database built in-house. This involved a lot of manual work, with the moving of data from one database to another for survey administration.”

These manual workflows made it difficult to scale survey efforts across the institution. Administrative teams spent valuable time on repetitive tasks such as collecting, exporting, and processing data, rather than focusing on analysis and improvement.

More importantly, this approach delayed access to insights. Feedback from course evaluations was not immediately available, limiting the institution’s ability to respond quickly and make timely, data-informed decisions.

Despite SSE’s strong data culture, the lack of automation and integration meant that insights were not being fully leveraged. The institution needed a more efficient, centralized solution that could reduce manual workload, streamline operations, and deliver faster, more actionable insights

The Solution: A Fully Integrated and Automated Feedback Ecosystem with Blue

To address these challenges, SSE implemented Explorance Blue, designed to automate survey processes and integrate seamlessly with existing systems.

A key driver behind this decision was Blue’s ability to integrate with SSE’s core infrastructure, including its Learning Management System (Canvas), Student Information System, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform.

As Viachka noted, “Integration is exactly the reason why we chose Blue and the main advantage in the beginning.”

This integration eliminated the need for manual data transfers, bringing all survey-related data into one centralized system. As a result, SSE was able to automate its entire survey lifecycle—from distribution to data collection and reporting—significantly reducing administrative complexity.

Blue also introduced automated and standardized reporting, enabling the institution to generate aggregated insights at the program, department, and school levels. Reports could now be distributed efficiently and consistently, ensuring that stakeholders had access to the information they needed without delays.

Beyond automation, Blue enhanced engagement through advanced features. Response rate tracking allowed administrators to monitor participation in real time and follow up with non-respondents through targeted reminders.

“The monitoring of response rates helps a lot – it allows us to keep track of who has not responded and to follow up with them directly.”

Additionally, the Question Personalisation feature enabled faculty to customize survey questions, increasing their involvement and making evaluations more relevant.

Reflecting on the overall impact of the platform, Viachka shared, “Collecting data, exporting and processing it all takes time. Blue has saved time and brought information together in one place.”

Together, these capabilities transformed SSE’s evaluation processes into a streamlined, automated, and user-friendly ecosystem.

The Outcome: Faster Insights, Reduced Workload, and Increased Engagement

The implementation of Blue delivered immediate and tangible improvements for SSE. By eliminating manual processes, the institution significantly reduced the time required to manage surveys and process data. Administrative teams were freed from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities.

“The whole thing is so much easier with Blue, and without the manual processes.”

One of the most impactful outcomes was the speed of insight generation. With automated reporting in place, SSE could now access evaluation results almost immediately after courses ended.

“Being able to report results almost immediately after courses end allows us to react and make changes quickly.”

This shift enabled faster decision-making and a more responsive approach to improving programs and student experience.

The centralized platform also improved visibility across the institution. Aggregated reporting provided a comprehensive view of performance at multiple levels, supporting more informed strategic planning.

Engagement levels increased among both students and faculty. Response rate tracking and targeted reminders helped boost participation, while customizable surveys encouraged faculty to take a more active role in the evaluation process.

Although SSE was still in the early stages—just one year into using Blue—the benefits were already clear. The institution had not only streamlined its processes but also created the capacity to expand its feedback initiatives. With reduced manual workload, SSE could now conduct more surveys and explore new opportunities, including initiatives focused on international student experiences and broader institutional insights.

As Viachka concluded:

“I would recommend Blue to other institutions… it can save a lot of time while improving the quality of reports.”