INCAE Business School Achieved 100% Survey Completion Rate with Explorance Blue

About INCAE Business School:

INCAE Business School is a leading institution in Latin America, dedicated to developing leaders through world-class MBA and Executive Programs for over 60 years. With campuses in Alajuela, Costa Rica, and Managua, Nicaragua, it serves approximately 1,500 students and offers high-impact online courses. Recognized for excellence, INCAE holds the prestigious "Triple Crown" accreditation (AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS) and consistently secures top global and regional rankings for its MBA and Executive Education programs

The Challenge: Decentralized and Inefficient Academic Assessment Processes

INCAE faced a significant challenge in managing and modernizing its academic assessments, faculty evaluations, and student course evaluations surveys. Historically, the institution relied on a series of decentralized systems such as Google Drive, MailChimp, and even paper-based forms. The fragmentation prevented effective data processing, limited reporting capabilities, and compromised efficiency.

According to Gabriela Obando, Director of Online Experience at INCAE, “Many evaluations, either 360 evaluations or non-academic, were previously on Google Drive, MailChimp, or other free evaluation systems, which did not allow us to process the collected data further.”

Previously valuations involved laborious manual work. Ana Victoria Alfaro Solis, Director of Academic Records, explained: “A few years ago, INCAE was doing paper evaluations and had designated people to deliver forms to the classroom. Back then, a member of the Academic Records team would count the answers of these sheets one-by-one to generate an Excel file with the faculty evaluations.” While they eventually automated their in-house 360 assessments, the solution lacked flexibility, failing to accommodate the institution’s growing and dynamic needs.

The challenge was multifaceted: NOT only was there a need for standardization and consolidation but also for creating visually appealing, user-friendly reports for faculty and the Dean's office. The impending shift to virtual program delivery further highlighted the need for an adaptable, integrated digital solution that could scale with INCAE’s evolving practices and student body.

The Solution: Implementation of Explorance Blue for Streamlined and Automated Feedback

Seeking a robust tool capable of supporting best practices in academic assessment and program evaluation, INCAE partnered with Explorance. The institution adopted Explorance Blue, a platform specializing in 360-degree feedback systems and survey automation, after a thorough market search. The decisive factor was Explorance’s track record with similar top-tier schools and its ability to integrate with INCAE’s Lerning Management System(LMS) Canvas, and export the data to Power BI, and other visualization tools.

The implementation of Explorance Blue marked a shift from manual and decentralized processes to a centralized digital repository. The system enabled INCAE to automate the distribution of evaluations, consolidate responses efficiently, and generate easy-to-interpret, visually appealing reports for educators and decision-makers. “We can consolidate responses and give feedback to the student in a matter of minutes, which previously took many weeks and months,” Gabriela noted, emphasizing the dramatic improvement in reporting speed and transparency.

A significant advantage of the new system was its integration capabilities. Explorance Blue synced with Canvas LMS and allowed the institution to leverage data across multiple platforms, reducing duplication and providing a seamless experience for stakeholders. INCAE’s ambitious scale required this kind of technological orchestration: on average, the school manages over 50 open evaluation projects simultaneously and serves nearly 3,500 students annually through 45 corporate and 60 open programs .

Customization and adaptability were also central to the solution. Explorance Blue accommodated INCAE’s need for flexibility in evaluating various types of programs—including non-degree, corporate, and open courses—and facilitated the transition of existing surveys from diverse platforms into a unified system. The level of support was lauded by Gabriela: “The support we receive from the Explorance team whenever we need a new functionality, for me, is a 10 out of 10 quality service.”

The Outcome: Increased Efficiency, Transparency, and Engagement

The transition to Explorance Blue delivered measurable improvements across several dimensions. Foremost, the automation and centralization of academic assessments saved significant time and resources, virtually eliminating manual data entry. Resources could be refocused on initiatives that “truly add value,” with the user experience elevated thanks to enhanced visual interfaces and process agility.

One of the most notable outcomes has been the dramatic rise in student evaluation completion rates, reported as “practically 100%” for 360-degree assessments. With the streamlined system, students receive timely feedback and can monitor the status of their assessments in real time: “In the specific case of the 360 academic assessment, there is transparency between INCAE and the students. Students can know how their process is going and whether their evaluators received the evaluations. We can answer in real time if asked who has not been evaluated.”

INCAE now opens more than 50 evaluation projects at once and, through Explorance Blue, processes and communicates feedback within minutes rather than weeks. According to Ana, “Our reports to our faculty and Dean's offices are now at the expected level. In addition to automating the sending of evaluations and the flexibility of options that Explorance Blue has provided INCAE, it has helped us be at the level of many other international universities.” The capacity for mobile device completion and target-driven enhancements such as machine learning and multi-language support further bolster user engagement.

With overall satisfaction among staff and faculty described as “a complete 180-degree shift from what we had,” the partnership has solidified INCAE’s commitment to data-driven decision-making, operational efficiency, and continued leadership in the region. The partnership with Explorance demonstrates how digital transformation, when strategically executed and supported, can drive meaningful advances in higher education administration, student satisfaction, and institutional excellence.