Case Study: Kingston University achieves a unified, real-time back office and faster month-end closes with Unit4 Financial Planning & Analysis

A unified back office for higher education excellence

Kingston University, a top‑40 UK higher education institution serving about 16,700 students and 1,900 staff, was hampered by siloed legacy systems across finance, HR, payroll and research. Disconnected data required time‑consuming manual reporting, produced month‑old information, and prolonged month‑end close (around 10 days), making timely decision‑making and efficient resource planning difficult.

The university implemented Unit4’s unified on‑premise ERP—covering financial management, HR, payroll, research costing and People Planner—to automate manual tasks, enable self‑service and create a paperless back office. The change cut month‑end close from 10 to 2 days, delivered near‑real‑time financial visibility, improved course and staffing allocation through a resource allocation model, and streamlined procurement, payroll and HR processes for faster, more accurate decisions.

Kingston University

Andrea Whiting

Systems Manager