Swim Calls on Higher Education Leaders to Start With the Problem, Not the Platform
TAMPA, FL, UNITED STATES, August 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Technology is changing quickly across higher education, but the conversation about what institutions actually need from that technology often comes later. As colleges and universities explore new CRM platforms, AI capabilities, and other tools, Swim Digital Group is encouraging leaders to start with a more fundamental question:
What problem are we trying to solve?
“In almost every technology conversation, the first question is, ‘What platform should we buy?’” said Trimeka Benjamin, CEO of Swim Digital Group. “Before comparing vendors or scheduling product demonstrations, institutions should pause and ask a different question: ‘What problem are we trying to solve?’ When institutions answer that first, technology decisions become much clearer.”
Over the past several years, Swim has worked with colleges and universities across the country on CRM implementation, enrollment, communications, and institutional operations. Across that work, the same pattern continues to surface: technology works best when institutions are clear about the problem it needs to solve, how the work should happen, and how people will use it. Often, the problem isn’t the software. It’s communication that isn’t coordinated across departments, enrollment processes without clear ownership, or teams working from different definitions of success. When those challenges exist, replacing a CRM rarely resolves the underlying issue because the technology was never the primary obstacle.
“Technology can absolutely help institutions work faster and make better use of their resources,” Benjamin said. “But if admissions, marketing, IT, student affairs, and academics aren’t clear on what they’re trying to accomplish together, no platform is going to fix that. Technology should support decisions the institution has already made about what needs to change.”
Technology can improve execution. It cannot define it.
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence makes that distinction even more important. AI can reduce repetitive work, help teams communicate at greater scale, and surface information that supports better decisions. But it cannot determine which problems matter most, clarify who owns the work, or decide what students actually need from an institution.
“AI is creating incredible possibilities for higher education,” Benjamin said. “But it doesn’t replace the work of understanding how things operate today. Institutions still have to look at their processes, decide who owns what, and understand where students are experiencing friction. AI can support that work, but it can’t make those decisions for you.”
Rather than beginning with the question of which technology should come next, Swim encourages institutional leaders to first consider:
What are we trying to make easier or better for students?
Where are students encountering unnecessary barriers?
Are departments working toward the same goals?
Which processes are creating unnecessary work for staff?
How will we know whether a change is actually working?
The answers often reveal opportunities that have little to do with purchasing another platform. An institution may already have the technology it needs but lack clear processes, consistent communication, or a shared understanding of how the technology should support the work.
As technology continues to change, the question for institutions isn’t simply what becomes available next. It’s whether they understand what they need technology to do.
“Technology will continue to change,” Benjamin said. “The goal isn’t to have the newest technology. It’s to have technology that supports the work your institution needs to do and that your people know how to use well. When you understand the problem first, you can make much better decisions about the tools that belong in the answer.”
Read the August Issue of The Current: A monthly perspective from Swim on what higher education should be thinking about next.
About Swim Digital Group
Every institution has good people doing important work. Swim Digital Group jumps into that work with colleges and universities to understand how things operate today, where students and teams experience friction, and what is getting in the way. From enrollment and communications to technology and institutional operations, Swim helps campus teams make practical decisions about what needs to change and how to carry the work forward.
Learn more at swimdigitalgroup.com.
Caroline Day
Swim Digital Group
cday@swimdigitalgroup.com
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