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The challenge
Dumfries and Galloway College serves around 5,000 students each academic year and employs approximately 250 staff across two distinct employee groups: academic staff and professional services.
Managing HR processes across a diverse workforce created complexity for the organisation. The college wanted a modern HR platform that would provide greater visibility for managers, improve the employee experience and reduce the administrative burden on the HR team.
The organisation also recognised the importance of a smooth implementation process that would enable internal teams to become self-sufficient and confident in managing the system from day one.
The solution
Dumfries and Galloway College decided to upgrade their system from iTrent to People First to modernise its people management processes and create a more connected employee experience.
From contract signing through to implementation, the college worked closely with MHR's configuration team to ensure the solution was tailored to its requirements. A key focus of the project was enabling the internal HR team to understand and manage the platform independently, reducing reliance on support services after launch.
The collaborative approach ensured users were fully prepared for go-live and confident in using the system from the outset.
Key benefits
- Increased manager self-service and visibility of workforce information
- Reduced HR administration and routine enquiries
- Improved employee engagement through communities and social features
- Successful implementation supported by hands-on guidance and knowledge transfer
- Strong user adoption across managers and employees
“Our employees and managers have absolutely loved People First since the moment we launched it last May... If I were recommending to other institutions to upgrade to People First, I'd say just do it, don't think about it.”
Heather Jones, Director of People and Culture, Dumfries and Galloway College
