The Challenge: Unifying Two Universities and Two Systems
When the University of Adelaide (UofA) and the University of South Australia (UniSA) confirmed their merger to form Adelaide University, the leadership team needed to determine which Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) platform could support more than 30,000 student placements annually.
As a result, they carried out a structured comparison of both institutions’ systems:
- UniSA: Ran a single, stable InPlace deployment with consistent processes.
- UofA: Operated multiple deployments within a different system, each customised at discipline level.
Adelaide University therefore required:
- One unified platform that could sustain scalable operations across more than 350 placement activities and 10,000 provider organisations
- A whole-of-University dataset for robust reporting
- A consistent end-to-end experience for students and staff
Why InPlace Was Selected
Daryl McMahon
Associate Director, Work Integrated Learning
Initially, The WIL core working group assessed both existing platforms against long-term strategic readiness. Daryl highlighted two key factors in selecting InPlace:
- SaaS architecture and centralised control: InPlace provides a cloud-based platform with central management and visibility, enabling consistent operations across Adelaide University at scale.
- Australian ownership and stewardship: InPlace is Australian-owned and operated, supporting local governance, accountability, data sovereignty, and Australian WIL expertise.
Furthermore, beyond these infrastructure advantages, InPlace delivered the speed, visibility, and reliability required for an institution of this scale.
Real-Time Reporting That Saves Critical Hours
McMahon illustrated a scenario familiar to all universities:
“If there is an incident and leadership asks for the current location of students on placement, InPlace enables that query to be generated within a minute. With the legacy systems, the same task could take hours or potentially days, as each system had to be accessed and reviewed individually.”
Having used InPlace at UniSA for eight years before the merger, McMahon highlighted the practical impact:
“With a couple of clicks you can see every student’s current assigned placement location within any geographic area or boundary.”
In a crisis, rapid access to accurate information is essential.
Strategic Steps to Create AU InPlace
Project Timeline: Commenced March 2025 | Went Live November 2025 | Ongoing refinements continue as the platform evolves with the university’s needs
Dr Brie Willoughby-Knox
Product Lead
Dr Willoughby-Knox explained the structured engagement used to unite all 40 discipline areas joining the new university:
“Together, the University project team and InPlace project team employed a four step process to engaging key stakeholders across both foundation universities to understand current practices, gaps and opportunities. The four steps where to define the intended WIL journey, design InPlace to meet accreditation requirements and strategic direction, refine the set up and establish ways of working and train to boost staff capabilities.”
Throughout the year-long roadmap, the team kept data integrity at the centre of every decision:
- A dedicated data analyst worked directly with discipline leads to understand how each area interpreted and used identical data fields across seven legacy systems.
Willoughby-Knox observed:
“Individual data points were interpreted differently across every area. We had to continue asking the right questions to confirm accuracy and ensure data integrity.”
Her key advice to other institutions:
“Investing in a data analyst is extremely worthwhile. Determine what data can be archived and what is genuinely required for your future operating model.”
Training 350+ Staff with the Most Comprehensive Program in the Merger
The Change Management Team organised, and InPlace delivered, one of the merger’s most extensive training programs.
- Half of the WIL staff had little or no prior experience with InPlace, so the training approach needed to build confidence quickly.
The program included:
- 15 functional training sessions
- 17 discipline-level sessions
- Super user training
- Ongoing drop-in sessions two to three times per week
Each session included real-time feedback and interative refinement, and confidence increased steadily throughout the program.
Willoughby-Knox remarked:
“By the end of the program, people were highly engaged and operating confidently.”
Unlocking New Capabilities
McMahon described the transformation:
“I’ve been using InPlace at UniSA for eight years, so we knew it worked well. However, transitioning Adelaide University to the full enterprise version now gives us far greater capacity and the ability to harness the platform across the entire institution.”
Features That Improve Operations at Scale:
- Digital Agreements: Automated workflows replace printing, signing, and scanning, with instant updates when processes change.
- Advanced Automation: Reduced manual workload and increased consistency across all disciplines.
- Integrated Student Data: Direct access to academic and profile information about students, including GPA and course grades, which was not available in the legacy systems.
- University-Wide Compliance Campaigns: InPlace supported rapid rollout of mandatory Work Health and Safety requirements across all disciplines. Student declarations, terms and conditions, and required learning modules are captured before placements commence.
- Centralised Provider Management: One unified database, deduplicated and shared across all faculties for consistent relationship management.
Quick Wins That Build Long-Term Momentum
- Twenty-two engagement sessions helped teams identify improvement opportunities.
- Many required small configuration adjustments that delivered immediate gains.
Willoughby-Knox emphasised:
“You need to harness the early enthusiasm. Demonstrating what is possible within the system builds confidence and encourages teams to make better use of functionality.”
This approach strengthened a culture of continuous improvement. She also noted:
“In the internally delivered Ways of Working (WoW) workshops, we saw a willingness to try new practices and proactively utilise InPlace as a single source of truth for WIL workflows, instead of supplementing with Excel unnecessarily.”
What Worked: Lessons for Other Universities
Vision Before Technology
The team defined a clear framework, sustainable, scalable, and consistent, to execute a whole-of-University approach to WIL. This vision guided every decision.
Partnership Throughout
Close collaboration between university teams and InPlace Software was central to the project’s success.
Willoughby-Knox observed:
“The support provided by the InPlace Software team has been exceptional. Their expertise and reliability were instrumental throughout the implementation.”
Think Institution-Wide
McMahon reflected:
“If disciplines operate independently in ways that only suit their area, it does not support the broader institution, the student experience, or industry partners.”
Customisation at small scale may feel useful, but at large scale it prevents consistent reporting, undermines student equity, and restricts strategic oversight.
The Results
Adelaide University now manages more than 34,000 placements annually, with growth toward 50,000 in progress. Through a single unified platform, the university now benefits from:
- Real-time reporting across all disciplines
- A consistent and reliable student experience
- Rapid response to regulatory changes
- Institution-wide data for evidence-based decisions
- Automation that reduces administrative burden
- Scalability to support long-term growth
Willoughby-Knox concluded:
“InPlace has positioned us to deliver on our long-term vision. We now have a centralised platform that supports consistency and enables innovation across the institution.”
Next Steps for Other Universities
If your university is looking to streamline placements, scale efficiently, and gain real-time insights, connect with InPlace to explore how we can support your institution’s unique needs.
