Case Study: Universidad San Francisco de Quito Enhances Academic Scheduling with Infosilem

Client Overview

Institution: Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ)
Department: Academic Coordination
Role: Eduardo Cárdenas, Academic Coordinator

Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), one of Ecuador’s most prestigious universities, is known for its interdisciplinary programs and commitment to academic excellence. As the institution grew, managing its academic schedules became increasingly complex.

Eduardo Cárdenas, Academic Coordinator at USFQ, recalls how manual processes were slowing down the entire scheduling operation and frustrating academic coordinators who wanted more time to focus on strategic planning.

 

The Challenge

Before Infosilem, USFQ’s scheduling process relied entirely on Excel spreadsheets and manual coordination between departments. Academic coordinators compiled and adjusted course data by hand, with limited visibility into conflicts or room utilization.

“The problem that we had before Infosilem was the manual scheduling process,” Eduardo explained. “All the information was in Excel, and while we tried to keep things organized, it was time-consuming and prone to errors.”

This approach also affected morale. “Academic coordinators felt that we were not helping them in the academic planning,” he said. “They were very frustrated and upset.”

The team needed a solution that could automate their manual tasks, improve accuracy, and give every department real-time visibility into the scheduling process.

 

The Solution

The university’s IT department discovered Infosilem while researching scheduling software online. “The IT department found Infosilem by looking on the internet,” Eduardo recalled. “When we implemented Infosilem, the system covered the whole process that we had.”

Infosilem was customized to replicate the university’s existing forms, workflows, and approval structure—so staff felt immediately familiar with the new environment.

“They felt comfortable with the forms and list views they were used to,” Eduardo said. “The best thing was that we could set up the whole system according to the specific needs that each area had.”

Infosilem’s flexibility was key to ensuring adoption across departments with different scheduling models and teaching formats.

 

The Results

Since implementing Infosilem, Universidad San Francisco de Quito has seen measurable improvements in both efficiency and accuracy.

Key outcomes include:

• Overall timeline reduction: USFQ reduced its total scheduling process from 10 weeks down to 6 weeks.
• Operational workload reduction: The team lowered the volume of manual requests by approximately 300 requests during the first week before registration.
• Improved scheduling accuracy and collaboration: Coordinators can now focus on planning rather than data management, resulting in smoother collaboration between departments.

“These improvements have translated into significant time savings for our team and a much smoother scheduling experience overall,” Eduardo said.

Infosilem’s ability to adapt to each department’s unique needs while providing a unified scheduling framework has been instrumental in driving long-term success.

“Infosilem covered the whole process that we had,” Eduardo said. “It’s very flexible, and we were able to set up the system to fit our specific needs.”

 

The Recommendation

Eduardo strongly recommends Infosilem to other institutions seeking to modernize their scheduling systems.

“Absolutely, I would recommend Infosilem,” he said. “The system is very flexible and would help any college or university streamline their processes.”

 

Conclusion

By transitioning from manual Excel-based scheduling to Infosilem’s integrated platform, Universidad San Francisco de Quito has dramatically improved its scheduling efficiency, reduced administrative workload, and enhanced coordination across departments.

Infosilem didn’t just automate USFQ’s scheduling process—it transformed it. What once took months now takes weeks, and the team has more time to focus on what matters most: supporting faculty and improving the student experience.

As Eduardo concluded, “Infosilem didn’t just automate our process—it adapted to us. It gave our coordinators the tools they needed to manage scheduling confidently and efficiently.”