Success Story
How UNC Greensboro Built a Connected All Funds Budgeting Process
Higher Education
What happens when a university's budgeting process can no longer keep up with its complexity? This case study explores how UNC Greensboro partnered with Tru and Anaplan to replace a reactive, spreadsheet-driven process with a connected all-funds platform — achieving approximately $2 million in annual savings, stronger workforce planning, and the real-time visibility to stop chasing numbers and start making decisions.
Industry
Higher Education
Platform
Anaplan
Use Case
All-Funds Budgeting
Connect With an Expert
Before Tru
Budgeting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro required coordinating data across departments, systems, and fund sources in a process that had become increasingly difficult to manage.
The university relied on Excel templates for budget development, with departments completing files and submitting them for central consolidation. The process required multiple uploads, validations, and manual checks to ensure accuracy. Even small changes within spreadsheets could disrupt formulas or create inconsistencies, requiring additional time to resolve.
As data moved between files and stakeholders, maintaining consistency and confidence in the numbers became more challenging. The process was time-intensive and often reactive.
“We’ve all wrestled with spreadsheets that multiply like gremlins, with manual manipulations, XLOOKUPs, VLOOKUPs, and inconsistent data definitions. It’s basically a recipe for reactive planning.”
At the same time, the UNC system introduced a standardized All Funds Budget (AFB), requiring institutions to consolidate state appropriations, tuition, auxiliary funds, grants, and restricted funding into a single framework. This increased both the volume and complexity of data that needed to be managed and reported consistently.
Why Tru and Anaplan
UNC Greensboro needed a way to bring structure, consistency, and visibility to its budgeting process while supporting new all funds reporting requirements.
The goal was to move away from disconnected spreadsheets and create a single environment where data could be collected, reviewed, and used for planning and decision-making. This required a platform that could support real-time collaboration, improve data accuracy, and scale with the institution’s needs.
UNC Greensboro Partnered with Tru Consulting
UNC Greensboro partnered with Tru Consulting to implement Anaplan as a centralized planning platform and redesign its budgeting process.
Together, the teams:
- Replaced spreadsheet-based data collection with direct entry into a centralized system
- Eliminated manual uploads and reduced dependency on file-based processes
- Introduced structured workflows for budget submission, review, and approval
- Enabled real-time dashboards and reporting for leadership
- Implemented scenario modeling to evaluate changes in enrollment, funding, and expenses
- Connected workforce planning with financial plans to support hiring decisions
“We moved from what I like to say were duct-taped workarounds to a more dynamic, data-driven stewardship of our funds.”
The Impact
Improved financial visibility:
Leadership now has a more complete and consistent view of financial performance, with the ability to monitor revenues, expenses, and funding gaps in real time.
Faster and more efficient budgeting:
Budget development no longer depends on manual consolidation and spreadsheet validation, reducing cycle time and minimizing errors.
More accessible scenario planning:
The finance team can evaluate the impact of enrollment changes, budget adjustments, and new initiatives without rebuilding models.
Stronger workforce planning:
Workforce planning became more structured, with clearer visibility into positions and associated costs.
Significant cost savings
The institution achieved approximately $2 million in annual savings and reduced nearly 280 positions through attrition, aligning resources more closely with institutional priorities.
“We have greater transparency, faster collaboration, and a strategic edge that allows us to focus less on chasing numbers and more on shaping the future of our campus.”
What’s Changed
UNC Greensboro now operates with a more structured and transparent budgeting process.
Departments enter and manage budgets within a shared system rather than submitting spreadsheets. Budget data is validated at the point of entry, reducing downstream errors and rework. Workflows provide clear ownership of submissions and approvals, and leadership has access to real-time dashboards without waiting for manual consolidation.
The university can evaluate financial scenarios more quickly and respond to changes with greater confidence. Budgeting has shifted from a time-intensive, manual process to a more consistent and data-driven capability that supports decision-making across the institution.
“Now we don’t want to do it any other way.”
Ready to Do the Same?
Tru Consulting helps institutions replace manual processes with connected, scalable systems. As an Anaplan implementation partner, the team works with higher education institutions to bring structure, accuracy, and visibility to complex operations.