Graduway Reviews

I love our Graduway platform. It has brought our alumni relations platform into the 21st century

Comments: An engaged and re-invigorated former pupil platform that attracts alumni on a global scale and encourages them to interact and respond.

Pros:

Our Graduway platform is engaging and sticky and encourages users to interact on the site. They post photos and message each other independently.

Cons:

The UK searching fields by location are ridiculous - there are thousands of towns on there listed that I've never heard of - too many to make it of any use... It would also be useful to have the 'work' filter in the invite and message function too.

Highly recommend!

Comments: The customer service experience with Graduway is top-notch. Our account manager,[SENSITIVE CONTENT], is friendly, accessible, and knowledgeable. I appreciate that he keeps reoccurring appointment on the rotation of his calendar to meet with me, review new product enhancements, and to discuss my school's success on the platform. Additionally, there are always opportunities for professional development to learn how to make the most out of the platform. This is something that sets the company a part from others - they truly take the time and work hard to build relationships and ensure the happiness of their clients.

Pros:

The platform is a "one-stop shop" for all your alumni management needs. The functionality with social media makes registration for users a breeze, and it is extremely user-friendly. The company is also always making improvements and enhancements, and their support team is extremely responsive, efficient, and professional.

Cons:

Integration was a breeze and there are many different ways to pull data from the system, although sometimes the reports (in the form of excel) are a bit overwhelming to review and analyze.

Easy platform for pushing information to alumni. Could be more customized but otherwise good.

Comments: Alumni are able to engage with one another and get more information from the school all in one email.

Pros:

The weekly digest is a great way to aggregate info and send it to all alumni. The job posting feature is fantastic and provides a great way for alumni to share job opportunities, as well. The updates section is a nice feature but lacks the ability to sort into categories. The events page is a great place for the school to update alumni about events without sending another email to their inbox.

Cons:

The software isn't as customizable as other softwares that I've used. For example, in the posting section, there isn't a way to create categories for posting. It would be great if alumni could tag the post with a category (mentoring question, general question, etc.). Plus, when people reply to the post, it doesn't ping you or let you know a reply was received. You have to rely on logging in to see if you got a reply. The reply doesn't show up on the next news digest, which would be helpful if it did.

A platform I'm proud to provide to my network

Comments: Where to begin? The customer service is top notch! I don't think of Graduway as a vendor, I think of them as a partner in my work. Not only have they ensured that what I'm presenting to my network is beautiful and user friendly but they are always innovating and sharing best practices so that our users can get the most out of this product.

Pros:

It is beautiful and intuitive to use (as an administrator and as a user). Every time I share the platform with someone new they say, "wow" and get what we're trying to do immediately.

Cons:

This is tough to say because as soon as I come up with something new that I want the platform to have, the team tells me it is already in progress and within months, we have it.

Implement this platform immediately

Comments: Excellent, fantastic, and superb.

Pros:

If I have to limit my response it would be the support of the Graduway staff. They are super responsive and extremely knowledgeable about their product. Another pro, is they always seem to be improving the product by adding functionality and I believe they really understand their user and their needs. This product really has everything that we need and would want to virtually engage our constituents. They also prepare marketing to help us reach our audience. They want us to be successful.

Cons:

2 things: first I wish that there was some functionality that would allow our users to post on Graduway and then instantly post that same thing on LinkedIn or another social platform.

One of the alternatives considered as my Alumni platform

Comments: When we went to implement the new platform of our Alumni, this was one of the 4 main alternatives considered, along with AlumnForce, AlmaShines and Hivebrite. However, it was not chosen, because although it is a good platform, it has less functionality than the competitors and has a relatively high cost.

Pros:

It has a very beautiful aesthetic, it is quite easy to use, for both administrators and users. Very low usage learning curve. Its use is pleasant. Excellent technical assistance. Good deployment cost. The [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] of the company that owns the product has a great vision on Alumni, and his book is the basis for the implementation of a successful Alumni.

Cons:

In the short term, the company provides a low cost of implementation, but in the long term, the platform's annual fee is high. It is a well-built product, but it lacks many features that already exist in competitors. The cost-effectiveness of competitors is much better.

It has made a huge difference to our alumni engagement efforts by allowing members connect anywhere

Comments: Easier alumni engagement and member data managment

Pros:

Online access for all members worldwide Ease of management and updating of member data Customizable newsletter

Cons:

Inability of members to advertise or market their products or services on the platform Homepage is too crowded Information provided on members not enough

Easy and Intuitive Platform for Alumni Engagement

Pros:

My favorite feature of the Graduway platform is the Directory. It makes it so easy for our alumni to find former classmates or find people who can help them with their next career steps. It also is great for our Alumni Relations team to reach out to relevant alumni for career or networking events!

Cons:

Currently we're unable to change user profiles ourselves if alumni sign up using incorrect information - but I believe this is changing soon.

We had some difficulty with the customization however now all is well.

Pros:

The features and functions are very good. It really serves the needs for developing a community among alumni. Our current contact person really changed our experience with Graduway, she is knowledgeable and effective as well as ready to help gladly for any issue we have.

Cons:

There are small issues as a user. For example we still cant invite alumni via gmail, this should easily be possible. When you click like for a post you see a number indicating the number of likes. But right next is the unlike command. So at first glance it seems x number of unlikes.

graduway product recommendation

Pros:

practical, self-explanatory and intuitive

Cons:

i may be a little more practical to use , there is still room for that

Graduway alumni platform

Comments: We've been using our Graduway platform for about 18 months now and are really pleased that we chose them to supply our platform. What I like the most about them is how great their customer service is, for our alumni when they're having issues, but more importantly for us as admins. Our account manager has taken the time to get to know our business and our needs and the entire team (from CEO down!) are invested in helping us meet those needs. They take on board client feedback in a very productive way, and are very responsive to ideas. In fact, there have been a number of new features added which are a result of client feedback. We were able to take time in building the platform and had full control over when it launched. We got help from them at launch with promotion, and receive continuous tips and pointers on steps we can take as an organisation to grow the platform. The platform itself is pretty easy to use and intuitive. The social sign on makes it even easier for our alumni. We have a completely international alumni base so some functions may be lost in translation, but overall alumni tell us they love it. They message each other, love the album and we have seen steady growth in sign ups. As admins it's not too time intensive to manage any more we can see basic statistics and manage what users see on the site. The news widgets are a useful way to share content from our main website. Mentoring is the one area that is more challenging for us, and does need more admin work/effort to make it successful, unless you already have a proper mentoring programme set up. There are areas for improvement, but Graduway know this and are working on it. Overall, it's a great supplier, with a very good product.

Pros:

Bright, attractive, inviting interface. Easy to use. Regular new developments released.

Cons:

Search functionality. Homepage could do with restructuring.

Great customer support and easy to use platform

Comments: Graduway's personalised customer service is excellent - Sarah guided us through the whole process with patience and a sense of humour that made it entirely painless. The best tip I can give is to be clear about what Graduway can and can't do, and how best to use it alongside your existing channels and platforms. Support and buy-in from colleagues makes the world of difference, so take the time to communicate the benefits (to them) and explain the purpose, to manage their expectations before you launch. The administration area is simple to use and we're very excited about the planned expansion to functionality in mailing features, Groups and site content - which are all a direct response to customer input. It's nice to feel listened to as a customer, and even better to see improvements as a result.
Some features, currently missing, would make me more inclined to rate everything as 5/5, but it's a great start and we're hugely optimistic about the impact this platform will have on our overall Alumni Engagement Strategy following a wider launch to students, with Graduway's support.

Pros:

The ability to filter and target user groups for effective communications, the easy admin area and the interactive elements built-in to encourage networking among alumni and students.

Cons:

The built-in invitation/message/newsletter functions are good, but lacking in reporting features that would make this much more useful. Having no ability to view bounce backs, unsubscribes, open/read rates means that we have to use Mailchimp for this activity, which is disappointing when our expectation was a single platform to manage our communications with alumni.

The Must-Have Alumni Engagement Software

Comments: Graduway is a superior product from start to finish. The product, the team, the constant improvements ensure Graduway is heads and tails above the competition.

Pros:

It provides a one-stop-shop for all things alumni relations related. Furthermore, the team at Graduway is always looking for innovative and intelligent ways to make the work of Alumni Relations professionals easier, more impactful and always value-add. The product is sophisticated and dynamic which is important when attempting to get buy-in from graduates.

Cons:

There are no cons! Whenever we have encountered an issue, Graduway has quickly stepped up to resolve the issue and or provide a workaround.

Stellar Alumni Relations and Communications Community Builder

Comments: The University of Toronto has been a client of Graduway's since 2013. Graduway's service and product has changed the entire theory of U of T Engineering's young alumni relations approach for the better, and empowered our entire stakeholder group to access and utilize the power of their collective network. Consistently evolving and listening to their clients, Graduway has exceeded expectations.

Pros:

The ease signing up, the advanced search directory and automated newsletter features. Statistics and instant membership data downloads are fantastically useful.

Cons:

The lack of tailored report crafting.

It has helped bringing our alumni community together in a more visual way.

Comments: A location for alumni, to visually track our growing network.

Pros:

Statistics, photographs, links to current universities/companies, job posts. The fact that users themselves can create their own groups, etc.

Cons:

Guiding videos of the different uses could be integrated into the platform, on the admin side. There should be regular reminders for alumni members to update their email addresses. Jobs section should include the possibility of internship/other opportunities since our graduates are from a high school and not a university.

Mulgrave SchoolReview

Comments: Great support as we wlaunched the program and the am has worked seamlessly to engage our alumni community. They continue to support as we grow and develop our platform. New features are added regularly making the user experience better and more accessable.

Pros:

Use of use, Interface and customer support.

Cons:

Would like a texting type feature like Messenger of DM on Instagram A group chat has been requested bu outr users

Graduway is a great addition to the alumni experience, offering real networking benefits

Pros:

The networking features are simple and straightforward for users and admins alike. You get the whole package at it's most updated as it is developed, so no need to add Bolt-ons, modules, or worry about which version you are running. The newsletter function keeps the alumni engaged.

Cons:

There are some areas like Groups and Mentoring which still need development and do not have the functionality some specialist competitors can boast. Graduway has a wide-range of features and it is one of the best all-rounders, but some specialist packages outperform it in individual areas (but do you want your users to be juggling multiple log-ins?)

It's been great working with the Graduway team to develop our alumni relations outreach.

Pros:

I like the simplicity of the software and it's ease of use for both admin and users which is important for Alumni relations departments where technological knowledge may be limited.

Cons:

I least like the overall look of the software as it is now a little dated and doesn't necessarily lend itself to promoting the most important functions and features of the platforms.

Very easy to use and great professional look

Pros:

The ease of use and the simplicity to produce things like events and newsletters. I find databases can be difficult to get used to but this was very straight forward. The monthly statistics as well are good for reporting to the board about our impact and can help to see where we need to work more to get the database even bigger or used more.

Cons:

The pictures seem to always have to be cropped to be used on the site so this sometimes can cut out things I want on there.

Great product for our Alumni!

Comments: Increased alumni engagement and the ability to communicate with them.

Pros:

I love how easy it was to set up our alumni community. It was also incredible how fast the site grew.

Cons:

I would love more customization and features to make the page our own. While I understand the benefit of making it simple to use, but having some more advanced features would be nice as well.

Graduway services are a cut above the rest

Comments: We have managed to connect our Alumni on a platform they can manage to share professional and business ideas. We have managed to have an easy way to send out relevant communication to relevant chapters.

Pros:

The software is compatible and has time saving automated features. This is evidenced through the monthly news letter which is automatically sent to the pre-populated list, the invitation and reminder feature to the new users as well as instant link to the linked-in accounts

Cons:

The package needs an extra fee to be accessed through play-store or as an mobile app, nevertheless, I am looking forward to a combined package accessible through google apps for mobile phone users

Graduway's platform and customer support are second to none.

Pros:

I love the exclusivity that it gives our school's community, and the networking and career advancement opportunities that become available to students, alumni, faculty, and staff once they join the platform.

Cons:

The event invite feature. It seems as though when we create an event and try to invite a specific group (i.e. alumni with a degree in Psychology who live in Chicago) the invite goes out to everyone on the platform instead of just the intended audience.

Graduway...or no way at all!

Pros:

User friendly, clean and simple design, and a robust offering of engagement avenues for our constituents to connect.

Cons:

That we haven't put in enough time to be able to utilize all that it has to offer. It is a time and staffing thing, but we could be getting more out of it.

Alumni Network Review

Comments: Graduway is an innovative company always looking to improve; their customer support has been excellent.

Pros:

Provides a way to connect alumni from around the world.

Cons:

It was designed for colleges and universities not necessarily a high school.

We have had a good experience working with Graduway

Comments: A private platform for our graduates to connect and talk to each other.

Pros:

We like how easy it is for our graduates to signup. We also like the updates wall and how it is a private place for graduates to connect with each other. Finally, the jobs board is our favorite aspect because we needed a place to promote jobs privately.

Cons:

The reporting (GA) functionality is very limited, there is not enough flexibility and manipulation on our end to edit or change things. Everything has to go through the vendor (even adding other admin accounts, changing cover photos, etc.)