Making Student Information Work for You: Practical Tools in Thesis SM

By Emma Mullen, Senior Implementation Consultant at Thesis

I’ve been working closely with colleagues and clients to help them get the most out of Thesis Student Management (Thesis SM), and I wanted to share some of my observations to highlight some of the practical tools that make a difference to day-to-day work. Many of my colleagues have worked in Higher Education themselves, and that experience has shaped how we’ve developed Thesis SM. We know where the frustrations often lie and we’ve built the system to help tackle them — and while no software can remove all the challenges of working in HE, Thesis SM has been designed to address the real problems we’ve experienced ourselves.

Here’s an honest look at the features that genuinely make a difference. 

Flexi Fields: Adapt the System to Your Needs 

What it is:  Flexi-Fields let staff create unlimited custom data fields in Thesis SM that behave just like built-in fields. They integrate with system tables, respect user permissions, and can be used in reports, forms, workflows, Rule Sets, Query Lists—and even with integrations. 

Why it matters:  You don’t need to raise tickets or wait weeks for developers to add the fields you need. If an integration needs a specific field that doesn’t exist, you can create one. These fields work everywhere in Thesis SM — reporting, workflows, forms. Or use Flexi-Fields to display info from another system right inside Thesis SM, so you don’t have to switch between platforms. Choose from formats like drop-downs, checkboxes, or free text to suit your needs.

Example:  Need to track external accreditation numbers? Create a Flexi Field. Need a yes/no option to flag placement eligibility? Done. 

Real benefit:  No delays. Just practical flexibility, when you need it. 

Progression and Classification Rules: Clear, Configurable, Auditable 

What it is:  Progression and classification rules are fully visible and configurable by your institution. There’s no hidden logic — you can see exactly what the rules are, how they’re applied, and exactly how each student’s outcome has been calculated. 

Why it matters:  Again, this means that you don’t have to rely on technical teams or vendors to manage or change academic rules.  If a student challenges their result, you’ll have a full audit trail.  Complex academic regulations? The system handles them — and shows you how. 

Example:  When a student reaches the required credit totals, Thesis SM shows you which specific modules counted, how they added up, and what result was produced. That full audit is stored against the student’s record. All actions/ changes made to a student record are timestamped and attributable as well. 

Real benefit:  No more wondering how a classification was worked out — you’ll know. 

Query Reports: Reporting That Doesn’t Need a Specialist 

What it is:  Query Reports let everyday users build reports using simple drag-and-drop tools. You don’t need technical skills or to involve IT for most reporting needs. 

Why it matters:  Generate reports quickly and accurately.  Choose the output format you need: dashboards, PDFs, or files for integrations.  Tie reports to standard communications, like letters or emails triggered by student milestones. 

Example:  Need a confirmation of enrolment letter that gets automatically emailed to the student and added to their portal? You can do that with Query Reports. 

Real benefit:  Cuts down on unnecessary admin and makes reporting faster and more flexible. 

Rulesets and Workflows: Automate What Should Be Automated 

What it is:  Rulesets in Thesis SM let staff automate tasks using drag-and-drop tools. They can update records, start processes, add notes, or trigger communications. Workflows can run automatically based on events, on a schedule, or manually. 

Why it matters:  Saves time by handling repetitive processes automatically.  Improves data consistency and reduces manual errors.  Allows teams to build workflows around how they actually work, not just around system limitations. 

Example:  When a student withdraws, Thesis SM can automatically update their record, send out communications, trigger next steps for other teams, and more — all without needing manual intervention at every step. 

Real benefit:  Frees up staff time and helps make sure nothing gets missed. 

Why Thesis SM? 

Thesis SM is not just a regular SIS – it was born and raised in the cloud.   And apart from this technical benefit, the product is backed up by our team’s extensive higher education expertise. Many of my colleagues have worked within Registries, Admissions, and Student Support, so we understand how frustrating it is when systems make your job harder instead of helping you get things done. 

Thesis SM is designed to change that. It gives you: 

• Greater control over your processes 
• Fewer repetitive administrative tasks 
• Improved visibility across teams 
• Support for the complexity of Higher Education 
• Flexibility to adapt as your needs evolve 

For me, the best things about our product are the no code tools. They empower staff to build workflows and reports without the need to write SQL statements or have SSRS knowledge. The drag and drop functionality makes it quick and easy to build and understand, reducing reliance on developers and enabling institutions to configure the system to meet their needs.

I won’t claim it solves every challenge in Higher Education — no system can. But we’ve built Thesis SM to provide the practical tools you need to work more efficiently, with greater confidence and less frustration. 

If you’d like to explore how Thesis SM could work for your institution, we’d be happy to have a conversation — no obligation, just a practical discussion about what’s possible. 

Want to find out more? Book a demo or ask us a question – www.thesis.sm

• Emma Mullen – Senior Implementation Consultant

With over 6 years in Higher Education, Emma helps clients optimise Thesis SM for their needs and successful Go Lives. She values the knowledgeable, supportive team at Thesis SM that fosters open communication and collaboration.

“It’s a privilege to work with such dedicated professionals,” she says.