[Case Study] POLIMI Graduate School of Management

POLIMI GSoM is the Graduate School of Business of the Politecnico di Milano, one of the leading scientific and technological universities in the world. For more than 40 years, the institution has distinguished itself in the areas of innovation, digital transformation and sustainability by providing managerial training programs for graduates, professionals, businesses and organizations.

In 2014, POLIMI GSoM launched Italy’s first Executive MBA program in digital learning, and today digital is an integral part of its educational portfolio. The institution is also a leader in the areas of sustainable development and building a more inclusive society. It is the only European Business School among B Corp certified establishments—recognition given for POLIMI GSoM’s ability to partner with nationally and internationally renowned companies and design training courses and tools needed to meet the challenges of today’s markets.

Challenge

Internationalisation is a key POLIMI GSoM characteristic with over 70 different nationalities represented in its classrooms and offices. Receiving payments from all over the world, the institution faced challenges offering convenient payment options to candidates from certain regions. In addition, international bank transfers could be lengthy and bureaucratic, with candidates often facing high transaction fees. This is why POLIMI GSoM turned to Flywire to help enhance the overall payment experience for its students worldwide.

POLIMI GSoM Politecnico di Milano wanted to find a way to simplify the payment process for its international students. It was familiar with Flywire from its presence with other higher education institutions around the world. With Flywire, it sought a payment solution that would allow for a seamless payer journey, streamline its internal processes and not add transaction costs for the candidates.

With Flywire’s cross-border and EUR domestic education payments offering, POLIMI GSoM can now easily provide students with access to a convenient, modern and secure online payment option that works almost anywhere in the world and supports more than 130 different currencies. Flywire’s solution also enables POLIMI GSoM’s finance staff to work much faster and more efficiently. “We now have total visibility into all our inbound payments coming through Flywire – be it online payments or bank transfers,” said Ann-Marie Mittmann, Marketing and Recruitment Specialist for the school. “All the information we need is on a single platform.”

POLIMI GSoM’s recruiters can now check in real time if a payment has been made, avoiding the need to contact every single student and ask for a payment transaction receipt. Additionally, Mittmann and her colleagues really appreciate the support Flywire offers to both the school and its students. “Flywire’s multilingual support staff are available around the clock and respond immediately. Offloading all those student payment questions has really simplified our daily activities.”

In Mittmann’s view, international students appreciate having seamless access to a secure global payment network that works easily no matter where they are located around the world. The ability for students to flexibly pay in their own currency via bank transfers, credit cards, and e-wallets also adds to the convenience. In addition, the institution benefits from significant operational efficiencies in its internal processing and reconciliation of student payments.

“Flywire offers a completely customised product that meets our individual needs as an international business school with global clients,” said Mittmann.

Within the first five months, POLIMI GSoM processed hundreds of international cross- border transactions from more than 43 countries in 28 different currencies through Flywire’s global payment network.