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When Johnathan Tunwar stepped into his new role supporting orientation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he and his team got to work using the tools that were already in place, including an existing Advantage Orientation® platform. They went through an orientation session with it and began gaining firsthand experience using the system.

As the months went on, Johnathan learned from the Advantage team about enhancement opportunities and new platform features. With some hands-on experience under his belt and a better sense of what his students and staff needed, he began to wonder if there might be more available to him, and whether the platform could do even more to support his work. So, he reached out.

That’s where the story gets exciting.

After chatting with his Client Success team and seeing a demonstration of the new platform design and upgraded features, Johnathan saw the possibilities. A refreshed design would feel even more aligned with what students expect from a digital experience. The built-in tools made it easier to deliver content, collect data, and keep things up to date without having to start from scratch. It wasn’t just a better-looking platform. It was a smarter way to manage orientation.

So, he upgraded.

Now, UMass Amherst is running a more current version of their orientation platform, complete with the latest features designed to meet today’s students where they are. It’s more engaging. More efficient. And a whole lot more helpful for the person managing it all.

Original Interface Design

Refreshed Interface Design

And here’s the thing, Johnathan’s story isn’t unique.

We’ve worked with a lot of institutions that joined us years ago, some during the height of the pandemic when online orientation went from "nice to have" to "absolutely necessary." But over time, leadership changes. Roles shift. And sometimes, the person managing orientation today wasn’t the one who signed on with us in the first place.

That’s okay. In fact, it’s pretty normal.

What’s less common is reaching out and asking, “Hey, what do we have in place, and is it the most up-to-date version of the platform?” That’s why we’ve made it a point to reconnect with clients who might not be aware of just how much has changed since they first launched their platform.

For Johnathan and his team, kicking off the project to upgrade their platform began with big questions – where to begin, what would the process be like, and what would be expected of them?

“At the beginning of our upgrade kick-off meeting, we knew very little about the project details. We’d seen previews but had questions about what the end product would look like and how to manage the back end.”

Fortunately, with a proven process in place led by a professional project manager, Jonathan and his team received step-by-step explanations that answered all their questions. Making complex technology decisions can feel complicated, but with one-to-one guidance and support, understanding what’s needed and what happens next becomes clear, all the way through completion.

The latest version of Advantage Orientation^® isn’t just polished. It’s more powerful. It’s packed with features inspired by feedback from the same schools that were once in your shoes, asking, “How can we take this digital experience from good to great?”

If you’ve noticed a shift in engagement or your school's brand has changed, you’re not alone. Platforms that once served their purpose beautifully sometimes need to evolve as student expectations and institutional goals change. That’s why we continue to build beyond the basics, transforming what was once a tool for the moment into a solution designed for strategy and long-term impact.

Maybe now’s the perfect time for a reintroduction.

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Technology Transformation: Digital Upgrade for New Student Orientation