How Drivestream Future-Proofs Higher Education for Graceland

Graceland University’s cloud transformation shows just how far the bar can be raised when it comes to tech for private higher education, proving that modernisation – when done right – does not have to cost the Earth. 

With Drivestream as its strategic advisor and systems integrator, Graceland successfully transitioned from legacy, on-premise systems to a unified Oracle Fusion Cloud environment spanning HR, finance, planning and student financial operations. The project represents a blueprint for institutions determined to future-proof their operations while maintaining long-term affordability.

“It’s not about replacing systems, but future-proofing the institution,” says Jacob Thomas, Executive Vice President and Managing Partner at Drivestream. 

Based in Virginia, Jacob leads the firm’s strategy and advisory practice – focused on aligning technology, economics and vision for sustainable modernisation.

Drivestream: Enabling Graceland’s transformation

Like many independent colleges, Graceland faced the burden of outdated, highly-customised ERP systems that hindered agility and strained resources. The university’s leadership recognised the need to modernise but faced a common obstacle: large upfront implementation costs and unpredictable long-term service fees. 

The turning point came through the HESS Consortium – a collaborative formed to reduce risk and cost across private higher education. Through HESS, Drivestream introduced its Invested Partner Engagement Model, a unique subscription-based framework that bundles software, implementation and continuous services into one predictable contract. 

“We don’t just implement successfully and walk away – we structure long-term accountability into the engagement,” Jacob explains.

For Graceland, this financial model eliminated significant upfront expenditure, provided pricing stability and transformed modernisation from a high-risk initiative into a manageable, strategic investment.

“Institutions like Graceland were able to move forward with confidence on what is otherwise a highly disruptive transformation for the entire university, largely because Drivestream’s unique engagement model meaningfully reduces institutional risk,” Jacob explains.

“They were also able to do this with confidence because they felt that the costs and the associated needs that they will have into the future were predictable through this model. This made a huge difference and facilitated the transformation journey.”

From implementation to impact

Thanks to Drivestream’s guidance, Graceland deployed an extensive Oracle Fusion Cloud suite – integrating ERP, HCM, EPM and student systems – on an accelerated timeline. The integration replaced fragmented manual processes with standardised, cloud-native best practices, immediately improving efficiency and compliance while projecting an estimated 15% IT cost reduction in the first year alone.

Equally impactful was the cultural shift the transformation enabled. Staff gained new agility and data-driven insight, while students benefited from streamlined financial processes and service delivery. 

“The true evidence of a systems integrator’s work is found in repeated and continuously positive business outcomes for the institution – not just once, but over time,” says Jacob. 

This philosophy continues to guide Drivestream’s ongoing engagement with Graceland and more than 25 other HESS member institutions adopting this scalable model.

Now, Drivestream is extending its approach beyond the cloud into intelligent automation. The company is launching the AiPEX Center (AI Platform Experience Center) – a 40,000ft² hub dedicated to applied Agentic AI in higher education. 

“We are at the advent of AI, sitting at a very pivotal moment across the industry,” adds Jacob. “With AiPEX, we’re helping universities not only imagine but experience how agentic AI could practically run their institutions.”

For Drivestream, the partnership with Graceland embodies a broader mission: to make cloud and AI transformation achievable, sustainable and scalable across higher education. For Graceland, it signals a future where innovation, accountability and institutional resilience go hand-in-hand.

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