A transformation project that bounced back after a difficult start
After a start marked by challenges and adjustments, the Académie de Lille’s project bounced back by building on the experience gained. By rethinking its approach with its partner Maarch and deploying the Maarch Courrier solution, the Académie not only optimized its processes but also strengthened support for its teams.
This strategic partnership allowed it to overcome the initial obstacles and move toward a lasting, high-performing solution perfectly suited to its needs.
This new momentum was built on close collaboration between the various stakeholders involved, making it easier for teams to adopt the tools and methods. Smooth communication and the implementation of recommendations provided by Maarch’s technical teams helped refine the processes, ensuring a smoother rollout.
It was in 2020, driven by the Secretary General in charge of transformation along with the General Secretariat and the Cabinet, that the project gained fresh momentum with the adoption of the Maarch Courrier solution. Today, this project illustrates how an initial setback can be turned into a lever for improvement and innovation, resulting in a successful and lasting transformation.
Deployment and adoption: a tailor-made solution for the Académie de Lille
The Académie chose an On-Premise (local) deployment in order to closely monitor and facilitate its integration within its constituent structures. This strategic choice allowed them to adapt to the specifics of the project, the business areas, and the departments involved, while ensuring a smooth, well-controlled rollout.
Current use: simplicity and efficiency
Today, the system is mainly used to manage signature folders, an essential tool for streamlining approval, endorsement, and signature processes. One of the distinctive features of this solution lies in its intuitive approach: users don’t feel the organization’s complex hierarchy when carrying out their tasks. They are positioned directly within their own entity, which simplifies the experience and lets them focus on their work without getting bogged down in overly heavy structures.
To date, the Académie de Lille has 81 entities and 725 users. It has already processed 7,000 signature folders in two years. A remarkable rise, given that more than 1,300 signature folders were logged in January 2025 alone.
These figures reflect rapid adoption and genuine user satisfaction.
Document management: flexibility and autonomy
Once the signature folder is finalized, departments upload the documents and file them according to their own criteria. This flexibility allows each entity to maintain its own archives and working methods while still benefiting from the advantages of digitization.
To keep making the solution more efficient, updates are carried out on an ongoing basis. Version 23.0.1 of the solution is currently in production and running efficiently. The Académie de Lille is preparing to deploy version 24 of Maarch Courrier, which introduces a new interface for the electronic signing platform and offers advanced customization of the current signing process.
This update marks a major evolution of the system.
A solution evolving through the integration and pooling of expertise.
The Académie de Lille shares certain regional responsibilities with the Région Académique des Hauts-de-France, particularly in the areas of property management, training, and support. This closer collaboration allows for better coordination and optimal use of resources and the tool at these levels.
The deployment of Maarch within the Académie de Lille and the Région Académique des Hauts-de-France is a successful example of integrating a technology solution into a complex environment. Thanks to a pragmatic, user-focused approach and rigorous management of technical developments, the project has won the trust of teams and established itself as an essential everyday tool.
With figures constantly on the rise and capabilities that remain just as powerful, the future looks promising.
Keys to success
One of the pillars of this project’s success lies in structuring the workflows and providing tailored support for each department. Rather than imposing a standardized solution, the team took the time to study each entity’s specific needs in order to adapt the tool accordingly. This personalized approach built a climate of trust and made it easier for users to adopt the system.
Training tailored to user profiles
To ensure users could get up to speed effectively, a targeted training program was put in place:
- Managers : training focused on managing signature folders (creation and receipt). Aimed mainly at heads of secretariat, it allows them to centralize and oversee document flows.
- Users : training focused on understanding the system’s logic and viewing endorsed and signed signature folders. This transparency makes it possible to anticipate the next steps and ensure effective follow-up.
- Signatories : simplified training to optimize their experience by focusing on a single queue. It allows them to manage their tasks and sign documents without getting lost in unnecessary features.
A flexible, adaptable solution
Unlike many rigid tools, this system remains flexible and adapts to users’ habits and practices. This flexibility was essential to ensuring a smooth transition.
The workflow was designed to adapt to each department’s own processes while maintaining overall consistency. The organizational chart was adjusted to optimize workflow management and make the system easier to learn.
A major innovation was integrating the secretariat upstream of the approval process. As a result, secretariats can view and manage signature folders for their own department, as well as those of entities under their responsibility, before they are submitted to decision-makers. This change significantly lightened the workload for administrative teams and improved the overall efficiency of the process.
In short, this project has successfully combined innovation with a human touch by putting users at the heart of the approach. Thanks to individualized support, flexible procedures, and an adaptable workflow, each department was able to make the tool its own at its own pace, while keeping its own working methods.
This philosophy not only made adoption easier, but also strengthened efficiency and collaboration between teams. A great example that a project’s success comes above all from listening and adapting to on-the-ground realities.
In-house training
« On the Académie’s intranet portal, detailed documentation has been built up and expanded over time. It includes guides on creating, sending, modifying, and checking a signature folder, among other things. This allows users to quickly refer back to it. The content is presented in the form of animated GIFs and annotated screenshots. Reference sheets are also made available »
Yoann DELATTRE
All of the training documentation was developed in-house to meet departments’ specific learning needs. To ensure optimal accessibility and accommodate different learning styles, several types of materials are made available on the intranet portal.
Whether it’s printed documentation, dynamic video content, or animated GIFs to help clarify certain procedures, every staff member can choose the format that suits them best. This variety of materials aims to strengthen learning effectiveness by making it easier to get up to speed with the solution.
Benefits and feedback
The adoption of Maarch has brought about notable improvements in users’ day-to-day work. Key benefits include:
- The disappearance of stacks of physical signature folders, freeing up space and reducing the risk of lost documents.
- Better traceability of signature folders, with the ability to edit them online and track them in real time.
- An overall simplification of administrative processes thanks to digitization.
User feedback has been largely positive. They particularly appreciate the disappearance of paper signature folders, which has improved their efficiency and day-to-day comfort. The system’s ease of use is also a strong point, making the transition to digital feel more natural and intuitive.
Outlook
The Académie de Lille is entering a key phase with the validation and deployment of version 24, an essential step. This update strengthens the efficiency and security of processes.
At the same time, an extension of the features is under consideration.
The goal?
To optimize the flow of correspondence while respecting the existing configuration logic. This development is part of an ongoing effort to improve and adapt to needs. The interest shown in this extension highlights its importance and relevance for the stakeholders involved. A strategic opportunity to seize in order to further strengthen the system’s performance.
What has made the difference so far?
A fast On-Premise deployment and an approach resolutely focused on users and business needs. Rather than imposing a rigid tool, the emphasis was placed on personalized support, department by department, in order to adapt to each team’s reality.
As for procedures, they were not locked into the software, but left to the discretion of the teams, respecting their habits while still modernizing their practices.
Today, the project is a success, and the lesson is clear: to achieve a successful transformation, good technology alone isn’t enough. You also need to listen, support, and adapt. A great example that, even after setbacks, it’s possible to bounce back and build something solid and lasting.
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