Albert Einstein right-sizes expense management for higher ed

Challenge

Albert Einstein College of Medicine was trying to support enterprise-grade expense management with a team structure that looked far more like a corporation than a higher education institution. Its legacy system was capable, but capability was not the issue. The day-to-day burden of maintaining it was. According to Shailesh Shenoy, Assistant Dean for Information Technology, the platform required too much “care and feeding” for a lean institution that simply did not have the bench to manage a complex environment over time.

That pressure intensified as Albert Einstein transitioned to Ellucian Banner SaaS. At that point, integration stopped being a nice-to-have and became a requirement. The institution needed a solution that could connect securely, reduce manual work, and avoid the overhead of building and maintaining custom file-based integrations.

Challenges included:

• A legacy expense system that was too resource-intensive to support
• Ongoing administrative overhead that strained IT and business services
• Flat-file integration processes that added complexity and maintenance
• A lean staffing model that could not support enterprise-heavy configuration work
• Higher ed approval structures that included students, researchers, and nontraditional supervisors

Why Emburse

Albert Einstein chose Emburse because it best matched the institution’s operating reality. The team was not looking for more complexity or endless customization, but for a solution that integrated cleanly with Banner SaaS and could be sustained without a large support team.

Emburse’s ETHOS integration helped meet that requirement with direct connectivity and a more secure, no-nonsense approach than the flat-file processes they had used before.

Equally important, Emburse felt right-sized for higher education. Institutions like Albert Einstein may have the same operational needs as much larger organizations, but not the same staffing model or budget depth. That made simplicity a strategic advantage, not a compromise.

“We have the same needs as a billion-dollar corporation. It’s just, we don’t have the resources to pull it off.”— Shailesh Shenoy, Assistant Dean for Information Technology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Solution Highlights

With Emburse, Albert Einstein implemented an expense management approach designed around integration, usability, and lower administrative burden.

• Used ETHOS integration to connect Emburse with Ellucian Banner SaaS
• Eliminated dependence on flat-file transfers for the Emburse-to-Banner flow
• Built a reverse integration in-house using available APIs in about one week
• Supported nuanced approval structures for MD students, PhD students, MD-PhD students, and lab-based supervisors
• Delivered a more straightforward user experience with easier access to expected features
• Reduced the amount of time IT needed to spend configuring the platform to meet user expectations

Implementation Reality

The core Emburse-to-Banner integration worked as intended and gave Albert Einstein the plug-and-play foundation it wanted. The institution also built the reverse Banner-to-Emburse connection quickly using APIs.

At the same time, some delays came from internal process alignment rather than the technology itself. Early coordination gaps and confusion around bi-directional integration expectations slowed parts of the rollout.

Once those issues were resolved, the environment stabilized and began working well for the community. That nuance matters. It shows that successful implementation depends not only on the platform, but also on engaging the right internal stakeholders early.

Business Impact

For Albert Einstein, the value of Emburse came from fit. The institution moved away from a system that demanded ongoing heavy involvement and toward one that better matched its staffing reality, ERP environment, and user needs. Post-implementation, the team had a more sustainable model for expense reimbursement and a platform that was easier for the community to use.

The impact was felt across several key areas:

• Reduced administrative burden: Less need for deep, ongoing system maintenance
• Stronger ERP alignment: More reliable, secure integration with Banner SaaS
• Better user experience: Simpler access to the features employees expect, without heavy configuration work
• Higher ed fit: Enterprise-level capability without enterprise-level overhead
• Operational clarity: A platform aligned to the structure of students, researchers, and academic supervisors

“What enables us is a solution like Emburse. It gives us what we need without requiring the kind of resources we just don’t have.” — Shailesh Shenoy, Assistant Dean for Information Technology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine