What is Submission Management?

Submission management software allows companies, government departments, organizations, and educational institutions to accept large amounts of digital applications, files, or images via a web-based form.

These tools can simplify, automate, and streamline submission and application processes without relying on email or file downloads. Organizations can collect, decline, track and manage submissions and applicants for various purposes, such as:

Abstracts and peer-reviewed papers
Admissions
Auditions
Casting for film, TV, and stage
Contests and awards management
Event registration
FDA and regulatory governance
Fellowship and residency applications
Grants and scholarships
Industry assessments
Job listings and internships
Portfolio submissions
Product submissions
Speaker management
Surveys
Video/audio submissions

Submission management solutions may be designed as stand-alone solutions, while others are more comprehensive–offering a suite of options to handle more complex campaigns. Vendors providing forms and survey tools may offer ancillary products specifically designed to provide a platform for management contest submissions. Some submission management software systems can allow team members and judges to plan, review, comment, collaborate, and decide on submissions together in real-time, all within one streamlined workflow.

Document management systems (DMS) are related to submission management systems. However, where a DMS automates the capture, organization, storage, and security of business documents, a submission management system streamlines online user engagement and the receipt, processing, and reviewing of those users’ applications and submissions.

Submissions management systems are frequently used in education or institutions of higher learning, government, HR, and related entities. Awards Management Software, Contest Management Software, and Grant Management Software are all types of submission management systems.

Submission Management Features

Submission management systems often include the following features:

Automated submissions tracking
Comprehensive dashboard reports
Team collaboration and communication
Comments/Notes
Branded portals
Customizable online forms
Comprehensive dashboard reports
Integrations
Knowledgebase
Payment processing
Various file types support
Search and archive
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Simple and advanced reviews
Management of forms, applicants, submissions, and judging
Mobile compliant

Submission Management Comparison

When comparing submission management systems, here are some questions to keep in mind:

Use Case: Submission management systems are designed for various applications ranging from awards contests to government regulatory compliance, to scholarships, surveys, peer reviews, internship applications, and more. Since submission management systems are not necessarily “one-size-fits-all,” it’s important to get specific about your organization’s unique needs and purpose for the application before shopping.

Features Desired: Consider the customizability and flexibility of the application. Does it provide useful options like testing, dropdown lists, drag-in-drop capability, multiple response checkboxes, application staging, and word limits? Is the program configurable for full-cycle campaign management?

Review Functionality: Can you customize the review process to meet your team’s needs? Does the product allow you to create custom forms and checklists to guide your reviewers regarding feedback? Are there fields for numeric scoring and qualitative feedback? How quickly and easily can you create forms and campaigns?

User Experience: How complex is the software to learn? Will your staff require a lot of training to adapt to it effectively? Look into the software’s team and collaboration capabilities. Is it possible to communicate with reviewers and submitters all within the platform? And how easily can your applicants use the system?

Fundraising Reporting: Can the application support secure payment processing and reporting if you’re fundraising or collecting payments? How detailed are their reporting and tracking while monitoring your campaign progress? Will the platform support integrations across departments and with other business applications, such as CRMs and financial applications? Can you analyze and merge data from multiple forms?

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Pricing Information

Submission management solutions may be billed monthly, annual, or per campaign. The number of team members can also influence pricing.

Free trials are generally available. Some simple survey tools have free options. Many vendors price their submission management solutions as stand-alone systems. Other solutions can be purchased as part of a larger nonprofit fundraising software bundle for little or no additional cost.

Entry-level options begin at $18/month. More comprehensive solutions range from $1199 to $10,000 per campaign. Most vendors offer custom quotes. Some vendors offer discounts to non-profit organizations.

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General

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Entry-level set up fee?

Starting Price

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