Overview
The University of Reading has cut research time from hours to minutes with Xapien, freeing teams to focus on decisions rather than data gathering. Using Xapien has transformed their previously fragmented, manual due diligence process into a seamless shared system that works across teams at the University.
The challenge: Siloed, manual due diligence across departments
Like many universities, Reading previously conducted its due diligence independently across Research, Development, Legal, and Procurement teams. Each team checked the same partners separately as there was no central repository, shared intelligence or consistent methodology. International research on academics and institutions could take up to 4–5 hours per case. With small teams under growing workload pressure, that time was often hard to find.
“We effectively had multiple teams all doing independent due diligence. There was no central place to hold the information, and the process was manual.”
The solution: One system for the whole university
Reading brought Xapien in as a shared due diligence platform, starting with Research before expanding across Development, Legal, and Procurement. Global media, sanctions, and risk screening, previously done manually, became automated. Reports are easy to read, clearly structured, and accessible across every team, allowing faster decision-making based on clear information gathered on potential partners.
“Xapien gave us one place where all due diligence sits. We can see what other teams are checking and avoid repeating work.”
The impact
1. Hours become minutes
Manual research that previously could take hours is now completed in minutes, lifting pressure off their small teams. Staff can now focus on higher-level strategy and get decisions to stakeholders quicker.
“Running checks used to take hours. Now the system pulls everything together automatically — it’s saved huge amounts of time and pressure.”
2. No more duplicated effort
Xapien gave Reading visibility across departments that simply didn’t exist before. Teams can see what their colleagues have already checked, standardising the process and cutting out repeated work.
“We can see what Global Partnerships or Development have checked. It stops everyone doing the same due diligence separately.”
3. Risks surface faster
Structured reports mean risks are visible immediately, feeding directly into governance and board decisions.
“We flagged a visiting academic linked to state intelligence. Previously that could have taken days to uncover. Instead, we identified it immediately and could act.”
4. Deeper risk intelligence, institution-wide
Xapien is now where Reading’s risk intelligence lives. It builds a shared picture of due diligence that grows more useful over time. The platform also changed how practitioners think about their work. Rather than rushing to a yes or no conclusion, teams use the report to understand the context behind a risk and what questions to ask a third party next.
“Due diligence isn’t about yes or no, it’s about understanding risk and the University’s appetite for that risk. This makes decision-making much faster and clearer and helps prepare mitigations where needed.”
The bigger picture: A shared due diligence hub for universities
Reading sees Xapien as delivering something many universities have long wanted: a centralised, collaborative approach to due diligence.
“For many years there has been talk of a central hub for due diligence across universities, but it never materialised. Xapien effectively delivers that: a shared system with shared intelligence. It can make everyone’s life easier through quicker reports, clearer answers, less pressure, and better decisions.”
