Flevy Management Insights Case Study
Strategic Growth Plan for Mid-Size Education Service in STEM Learning
     Joseph Robinson    |    Hoshin Planning


Fortune 500 companies typically bring on global consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, and Accenture, or boutique consulting firms specializing in Hoshin Planning to thoroughly analyze their unique business challenges and competitive situations. These firms provide strategic recommendations based on consulting frameworks, subject matter expertise, benchmark data, KPIs, best practices, and other tools developed from past client work. We followed this management consulting approach for this case study.

TLDR A mid-size STEM education organization experienced a 20% drop in enrollment and rising costs amid increased competition. By implementing Digital Transformation and lean management, it boosted enrollment by 15% and cut costs by 20%, underscoring the need to align offerings with market trends and tech advancements.

Reading time: 10 minutes

Consider this scenario: A mid-size organization specializing in STEM education services is currently facing strategic challenges that necessitate a comprehensive hoshin planning approach.

The company is experiencing a 20% decline in student enrollment rates due to increased competition from online platforms offering similar STEM learning opportunities, and a 15% increase in operational costs which impacts its profitability margins. Additionally, there is a noticeable shift in market demand towards more integrated, technology-driven learning experiences, which the organization is struggling to meet with its current offerings. The primary strategic objective of the organization is to differentiate its STEM education services, streamline operational costs, and capture a larger market share by integrating innovative educational technologies and methodologies.



This organization, a provider of STEM education services, is encountering stagnation in growth primarily due to its slow adoption of digital education technologies and a curriculum that has not evolved rapidly enough to meet changing market demands. Further analysis points towards operational inefficiencies and a disconnect between the services offered and the emerging needs of its target demographic as key issues affecting its competitive stance and market share.

Environmental Assessment

The education and health services industry, particularly in the STEM education sector, is undergoing significant transformation driven by technological advancements and changing societal expectations towards education.

Understanding the competitive landscape involves analyzing the primary forces shaping the industry:

  • Internal Rivalry: High, as traditional and online education platforms increasingly vie for the same student demographics.
  • Supplier Power: Moderate, with a growing number of technology and content providers offering competitive rates.
  • Buyer Power: High, due to the availability of numerous alternative learning platforms and resources.
  • Threat of New Entrants: High, especially from tech companies venturing into the education sector with innovative learning solutions.
  • Threat of Substitutes: High, with free online courses and resources posing a significant challenge.

Emergent trends include a shift towards personalized and technology-driven learning experiences, and an increasing emphasis on developing future-ready skills.

  • Integration of AI and machine learning technologies into curricula presents an opportunity to offer personalized learning experiences but requires substantial investment in technology and training.
  • The growing importance of data literacy skills opens up avenues for new course development, albeit with the challenge of keeping content up-to-date with industry standards.
  • Expanding into online education can significantly increase reach and scalability, though it intensifies competition and puts pressure on pricing strategies.

For a deeper analysis, take a look at these Environmental Assessment best practices:

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Internal Assessment

The organization possesses deep expertise in delivering high-quality STEM education but faces challenges in operational efficiency and technology integration.

A MOST Analysis reveals a misalignment between the organization's mission and its strategies to adapt to digital transformation, resulting in missed opportunities for growth.

An RBV Analysis shows that while the organization has strong educational content, it lacks the technological infrastructure and capabilities to effectively compete in a digitally evolving market.

A Core Competencies Analysis highlights the organization's reputation and expertise in STEM education as key strengths. However, it needs to develop competencies in digital education delivery and curriculum innovation to maintain its competitive edge.

Strategic Initiatives

  • Digital Transformation of Educational Offerings: This initiative focuses on integrating cutting-edge technologies into the curriculum and teaching methodologies to offer personalized and interactive STEM learning experiences. The intended impact is to enhance the value proposition for students and increase enrollment rates. The source of value creation lies in leveraging technology to differentiate the organization's offerings, expected to result in increased market share and customer loyalty. This will require investment in technology platforms, content development, and faculty training.
  • Operational Efficiency Improvement: By adopting lean management principles and automating administrative processes, the organization aims to reduce operational costs by 20% within the next 2 years. The value creation comes from streamlining operations to allocate more resources towards educational innovation and technology adoption. Resources needed include lean management consultants and investments in automation technologies.
  • Curriculum Innovation through Hoshin Planning: Employing hoshin planning to align strategic goals with operational processes and curriculum development, the organization plans to regularly update its offerings to meet emerging STEM education trends. The expected outcome is a curriculum that remains relevant and attractive to students, thereby improving enrollment numbers and student success rates. This initiative will necessitate a dedicated team for market research and curriculum development, alongside regular training for educators on new content and teaching tools.

Hoshin Planning Implementation KPIs

KPIS are crucial throughout the implementation process. They provide quantifiable checkpoints to validate the alignment of operational activities with our strategic goals, ensuring that execution is not just activity-driven, but results-oriented. Further, these KPIs act as early indicators of progress or deviation, enabling agile decision-making and course correction if needed.


That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.
     – Pearson's Law

  • Enrollment Rate Increase: Tracking the year-over-year growth in student enrollment to measure the attractiveness and relevance of the new digital curriculum.
  • Operational Cost Reduction Percentage: Monitoring the effectiveness of lean management practices and automation in reducing operational expenses.
  • Student Satisfaction Scores: Utilizing surveys to gauge student engagement and satisfaction with the revamped STEM education programs.

These KPIs provide insights into the efficacy of strategic initiatives in enhancing the organization's competitive position, operational efficiency, and market attractiveness. Monitoring these metrics closely will enable timely adjustments to strategy execution, ensuring alignment with overall organizational goals.

For more KPIs, take a look at the Flevy KPI Library, one of the most comprehensive databases of KPIs available. Having a centralized library of KPIs saves you significant time and effort in researching and developing metrics, allowing you to focus more on analysis, implementation of strategies, and other more value-added activities.

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Hoshin Planning Best Practices

To improve the effectiveness of implementation, we can leverage best practice documents in Hoshin Planning. These resources below were developed by management consulting firms and Hoshin Planning subject matter experts.

Hoshin Planning Deliverables

These are a selection of deliverables across all the strategic initiatives.

  • Digital Education Transformation Plan (PPT)
  • Operational Efficiency Roadmap (PPT)
  • Curriculum Innovation Framework (PPT)
  • Technology Integration Financial Model (Excel)

Explore more Hoshin Planning deliverables

Digital Transformation of Educational Offerings

The implementation team utilized the Diffusion of Innovations Theory alongside the Value Proposition Canvas to guide the digital transformation of educational offerings. The Diffusion of Innovations Theory, developed by Everett Rogers, was instrumental in understanding how new ideas and technologies spread within communities. This framework was particularly relevant as it helped the organization strategize on the adoption of digital technologies in its curriculum. The team executed the framework as follows:

  • Identified early adopters among the faculty and student body who could champion the adoption of digital tools and platforms.
  • Analyzed the characteristics of digital innovations that could influence their adoption rate, focusing on relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability.
  • Developed targeted communication strategies to highlight the benefits and ease of use of new digital learning tools to both educators and students.

The Value Proposition Canvas was used to align the digital offerings with the specific needs and jobs of the students. This framework ensured that the digital transformation efforts were customer-focused and driven by value. The team implemented this framework by:

  • Mapping out student profiles to understand their goals, pains, and gains in relation to STEM education.
  • Identifying how digital offerings could alleviate student pains and create gains, thereby enhancing the overall learning experience.
  • Adjusting digital content and platforms to better meet the identified needs and expectations of students.

The combination of the Diffusion of Innovations Theory and the Value Proposition Canvas led to a successful digital transformation initiative. The organization saw an increase in student enrollment and engagement, as the new digital offerings were not only adopted more readily but were also perceived as highly valuable by the student body. The strategic focus on both the spread of innovation and the delivery of value directly contributed to the initiative's positive outcomes.

Operational Efficiency Improvement

To enhance operational efficiency, the organization adopted the Theory of Constraints (TOC) and the Process Re-engineering framework. The Theory of Constraints, introduced by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, focuses on identifying the most significant limiting factor (constraint) that stands in the way of achieving a goal and then systematically improving that constraint until it is no longer the limiting factor. In the context of operational efficiency, TOC was applied as follows:

  • Conducted a thorough analysis of the organization's operations to identify the bottlenecks that were contributing to inefficiencies and high costs.
  • Implemented changes to processes and workflows to address the identified constraints, such as automating manual administrative tasks and streamlining communication channels.
  • Monitored the impact of these changes on operational efficiency, making further adjustments as necessary to ensure continuous improvement.

Process Re-engineering was utilized to fundamentally rethink and radically redesign organizational processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical measures of performance such as cost, service, and speed. The team approached this framework by:

  • Identifying key processes that were outdated or inefficient and mapping out their workflows in detail.
  • Engaging stakeholders from various departments to brainstorm innovative ways to redesign these processes for greater efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Implementing the redesigned processes and closely monitoring their impact on operational performance.

The application of the Theory of Constraints and Process Re-engineering significantly improved the organization's operational efficiency. The strategic initiative resulted in a 20% reduction in operational costs, as well as improvements in service delivery speed and quality. These changes enabled the organization to allocate more resources towards its core mission of providing high-quality STEM education.

Curriculum Innovation through Hoshin Planning

For the curriculum innovation initiative, the organization leveraged Hoshin Kanri and the Kano Model to ensure alignment of strategic objectives with operational processes and to enhance customer satisfaction. Hoshin Kanri, a strategic planning process, was pivotal in translating the organization's vision for curriculum innovation into actionable and measurable objectives. The process was implemented as follows:

  • Developed a comprehensive vision for the updated curriculum that aligned with emerging trends in STEM education and market demands.
  • Set specific, measurable goals for curriculum development and innovation, with clear timelines and responsibilities.
  • Established a system for regular review and adjustment of the strategic plan to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness.

The Kano Model, which categorizes customer preferences into must-be, one-dimensional, and delighter features, was used to prioritize curriculum innovations. By applying this model, the team was able to:

  • Identify the basic, performance, and excitement factors in the STEM curriculum from the perspective of students and educators.
  • Focus curriculum development efforts on features that would not only meet but exceed the expectations of students, thereby increasing engagement and satisfaction.
  • Continuously gather feedback from students and educators to refine and enhance the curriculum over time.

The strategic application of Hoshin Kanri and the Kano Model led to a curriculum that was not only aligned with the organization's strategic goals but also highly responsive to the needs and desires of its students. This initiative resulted in a significant increase in student enrollment and satisfaction, demonstrating the effectiveness of these frameworks in driving curriculum innovation and organizational growth.

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Key Findings and Results

Here is a summary of the key results of this case study:

  • Increased student enrollment by 15% year-over-year following the digital transformation of educational offerings.
  • Reduced operational costs by 20% through the adoption of lean management principles and automation technologies.
  • Improved student satisfaction scores by 25% with the introduction of a technology-driven, personalized learning experience.
  • Successfully updated the STEM curriculum to include data literacy and AI, aligning with industry standards and market demands.

The strategic initiatives undertaken by the organization have yielded notable successes, particularly in reversing the decline in student enrollment and significantly reducing operational costs. The 15% increase in enrollment rates is a direct result of the digital transformation initiative, which made the organization's offerings more attractive and relevant to the target demographic. The 20% reduction in operational costs has not only improved the organization's profitability margins but also allowed for reinvestment in educational innovation and technology adoption. However, while student satisfaction scores have improved, the magnitude of increase suggests there is room for further enhancement in the quality and delivery of the educational experience. Additionally, the rapid evolution of technology and market demands means that the curriculum must be continuously updated to remain competitive, posing a challenge in maintaining its relevance over time. Alternative strategies, such as forming strategic partnerships with technology firms or adopting a more agile curriculum development process, could potentially enhance outcomes by ensuring the organization remains at the forefront of educational innovation.

Given the results and the ongoing challenges, the recommended next steps include: deepening the integration of technology in education delivery to further personalize learning experiences; exploring strategic partnerships with tech companies to stay ahead of technological advancements; and adopting an agile approach to curriculum development to ensure rapid responsiveness to changing market demands. Additionally, increasing efforts in marketing and communication about the unique value proposition of the organization's offerings could further boost enrollment rates and market share.


 
Joseph Robinson, New York

Operational Excellence, Management Consulting

The development of this case study was overseen by Joseph Robinson. Joseph is the VP of Strategy at Flevy with expertise in Corporate Strategy and Operational Excellence. Prior to Flevy, Joseph worked at the Boston Consulting Group. He also has an MBA from MIT Sloan.

To cite this article, please use:

Source: Strategic Hoshin Planning for a Semiconductor Firm, Flevy Management Insights, Joseph Robinson, 2024


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