Achieving Customer (Learner) Alignment Achieving Customer (Learner) Alignment Dick Lee Principal, High-Yield Methods

From this…

To this

Creating alignment

Examples of operating out of alignment

The damage done Poor customer experience Poor customer experience  Reduced customer appeal  Less repeat business  Customer churn Excess operating expense Excess operating expense  Inefficient work  Redundant work  Employee churn

Specific to continuing education One-to-many buyer- seller relationships One-to-many buyer- seller relationships Offerings miss the mark Offerings miss the mark Students have to deal with bureaucracy Students have to deal with bureaucracy Nefarious islands of information Nefarious islands of information Learner experience less than it could be Learner experience less than it could be

We should be highly motivated to properly align with our customers

But that’s hard in the not-for-profit sector Profit motive missing Profit motive missing Less urgency than in private sector Less urgency than in private sector Less accountability as well Less accountability as well Personal fulfillment often prime motivator Personal fulfillment often prime motivator Which leads to focus on parochial interests Which leads to focus on parochial interests Which is the death knell for alignment Which is the death knell for alignment

And why mess with alignment, when we have so many easier surrogates?

Emotion versus alignment Loving up customers Aligning with customers Customer is always kingLooking for mutuality Let return to the college take care of itself Plan to get value back for value delivered Fulfill even unreasonable requests Don’t be rigid, but don’t get walked over To keep learners happyTo build mutual respect So staff will be happyAnd both sides will benefit

So how do we align with customers?

Three stages of “customer alignment” I. Aligning strategies with customer interests II. Aligning business process with customer strategies III. Aligning enabling technology with process

I. Aligning strategy with customers Bring the customer into the loop Bring the customer into the loop  Research (which may be informal)  Post-event surveys  Line staff input Customer-centric planning Customer-centric planning  Plan from the customer perspectives  Create new customer value  That provides value back to the college

Classic examples of customer-strategy misalignment We have this course. How are we going to sell it? We have this course. How are we going to sell it? But the instructor wants to do it his/her way But the instructor wants to do it his/her way Customers want 1-call answers, but each unit keeps its own data Customers want 1-call answers, but each unit keeps its own data Unit A won’t share customer names Unit A won’t share customer names Unit B won’t let anyone else talk to its customers Unit B won’t let anyone else talk to its customers

II. Aligning process with strategy Freud’s definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different outcome

Process/strategy misalignment I want to be nicer, but I have to maintain my calls/hour I want to be nicer, but I have to maintain my calls/hour We don’t capture learner interests, so we can’t segment our customers We don’t capture learner interests, so we can’t segment our customers It takes a week to fulfill requests because we’re too busy It takes a week to fulfill requests because we’re too busy We’re going to do things our way because it works for us We’re going to do things our way because it works for us

Key concept Workflow = how work moves: Workflow = how work moves:  From person to person  Function to function  Internal to external & back Information flow = how information moves Information flow = how information moves Individual work process is a dependent variable Individual work process is a dependent variable

How to design well-aligned, “variable” process 1.Form a cross-functional, management/ supervisor process team (with staff involvement) 2.Start by evaluating “as-is” information flow (workflow) 3.Redesign workflow/information flow to support strategies (streamlining is priority #2) 4.Re-engineer individual work process last

III. Aligning technology with process Technology enables process. It does not guide process

Technology/process misalignment One data element from system A, one from system B, one from system C… One data element from system A, one from system B, one from system C… Call center has to re-key learner information for registration Call center has to re-key learner information for registration Managers need frequent reports, have to ask IT to run each time Managers need frequent reports, have to ask IT to run each time Paper forms, paper notes, paper anything Paper forms, paper notes, paper anything

How to align technology with process (without having a “propeller”) 1. Keep the roles straight (business leads) 2. Identify information flow needs 3. Identify automation needs 4. Develop “systems architecture map” 5. Determine whether you can purchase new software or need to work with existing

That’s how we get here

What’s in it for a CE program? Relevance Relevance Growth Growth Recognition by communities served Recognition by communities served Internal recognition Internal recognition Highly motivated workforce Highly motivated workforce Efficiency Efficiency Funding Funding

A few cautionary notes: Maintain the sequence Maintain the sequence Think “customer” Think “customer” Treat your unit as a business Treat your unit as a business Be flexible Be flexible Give employees input into change Give employees input into change Train & support Train & support Measure outcomes Measure outcomes

Q&A

Thank you! Dick Lee High-Yield Methods (free downloads of Hyper-Planning & Visual Workflow white papers