Achieving Achieving Customer (Learner) Customer (Learner) AlignmentAlignment

Dick LeeDick Lee

Principal, High-Yield MethodsPrincipal, High-Yield Methods

From this…From this…

To thisTo this

Creating alignmentCreating alignment

StrategyCustomer Process Technology

What work must be accomplished

How work must be accomplished

Examples of operating Examples of operating out of alignmentout of alignment

The damage doneThe damage done

Poor customer Poor customer experienceexperienceReduced customer appealReduced customer appealLess repeat businessLess repeat businessCustomer churnCustomer churn

Excess operating Excess operating expenseexpenseInefficient workInefficient workRedundant workRedundant workEmployee churnEmployee churn

Specific to continuing Specific to continuing educationeducation

One-to-many buyer-One-to-many buyer-seller relationshipsseller relationships

Offerings miss the Offerings miss the markmark

Students have to Students have to deal with deal with bureaucracybureaucracy

Nefarious islands of Nefarious islands of informationinformation

Learner experience Learner experience less than it could beless than it could be

We should be highly We should be highly motivated to properly motivated to properly align with our align with our customerscustomers

But that’s hard in the not-But that’s hard in the not-for-profit sectorfor-profit sector

Profit motive missingProfit motive missing Less urgency than in private sectorLess urgency than in private sector Less accountability as wellLess accountability as well Personal fulfillment often prime Personal fulfillment often prime

motivatormotivator Which leads to focus on parochial Which leads to focus on parochial

interestsinterests Which is the death knell for alignmentWhich is the death knell for alignment

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

Emotion versus Emotion versus alignmentalignment

Loving up Loving up customerscustomers

Aligning with Aligning with customerscustomers

Customer is always king

Looking 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 happy

To build mutual respect

So staff will be happy And both sides will benefit

So how do we align So how do we align with customers?with customers?

Three stages of Three stages of “customer alignment”“customer alignment”

I.I. Aligning strategies with Aligning strategies with customer interestscustomer interests

II.II. Aligning business process Aligning business process with customer strategieswith customer strategies

III.III. Aligning enabling Aligning enabling technology with processtechnology with process

I.I. Aligning strategy Aligning strategy with customerswith customers

Bring the customer into the loopBring the customer into the loopResearch (which may be informal)Research (which may be informal)Post-event surveysPost-event surveysLine staff inputLine staff input

Customer-centric planningCustomer-centric planningPlan from the customer perspectivesPlan from the customer perspectivesCreate new customer valueCreate new customer valueThat provides value back to the collegeThat provides value back to the college

Classic examples of Classic examples of customer-strategy customer-strategy misalignmentmisalignment

We have this course. How We have this course. How are we going to sell it?are we going to sell it?

But the instructor wants But the instructor wants to do it his/her wayto do it his/her way

Customers want 1-call Customers want 1-call answers, but each unit answers, but each unit keeps its own datakeeps its own data

Unit A won’t share Unit A won’t share customer namescustomer names

Unit B won’t let anyone Unit B won’t let anyone else talk to its customerselse talk to its customers

II.II. Aligning process Aligning process with strategywith strategy

Freud’s definition of insanity:

Doing the same thing over and Doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a over again but expecting a

different outcomedifferent outcome

Process/strategy Process/strategy misalignmentmisalignment

I want to be nicer, but I have I want to be nicer, but I have to maintain my calls/hourto maintain my calls/hour

We don’t capture learner We don’t capture learner interests, so we can’t interests, so we can’t segment our customerssegment our customers

It takes a week to fulfill It takes a week to fulfill requests because we’re too requests because we’re too busybusy

We’re going to do things our We’re going to do things our way because it works for usway because it works for us

Key conceptKey concept

Workflow = how work Workflow = how work moves: moves: From person to personFrom person to personFunction to functionFunction to functionInternal to external & Internal to external &

backback Information flow = Information flow =

how information how information movesmoves

Individual work Individual work process is a process is a dependent variabledependent variable

How to design well-How to design well-aligned, “variable” aligned, “variable” processprocess

1.1. Form a cross-functional, management/ Form a cross-functional, management/ supervisor process team (with staff supervisor process team (with staff involvement)involvement)

2.2. Start by evaluating “as-is” information Start by evaluating “as-is” information flow (workflow)flow (workflow)

3.3. Redesign workflow/information flow to Redesign workflow/information flow to support strategies (streamlining is support strategies (streamlining is priority #2)priority #2)

4.4. Re-engineer individual work process lastRe-engineer individual work process last

III.III. Aligning technology Aligning technology with processwith process

Technology enables process. Technology enables process.

It does It does notnot guide process guide process

Technology/process Technology/process misalignmentmisalignment

One data element from system A, one One data element from system A, one from system B, one from system C…from system B, one from system C…

Call center has to re-key learner Call center has to re-key learner information for registrationinformation for registration

Managers need frequent reports, have Managers need frequent reports, have to ask IT to run each timeto ask IT to run each time

Paper forms, paper notes, paper Paper forms, paper notes, paper anythinganything

How to align technology How to align technology with process (without with process (without having a “propeller”)having a “propeller”)1.1. Keep the roles straight (business leads)Keep the roles straight (business leads)

2.2. Identify information flow needsIdentify information flow needs

3.3. Identify automation needsIdentify automation needs

4.4. Develop “systems architecture map”Develop “systems architecture map”

5.5. Determine whether you can purchase Determine whether you can purchase new software or need to work with new software or need to work with existingexisting

That’s how we get That’s how we get herehere

What’s in it for a CE What’s in it for a CE program?program? RelevanceRelevance GrowthGrowth Recognition by communities servedRecognition by communities served Internal recognitionInternal recognition Highly motivated workforceHighly motivated workforce EfficiencyEfficiency FundingFunding

A few cautionary A few cautionary notes:notes:

Maintain the sequenceMaintain the sequence Think “customer”Think “customer” Treat your unit as a Treat your unit as a

businessbusiness Be flexibleBe flexible Give employees input Give employees input

into changeinto change Train & supportTrain & support Measure outcomesMeasure outcomes

Q&AQ&A

Thank you!Thank you!

Dick LeeDick LeeHigh-Yield MethodsHigh-Yield Methods

651-483-2067 - dlee@h-ym.com651-483-2067 - dlee@h-ym.comwww.h-ym.comwww.h-ym.com

(free downloads of Hyper-Planning & Visual (free downloads of Hyper-Planning & Visual Workflow white papersWorkflow white papers