A Value-Stream Mapping Success Story: MBA Recruiting Process Improvements

Abstract

Purpose: The benefits of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) in higher education are highlighted through this case study which demonstrates that by using the practices of VSM, the graduate recruiting process can be successfully improved by engaging faculty and staff in change events and with rigorous follow up.Design/Methodology/Approach: A University of North Alabama (UNA) cross-functional team built a sustainable MBA recruiting process, which resulted in improved enrollment metrics such as an average 70% enrollment increase. This case study details the MBA enrollment before and after the cross-functional team implemented VSM tools focused on improving prospective student engagement. UNA engaged in a multi-day planning and subsequent implementation process that included regular meetings to assess results.Findings: VSM led to a student-centered process that meets adult learner online student needs within a traditional on-campus system. The team learned that consistent emphasis on the "future state" is more motivational to them than placing blame for the "current state." In addition, the team learned that they could not predict what they will find in the current process, as it had never been managed as one system. The analysis shows the changes over time in prospect to enrolled student yield rates for all stages, actions taken that improved results and the incorporation of continuous improvement thinking. This study demonstrates that universities can implement changes that positively affect student recruitment satisfaction and enrollment results.Practical Implications: Recruiting graduate students in an era of declining demographics and transformational learning processes is putting many universities' MBA enrollment in jeopardy.Originality/Value: This case study demonstrates the challenges universities face in changing old silo processes into fully interactive processes targeted to student-centered results using collaborative techniques. It also demonstrates and reinforces the idea that VSM is extremely applicable to and useful for institutions of higher learning.

STEAM‐ME: A Novel Model for Successful Kaizen Implementation and Sustainable Performance of SMEs in Vietnam

“…Specifically, areas for improvement must be firstly identified (planning phase) before corrective actions are taken (doing phase). In the doing phase, also called the Kaizen implementation, several techniques such as 5 Whys [56] and Value Stream Mapping (VSM) [57][58][59] can be used to fully capture the root causes of the problems, for example, the quality level, scrap/rework rate, layout performance, and amount of certain resources used in each stage of the process. From the identified causes, proper improvement solutions should be considered and accordingly implemented.…”