Case Study
PROCESS IMPROVEMENT FOCUS
Marketing Communications
& Creative Services Dept
The Need
West Coast University's marketing department faced a daunting challenge when it came to managing a substantial volume of new on ongoing CRM journeys aimed at new and current students across its six nationwide campuses. The first problem that plagued the department was the slow turnaround time in creating these journeys, stretching from intake to delivery. This prolonged timeframe led to widespread frustration among both team members and internal clients. Furthermore, the process was marred by incessant errors and last-minute changes by internal clients, making it an arduous task to ensure a seamless and error-free, on-time delivery experience for the DevOps team. The lack of cooperation and synergy within the department only compounded these difficulties, creating a challenging work environment.
The Action
To tackle these issues head-on, a process-improvement initiative was undertaken resulting in a comprehensive plan of action. Beginning with stakeholder interviews and leveraging a blend of waterfall and agile methodologies, I embarked on a journey to revamp the entire process, from intake to delivery. The process was meticulously mapped, analyzed, improved, and implemented. Change management techniques were employed to ensure a smooth transition for all stakeholders, including the CRM department, creative operations, internal clients, and the DevOps team. The real-time tracking of improvements allowed for continuous adjustments, and team members were provided with tailored training to facilitate the transition. The process map was continuously updated to reflect the latest changes and optimizations.
The Results
The results of these strategic improvements were significant and affected all process stakeholders. By transitioning from custom-designed emails to standardized templates and ensuring that requestors submitted complete, finalized copy, images, and links during the intake phase, the marketing department achieved a remarkable reduction in the average turnaround time, slashing it from a cumbersome 22 business days to a much more agile 12 days. This significant improvement empowered team members and instilled a sense of organization and efficiency within the department. Notably, CRM journeys were now consistently being delivered on schedule and error-free, leading to enhanced cooperation between departments, heightened employee and client satisfaction, and a more streamlined and successful process overall. West Coast University's marketing department had successfully transformed a challenging situation into a triumph of efficiency and collaboration.
TESTIMONIAL
"Chris was a wonderful addition to our team at West Coast University and American Career College in process alignment. He came into a very fast-moving department as a contractor role and jumped right in and took charge of many various projects and associated tasks. He is very detailed oriented and efficient."
Deirdre Edwards, Creative Director
West Coast University
