Challenges

We are a business which offers training to graduate and undergraduate students for employment. We  cater to IT, BFSI, Skills and management verticals. Like any other training business, we handle end to end  process from lead management to admissions to academics, appraisal to certification. In our  organization, each business vertical has different systems to handle their target audience. These  verticals were existing as a separate identity.  But over the period of time, the verticals got merged  under one unit. When vertical got merged, their system was still existing as a separate unit, which was  left to be used by the same set of employees.   Each employee opens all systems and passes the entries  for their respective vertical. Not only this all these systems were designed with more internal control,  leaving less space for flexibility for the external user. Hence each cashier has to login into each system to  handle their target audience accounting.

Selection

I chose Visualization tool   as it helps capture current problem with help of various stakeholders as well  as helps find answers to the problem to build future solutions. .  I could explain the current challenge in  much better way thru data visualization , infographics etc. This tool helped us achieve a common  understanding of the issue by studying the pattern of all processes across each vertical. Each vertical had  same steps [from admission to certification] with its own uniqueness. Hence, Brainstorming also became  a supporting tool to figure out the solution of creating single system. This tool helped me define the  scope of the project, identify key elements and its relationship and assemble common processes.

Reference : Visualization , Brainstorming

Application

Teams were divided into groups of 3. Each group had finance person, sales and marketing, and delivery  and operation team. Each group was asked to note down the points on sticky notes for each vertical. For  each process, the relation business rules and norms were also put along with the flow of activities  involved.  After writing down all their points, groups brought back sticky notes and arrange it under their  respective verticals. Then users were asked to club common process across each vertical together.  For  example, admission process across all verticals had some commonality and some uniqueness. The  unique process will become the business logic for a new system automation. Same goes for accounting  and revenue model and student management system. Some feature will become outliers which will be  appended modules.

Insight

Through this mode of visualizing the complete process across verticals, we could get an insight of  handling flexibility and simplicity of student management system. Students wanted more flexibility in  their learning process as well as more transparency.  It also helped to at process reengineering and  process simplification. The new system design became nimble and the project was welcomed by all as it  reduces work pressure and bring out people productivity. Since the earlier model was internally  controlled hence more manpower was required for analyzing, designing, coding, handling queries and

updating system. This led to a loss of productive hours in maintaining systems and guiding and training  internal teams on various processes.  This helped system and business team to connect with students  and customers to understand how they want the system to leverage learning and simplify internal  team’s life. This helped the organization to increase people productivity, satisfied customer, thereby  would lead to less manpower and more profits.

Approach

Instead of money getting collected by cashiers, online payment systems were brought in. Instead of  team busy in doing logistic work, maintaining compliance and linked this task to revenue building, a  handle can be given to franchisee and customer to finish the related transaction.  Attendance marking  can be given to the student, instead of faculty marking the same. Like COURSERA, when the onus of  completion of the session is with the student and that is equivalent to attendance been marked. We can  simplify admission process thru common admission process across verticals and application will be filled  by student rather than staff, thereby bringing the responsibility back to student, which will ensure know  your customer [KYC] correctness and compliance.

Visualization helps solve complex problems. Next time the same tool can be used to solve any process  by incorporating the feedback which can act as a reference tool. This approach will bring together all  functions to come to common understanding. Policies will be reassessed and re-evaluated to simplify  customer processes.

This tool not only helped me view all the processes across verticals but also gave me insight of customer  requirement. Since I am working in the organization which has distributed environment hence engaging  customer thru alerts, messages and various communication on upcoming services and defaulted  services becomes critical. our organization is now moving to digital transformation and I see usage of  visual thinking as a tool in all aspects in building lean system and processes. During this journey of  recreation, I will use storytelling to share best practices, where ever required.

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