Higher Education Expertise

Today, leadership in higher education institutions has to face critical issues in the following areas while remaining true to their institution’s mission:

• Controlling rising costs in the face of declining endowment values, funding and financial aid
• Developing better cross-organizational processes, sharing information and leveraging technology to support better services to students, faculty and administration
• Competing against other institutions to recruit and retain students
• Managing multi-dimensional relationships with alumni, business and other constituents.                    

• Strategic Planning
• Advancement Strategy and Process Improvement
• Financial and Student Services Process improvement
• Cost Reduction through Process improvement
• Software Requirements Definition, Selection and Implementation Project Management.

Listed below are a few examples:

• Large Public University - Urbana, IL - TSI played a key role on this critical project to develop an Advancement Strategy emphasizing the best use of People, Process and Technology across its four campuses. This project identified important process and policy changes within and across the Alumni Association, Foundation and each college and department. Technology recommendations were also defined in detail and special emphasis was placed on determining how to leverage the current investment in technology and take advantage of leading technologies.


• Mid-sized urban Public University - Central Coast, CA - TSI led a rapid assessment of an administrative services unit’s key processes to identify opportunities to increase the unit’s efficiency and effectiveness. Adapting its 6 Step Process Improvement methodology, TSI uncovered issues in process, technology and policy compliance that had caused high service effort and cost levels. TSI recommended a phased approach to achieving a 22% cost reduction through process improvement, organizational streamlining and technology changes.  TSI also proposed a strategic revision of the unit’s revenue model regarding pricing and commercial operations expansion to optimize its infrastructure and dilute fixed costs.


• Mid-sized urban Public University - Chicago, IL - TSI led the effort to define improved student management and financial processes. TSI then assisted in the requirements definition and facilitated the subsequent software evaluation and selection. During the implementation phase, TSI was called into perform a series of project audit and team coaching sessions to assist in maintaining progress.


• Rapidly-growing, Study Abroad Organization - Chicago, IL - As this organization grew from $10M to almost $100M in revenue, it needed a complete overhaul of its technology and processes. TSI led a process improvement and technology re-engineering effort that mapped, analyzed and improved all key student and accounting processes. Thereafter, TSI led the effort to evaluate and select improved information systems covering student services, financials and reporting. The client also retained TSI to act as the PMO for the implementation of the systems, new processes and to lead change management initiatives.


• UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates - For the College of Business and Economics TSI led the Strategic Planning Process to define a Vision, Mission and Values that leveraged the current dynamic market conditions and direction of the University as the basis of its development. TSI created College and Department-level Vision, Mission and Key Goals while aligning the Vision and Mission at the CBE and Department levels.


• Large Public University, DeKalb, IL - TSI assisted in strategic planning for the College of Business focusing on the Operations Management and Information Systems Department. 


• Various U.S. Universities - Executive Education: Process Mapping and Improvement - TSI has provided hands on training for process mapping and improvement to business analysts and executives via Executive Education Programs at: Drexel University, Michigan State University, George Mason University, Pepperdine University, Baldwin Wallace College, San Diego State University, University of California - Berkeley, and University of Florida - Gainesville.

Click here for a pdf describing our Advancement Strategy.

Click here for a pdf describing our Higher Education Cost Reduction Through Process Improvement Services.

Click here for a pdf describing our expertise in Higher Education and Strategic Decision Support.

Click here for the link to our Software Evaluation service offering.