Project Description
The Open University in Israel enables students to study for a B.A degree using a flexible structure. Applicants joining the Open University are not required to enroll in a faculty or department, but rather in specific courses based upon their diligence and determination as well as the amount of time available to them.
The various study programs are conducted by the students using a wide range of academic tools such books, study guides and on-line lectures which are devised, written and published by two internal units-The academic development unit and its publishing unit.
In the last few years, the production rate of these tools has decreased due to several reasons: the inability of the writers to submit their manuscripts on time, lack of internal efficiency as well as productivity derived from insufficient I.T systems, lack of sufficient work procedures, an inefficient organizational structure leading to an increase in costs.
Thus the management of the Open University turned to DS Consulting to conduct an economic, organizational and technological consulting project in order to evaluate and recommend a wide range of recommendations which will enable to increase productivity, enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
The project was conducted over a period of 5.5 months during which in-depth interviews were conducted with all the managers of the various department within these units, with members of the senior executive management of the Open University and executive managers of other publishing houses for the sake of bench marking.
The project also included analyses of financial data, production output data and an evaluation of the capabilities of the I.T systems currently used.
Upon the completion of the project a wide range of conclusions and recommendations were submitted to the senior management of the Open University including the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Director General and the Dean of Development and Educational Technology.
