Apollo Education GroupImplementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans
Mariah Bruce
STR/581
June 22, 2015
Aaron Manley
Implementation strategic control and contengency / 1Apollo Education GroupImplementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans
Apollo Education Group has been a leader in for profit higher education in the United States for nearly 40 years and is increasing its global reach. In order for Apollo Education Group to succeed each of its subsidiaries must be able to form a successful marketing strategy and must be able implement their plan effectively. In this highly competitive global environment the overarching goal of every organization is to successfully execute strategies that will lead to growth, prosperity, and survival. In the global economy technology now allows almost everyone instant information and instant connectivity. Information changes so fast those corporate leaders are now increasingly pushing their companies to innovate and to adapt. According to the reading, “Implementation is “where the action is.” It is the arena that most students enter at the start of their business careers. It is the strategic phase in which staying close to the customer, achieving competitive advantage, and pursuing excellence become realities” (Pearce, and Robinson 2011).
Implementation and Objectives
Apollo Education Groups primary objective is to establish the company as the most recognized and respected provider of higher education for non-traditional learners and professionals. In order to maintain its success Apollo Education Group must put into practice an effective implementation plan. A company may have a great product, but if it fails to identify a specific market, or to use a proper marketing plan, it will not be able to successfully reach the consumers. Over the years Apollo Education Group has been successfully able to take a seemingly unattainable goal for full time working professionals to an accessible place successfully. By expertly executing their marketing strategy Apollo Education Group has made offering non-traditional education services to an art form. The firm has been able to convince consumers that its institutions provide more than just education. Apollo Education Group aims to provide a rich experience for ensuring access and career development in a supportive environment. The company has turned this consumer experience in to a profitable business.The most effective way to implement a successful plan is to use short term objectives. It’s impossible to see into the future so it is better to strive for goals that can be measured and achieved.
John Thompson of Symantec Corporation once quoted, “I am a little old-fashioned—I don’t believe you can manage what you can’t measure,” Thompson has said. “The importance of objectives becomes more important as the company grows in size and scale. Objectives also serve as an indication for the ‘team’ about what you are paying attention to. If employees know you are measuring market growth and customer satisfaction, they will pay attention to those considerations and act based on indicators that you, as leader, emphasize within the company. Objectives help teams and focus on what’s important for the company to succeed” (The Key to Success? Go Figure,”BusinessWeek, July 21, 2003.)
Apollo Education Group has a very innovative research and development program for their new program offerings. The company is always looking for new ways to make sure the education and services are relevant to employers and employees. In 2013 the company revamped its former career website and rolled out “Phoenix Career Services.” The Career Services provides value for its customers. The goal of this new Career Services implantation is to improve the student experience and education to careers connection. Since its introduction the Career Services has been very popular with its customers as it provides a better way to enhance customer experience. Apollo Education Group is always looking for new ways to improve their products and services to their customers. If a customer has a problem or a comment they can turn it into their graduation team or submit feedback on the student or company’s website. By doing this the company is able to get customer feedback to all of its new ideas, services and programs.
Apollo Education Group is competing in an industry where marketing principles has to follow the differentiator strategy or they will lose market share. The company goal is to create high value for its customers, or the customers will simply find another place to gain their education. Apollo Education Groups marketing principles are the basis of the company's competitive advantage within the higher education industry. Apollo Education Group products are associated with high quality, and the company dedicates itself to producing high quality products. As long as the company can protect its reputation for high quality and strong values, it will be able to maintain its premium prices.
Functional tactics
According to the reading “Functional tacticsare the key, routine activities that must be undertaken in each functional area—marketing, finance, production/operations, R&D, and human resource management—to provide the business’s products and services. In a sense, functional tactics translate thought (grand strategy) into action designed to accomplish specific short-term objectives. Every value chain activity in a company executes functional tactics that support the business’s strategy and help accomplish strategic objectives.” (Pearce, and Robinson 2011)
Apollo Education Group must maintain its high quality strategy. In areas of employment that company must improve its benefits package so as to improve the moral of its employees. Apollo has been facing heavy competition most recently. They compete with state colleges that are subsidized, private colleges that are attempting to offer more distance education options and colleges like DeVry and ITT Technical. In the beginning Apollo Education Group was able to use its marketing prowess to create a favorable image of creating an adult learning model experience. This marketing strategy was what gave Apollo Education Group its major advantage over its competitors. The company also used this marketing strategy to grow into the largest provider of higher education in the United States.
Action Items
Inmanagement, anaction itemis a documented event, task, activity, oractionthat needs to take place. Action items are discrete units that can be handled by a single person. Action items are very important to Apollo Education Groups Strategy. An action item is a documented task that must take place in order to help a company achieve its short-term goals. Action Items can usually be done by one person. One action Item that has been implemented by Apollo Education Group is the POINT process in which the college representatives are required to follow a specific process to open each call and set up expectations for the student or the potential student on the content of the call.
Another important action items that employees can use is the prioritizing of user experience. Customers do not like waiting for call backs so workers must use the company’s technology and their own training to expedite customer services and to answer each other’s calls during business hours with a “support team” strategy.
Milestones and a deadline
They help keep the company on track it is important to have milestones and deadlines. This helps everyone to have a sense of urgency about what needs to be done. Planning for deadlines must not be too time-consuming. If the planning phase is to long, the company will miss it deadlines.
Risk Management
All companies need to have some form of risk management plan in order to mitigate their potential losses. It must also have a backup plan for its logistics and coffee supply. Another area is the growing healthcare cost for the company. Healthcare now cost more than the beans that the company buys. One way to manage it financing and healthcare cost is to buy back its stocks so that the company can retain a higher share value. This will make its shares more attractive and help to provide needed financing.
Key success factors, budget, and forecasted financials, including a break-even chart
Apollo Education Groups key success factors are what enable’s the company to have sustained for so long in its field. Students know they get the same experience anywhere in the organization.
Apollo faces an expectation of a slow steady increase based upon the forecasts.
Task Ownership and Resource Allocation
Apollo Education Group avoids debt financing and focuses on using cash for its resource allocation. The company has made strong investments. Apollo Education Group must carefully allocate its resources in the light of rising commodity prices.
Conclusion
Apollo Education Group is a company with a bright future. Since the company went back to its roots with a new intensity it is recovering from its decline. The company ranks high in business magazines for its innovation and high quality service. If Apollo Education Group can successfully implement the market strategy outlined in this paper, then it will survive and prosper.References
Pearce, J. A. & Robinson, R. B. (2013). Strategic Management: Planning for Domestic and Global Competition (13thed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Mintzberg, H., Ghoshal, S., Lampel, J., & Quinn, J. B. (2003).The strategy process:Concepts, contexts, cases (4th ed.).Upper Saddle River,NJ: Prentice Hall.
The Key to Success? Go Figure,”BusinessWeek, July 21, 2003.)