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Asked By :  Brett Whiteley
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Case Study – WORLDUCATION Worlducation is a social startup tha

Case Study – WORLDUCATION

Worlducation is a social startup that manufactures tablet computers for primary school students. They not only focus on the hardware, but they also have a competitive team creating software, content and activities to better engage and educate the students. 

Worlducation aims to change the way children learn at school by implementing artificial intelligence technology that can follow up on each child’s progress and adjust to their needs as they learn, creating the optimal path learning experience.

So far, Worlducation only sells their tablet computers business to business (B2B) as they realised that their content and hardware proved most effective when a whole classroom was using it, and a teacher was coordinating the activities. Also, this helped the sales team focus on larger sales, and minimised the potential number of problems that could arise from individual customers. However, the long-term plan is to also tackle a business to consumer strategy (B2C). 

What makes Worlducation completely different from their competition is that they envision a world in which every child learns how to read and write – a world without illiteracy. Given this vision, for every classroom that buys their products, they donate and train a classroom somewhere around the world that can’t afford the same technology. Furthermore, they connect the two classrooms (those who bought the products and services and those who received the donation) so that they can grow together and collaborate throughout their learning cycle. 

Worlducation was founded in 2016, and by the end of 2019 they had sold over 35,000 tablets to over 550 schools in 23 countries, generating revenue in hardware sales and software subscriptions. 

Worlducation headquarters are in Sydney’s CBD but they have a development team in Bulgaria, a manufacturing team in Hong Kong, and operation and sales/marketing staff in Colombia, Egypt, Iceland, Russia and the Philippines.

Worlducation has a complex supply chain that begins when a sale is made usually via a sales representative or through and online enquiry that is handled by the sales team. Sales are recorded in an internal Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP System) which notifies the operations team that an order needs to be delivered. The operations team verify the sales order and authorise the delivery of a manufacturing request to the factory in Hong Kong. Manufacturing team in Hong Kong notes the order specifications and delivery details and incorporates this within its production schedule. The order is manufactured and the operations team arrange freight and shipping directly to the customer.

Worlducation started 2020 with a huge sale to a school in Portugal. Although it was a great start, the context for the rest of the quarter was highly uncertain due to COVID-19. Surprisingly the pandemic brought hundreds of new leads and that led to an unprecedented growth that brought alongside dozens of operation and production problems.

The factory in Hong Kong closed down for 1 month due to government restrictions limiting supply, the sales team was overwhelmed with sale meetings over ZOOM, the tech-support team had to re-adapt the software to remote learning for many of the schools, and the founders had to start thinking on how education was going to change after this worldwide event. 

Since COVID-19 and the closure of the factory due to government restrictions, of the 2000 tablets due to be shipped by April, only 500 were completed on schedule. Furthermore, the rising tension between mainland China and Hong Kong has added to the uncertainty.

In 2019, Worlducation generated a revenue of $35 million, a net profit of $7 million and net cashflow of $4 million. They budgeted revenue of $45 million for 2020, net profit of $9 million and net cashflow of $5 million. However, following the unprecedented growth in demand and disruptions to the supply chain, management now projects 2020 revenue will amount to $55 million, net profit of $5 million and net cashflow of negative $3 million. The decrease in profit was a result of the disruption to the manufacturing process and the associated solutions implemented by Management.

The projected growth in revenue is expected to require a significant investment in working capital (both inventory and debtors) and this combined with an expected decline in profit margin is projected to result in significant cash flow pressure in the latter half of 2020. Management is considering its options to fund this investment.

In the past, senior executives met to brainstorm and provide cost estimates for future business models. Options included establishing a second manufacturing facility (estimated cost $5 million), outsourcing manufacturing to a third party (lost margin of $200 per unit sold or $2 million per year assuming 10 000 units are sold), developing a cloud based solution where customers can access the software remotely on their own devices (estimated cost of $2 million), purchasing off the shelf tablets (lost margin of $300 per unit sold or $3 million per year) or repurposing used tablets ($100 per unit sold or $1 million).

Information relevant to this assessment:

At a recent board meeting, the Board of Directors approved the development of a cloud-based solution where customers can access the software remotely on their own devices. This decision aims to address the cashflow and current manufacturing limitations.

 

Develop communication protocols

Consider the identified information needs and organisational goals to develop at least two communication protocols.

Adapt the protocols (e.g. by using a different colour or font) to address at least two different contexts (e.g. deaf employees).

Attach your protocol (including adaptations) to this section of the portfolio.




Answers :

0

Communication Protocols for Worlducation

Protocol 1: Internal Communication Regarding New Cloud-Based Solution Development

Objective: Efficiently communicate the development and implementation process of the new cloud-based solution within the organization to ensure that all departments are aligned and informed.

Steps:

  1. Initial Announcement:

    • Medium: Email, Company Intranet Post
    • Content:
      • Subject: "Announcement: Development of Cloud-Based Learning Solution"
      • Body:
        • Inform all employees about the new decision by the Board of Directors.
        • Outline the objective and benefits of the new solution, emphasizing the expected improvements in cash flow and manufacturing limitations.
  2. Weekly Progress Updates:

    • Medium: Email, Weekly Team Meetings
    • Content:
      • Summarize progress made each week regarding the cloud-based solution development.
      • Highlight key milestones achieved and any significant issues or decisions made.
  3. Monthly All-Hands Meeting:

    • Medium: Video Conference (e.g., Zoom), with Live Captioning and ASL Interpreter
    • Content:
      • Detailed presentation on the progress, including timelines, upcoming milestones, and any adjustments to the plan.
      • Q&A session to address concerns and gather feedback from employees.
    • Adaptations:
      • Use different colors or bold fonts for main points in the presentation slides for clarity.
      • Provide a transcript of the meeting for deaf employees and those who prefer reading over listening.
  4. Department-Specific Briefings

    • Medium: Email and Departmental Meetings
    • Content:
      • Tailor the communication to address how the cloud-based solution specifically impacts each department (e.g., Sales, Tech Support, Operations).
    • Adaptations:
      • Use visual aids such as charts and graphs to convey complex information where necessary.

Protocol 2: External Communication with Stakeholders on Cloud-Based Solution Implementation

Objective: Ensure clear and consistent communication with external stakeholders (customers, investors, partners) regarding the new cloud-based solution to maintain trust and manage expectations.

Steps:

  1. Initial Stakeholder Announcement:

    • Medium: Email Newsletter, Press Release, Website Update
    • Content:
      • Inform customers, investors, and partners about the new cloud-based solution's development.
      • Explain the reasons behind the decision and expected benefits for users.
    • Adaptations:
      • Use bold fonts for headings and key points.
      • Include a video message from the CEO with subtitles for better accessibility.
  2. Regular Progress Updates:

    • Medium: Monthly Email Newsletter, Website Blog Posts
    • Content:
      • Provide progress reports on the development of the cloud-based solution.
      • Share success stories or case studies from pilot implementations (if available).
    • Adaptations:
      • Use color-coded sections to highlight different updates (e.g., technical progress, user feedback).
  3. Webinars and Demonstrations:

    • Medium: Webinars (e.g., Zoom) with Live Captioning and Subtitles
    • Content:
      • Showcase live demonstrations of the cloud-based solution.
      • Offer Q&A sessions to address any concerns or questions from stakeholders.
    • Adaptations:
      • Provide recorded versions of the webinars with subtitles for anyone who could not attend.
  4. Customer Support Protocols:

    • Medium: Customer Support Email, Hotline, Chat Support
    • Content:
      • Detailed FAQs and support documentation on the new solution.
      • Training sessions for customer support teams to handle queries effectively.
    • Adaptations:
      • Ensure support documentation is available in multiple formats (e.g., text, video) for accessibility.

Adaptations for Different Contexts

  1. Deaf Employees:

    • Adaptations: Ensure all video communications and live meetings provide ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters or live captioning. Supply written transcripts of meetings and important announcements.
  2. Color Vision Deficiency:

    • Adaptations: Use high-contrast color schemes in presentations and documents to accommodate employees with color vision deficiency. Avoid using color alone to convey information; instead, use patterns, labels, or additional text.

By implementing these communication protocols, Worlducation can effectively manage internal and external communications, aligning organizational efforts towards the successful deployment of the new cloud-based learning solution.


Answered By

Troy Davis

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