PROJECT: Part I (Prepare a Strategic Plan for 2017-2022)

On
NORTH SOUTH UNIVERSITY

Prepared By
Course: MGT 489
Section: 10
Group-4
Aklima Akter Lia
Emdadul Haque
Md. Serajus Salekin
Muammer Mubarak
Md. Mustafa Shakil
Shamir Khaleque

093
101
121
121
131
131

0716
0457
0595
0868
0489
0868

030
030
030
030
030
630

Prepared for
Mr. Mohammad Hannan Miah (MHM)
Department of Management,
School of Business & Economics

Submission Date: 7th November, 2016

1. Recommendations [2017 - 2022]

NSU have distinctive competencies like huge & well equipped Campus, faculty members, brand
image, and US Accreditation, but NSU must have a potential long term plan which co-ordinates
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with its strengths and industry opportunities to maintain its legacy. NSU is in a maturity stage, as
the organization itself though the industry belongs to shakeout stage, so, it might face some
troubles due to the current threats. NSU must have a well designed plan to sustain the
competitive advantages. Here some of the recommendation for next 5 years to create competitive
advantage given below:
Reformation of the Admission procedure: Students are both the target market and product of
NSU. So, NSU must be careful to find out the right target market to make them the best product
for the industry. Only 5.52% in C unit (DU 'Ga' unit results published, 5.52% pass, 2016)
and 13.5% in A unit (13.5% pass DU 'Ka' unit admission test, 2016) of the respective
applicants of Dhaka University passed in the under-grad level admission test this year. So, this is
alarming for the whole education industry including NSU.
We would suggest following the SAT & GMAT pattern more strictly in the admission test to find
out the best applicants.
Grading policy: Recent advising system created fair and equal chances for everyone though a
lot people are unhappy. We just have one recommendation in this section- the questions and the
marking of the papers should be controlled centrally. Controlling exams centrally would reduce
the differences and will be fairer for the students.
Funding For Research: NSU must develop the research facilities to have a long term impact in
the society and the education industry. Inspiring the students for research will not only improve
the brand image, it will also be fruitful for the nation. It will also help to improve in the world
ranking of universities.

North American Accreditation for All Departments: To make NSU a fully North American
oriented university, along with SBE, all other departments should be N. American accredited.
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More Affiliation with Foreign Universities and Career Centers: It is a fact that that, even
NSU students dare to study abroad for post-grad level, due to lack of confidence and lack of
information. If students are exposed to the real global condition for higher education, they will
get first-hand information on global perspective.
Accommodating and Attracting Foreign Students: NSU is globally recognized and it has a
good brand image in the whole world. So, preparing quality lodging with proper security and
promotion in the global market will attract foreign students.
Quality Employees: With the help of some personal interviews and our personal experience we
are sorry to say that the quality of most of the administrative employees of NSU doesnt match
with its brand value and performance at all. We recommend more campus recruitment in the
employees to have a win-win situation. NSU also can train up the current employees and get rid
of the less efficient ones.
Amenities of New Campus: To compete in the global market (especially within SAARC
region), the new permanent campus should be facilitated with: Smart boards, live streaming of
classes, and live discussion with renowned professors in class-time.
Smart Student Card: To alleviate the pressure on security, in future NSU can imply smart
student card with RFID chip, which will make tracking possible even from remote places. To get
prompt results, finger-printed access system or punch card based access system can be
applied. Parents will get text message while student will make entry/exit.
Better Wi-Fi Facility: To enable 21st century students being up-dated in-campus, NSU IT
department must take action to speed up the internet. Also, NSU should use a cloud-based server
system for database, data-mining, and data warehouse.

2. Corporate-Level Strategies [2017 - 2022]

Corporate level strategies are usually determined byo The businesses a company should be in to maximize profitability and profit growth based on
strength and opportunity
o How to gain a sustained competitive advantage [Hill, C., Jones, G., Schilling, M. (2013).
Strategic Leadership. Connecticut, CT: Cengage Learning].
The biggest resource of NSU is its well decorated huge campus in Bashundhara Residential area,
Bashundhara. Also they have about 200 acre area in Purbachal. The following strategies, made in
accordance with recommendations, will be developing in next five years (2017-2022).
1. NSU will develop a huge campus with all the facilities for the students as well as teachers
(play ground, open space, dormitory for student and teacher, swimming pool, gymnastic
center, cafeteria etc.). There will be a world class library and consultation center.
2. Under Strategic Alliances and Long-term Contracting strategy, NSU should make longterm agreements with world-wide top-notch universities to exchange students and jointly
develop new products and processes using R&D competency.
3. Moreover, NSU can go for an advanced Career Planning and Placement service, which
will run autonomously, to enable Forward Vertical Integration. Under this service, not
only NSUers but also other under-grad students can have reliable information regarding
job market and career building processes. In addition, this service will offer development
and training facilities for the job field.
4. Later, NSU can start offering Ph.D. programs when it will be completely accredited.

3. Business-Level Strategies [2017 - 2022]

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The business-level strategies reflect the overall competitive theme of a business [Hill, C., Jones,
G., Schilling, M. (2013). Strategic Leadership. Connecticut, CT: Cengage Learning]. Two
types of positioning strategies can be used:
- Through lowering cost (Not possible for NSU under current structure)
- Through differentiation (Accreditation, Scholarship, Faculty eligibility)
Year
2017 -

Strategy
Explanation
( Business -Level)
Product Development- NSU SBE should for the better accreditation like AACSB and the

2022

engineering department should try to achieve ABETaccreditation which

differentiate NSU than any other competitor.
- Provide more research facilities so it creates a better image internationally
for NSU.
- For the get the back the brand image NSHU should arrange more seminars
and counselling for students.

2017 -

- Increase the number of foreign faculties.

Market Penetration - Going for a new big campus to serve more students national and

2022

internationally.
- Target the student who wants to go for higher study and the international
students.

To Support Corporate Level Strategy Recommendations

To achieve competitive edge and superior profitability, functional-level strategies can be used as
follows:
Year
2017
- 2020

2021 -2022

Strategy
Supporting Strategy
(Corporate-Level)
(Business-level )
Going for N.
- Product Development

-Go for better accreditation for SBE and for

American

engineering department try to achieve

accreditation for all

ABET accreditation for development.

departments
Shifting to permanent- Market Penetration
campus

Explanation

- When NSU will shit to its new campus it

can serve more students. NSU can serve the

students who wants to go abroad for higher

2017 - 2022

Feedback Looping

education.
- Reporting and informing immediate

Alignment of
Corporate Model

authority about goal achievement.

4. Functional Level Strategies [2017 - 2022]

Functional-level strategies facilitate effectiveness of a companys operations and its ability to
attain the 4 superior building blocks of competitive advantages: Efficiency, Quality, Innovation,
and Customer Responsiveness [Hill, C., Jones, G., Schilling, M. (2013). Building
Functional-Level Strategies. Connecticut, CT: Cengage Learning]. The functional-level
strategies usually decides who will do the job fixed by corporate-level strategies and
controlled by business-level strategies.

To Support Corporate Level Strategy Recommendations

Year
2018

2020

Strategy
Supporting Strategy
Explanation
(Corporate-Level)
(Functional-Level)
Going for N. American - Superior Quality
- Pursuing standard admission system, the
accreditation for all

Quality faculties,

competent students for North American

departments

Selecting competent

curriculum must be selected; to guide them

students
- Superior Innovation

quality faculties (especially, Ph. D holders)

must be appointed also.

More compliance with

N. American
2021 -2022

curriculum
Shifting to permanent - Superior Efficiency - Providing live streaming facility of class
campus

Enabling online
teaching
- Superior

lectures, online teaching service and

certification facility in the new campus, in
exchange of subscription fee, would help

Responsiveness
More touch-points

reaching a lot more students.

- More touch-points (information desk, online
help desk, departmental offices, waiting rooms)
in the bigger campus to be more interconnected

2017 - 2022

Feedback Looping

with customers.
Alignment of Business - Reporting and informing immediate authority
Model

about goal achievement.

Superior Efficiency
Through learning effect and experience curve
Utilizing the abandoned space in the Gallery to run at full capacity

Resources
Faculties
Students
Admin. Staffs
Brand value and loyalty
Financing power

To Support

Superior Quality
Attracting and accommodating foreign students
Accreditation from renowned bodies.
More qualified teaching and admin. Staffs
policy Recommendations
Business LevelGrading
Strategy

Functional Level Strategies

Distinctive Competencies
ACBSP accreditation
Faculties eligibility
First mover advantage

Superior Innovation
Build
Exposing more students to case-based competitions
Shape
D
Positioning Strategy should be world-class, politics free, secular university with 100% employment
rate
Rewarding students with scholarship for research.
I
F
F
E
Capabilities
Exploiting faculties
Advising system
Robust marketing

R
E
Superior Responsiveness
Intertwined operations between different departments
Being patient to visitors and victims

N
T
I
A

T
I
O

Build

Explanation
Year
2017 - 2022

Strategy
Explanation
(Functional-Level)
Superior Efficiency - By using learning effect and experience curve, in less time more operations
(advising, admission, convocation) can be done; hence, more output with
less input (time)
- In the vacant gallery space, a small booth of bank can be set up to pay

2017 - 2022

Superior Quality

admission fees.
- Using ACBSP accreditation for BBA and ABET for Engineering department
as the differentiating tool will keep NSU one step ahead of rivals.
- More Ph.D. holders to facilitate better accreditation, and trained admins to
support official works.
- Positioning the grading policy of NSU as the most standard in Bangladesh

2017 - 2022

perspective to the recruiters.

Superior Innovation - NSU students are a bit weak in case studies. Hence, to overcome it, more
students should be encouraged to take part in inter-university competitions.
The faculties must be lenient to them in terms of attendance and showing
up in exam.
- Right from under-grad level, faculties should make students familiar with
renowned journals and set such projects that will facilitate real-life
research work. For the exclusive researches, the researcher must be
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2017 - 2022

rewarded and acclaimed.

Superior Customer - By recruiting and training eligible people, smooth operations between
Responsiveness

departments can be achieved. Moreover, organizational control and culture

should be studentfriendly and customer-oriented.

5. Technological Strategies [2017 - 2022]

NSU will develop a Student Smart Identification Card System using RFID technology by which
students can easily enter into the campus without getting themselves in the long queue. Each
smart ID card will contain all sorts of information about the students, like- students photo, name,
parents name and phone numbers, present and permanent addresses students current status in the
university etc. That can be helpful for the following-

1. Sometimes when students are in rush for classes, because of the long queue in the entrance it
makes them late for classes. It is so time consuming. Sometimes faculties dont allow them to get
into classes for being late. This Smart ID card can get students entered into the campus within
less possible time.
2. By using smart ID card students can get easy access to library and computer lab.
3. After the incident of terrorist attack in Dhaka, the security system of NSU has been
reorganized. In every entrance there would be a computerized system, so that the security guards
can check students within shortest possible time. This smart card can authenticate a students
identity so easily. Necessary training will be provided to the guards.

4. Students can easily give attendance while entering into classes. So that faculty can concentrate
fully on classes without interruption.
5. To enable 21st century students being up-dated in-campus, NSU IT department must take
action to speed up the internet. Also, NSU should use a cloud-based server system for database,
data-mining, and data warehouse.

6. Improved Business Model:

Corporations

High
School

Job
preparation

Alumni
network

Developing
an effective
citizen

Access to
expert

Partner
Value
Propositions

Value
network

Govt.

Information
desk

NSU IT

Registrar
Office

Training
new
scholars

NORTH
SOUTH
UNIVERSITY

Value
finance

Rent
cafeteria,
photocopier
etc

Services

Operations

Research

Advising

Improve
server
capacity

Tuition
fees &
activity
fees

R &D
Value

Admission
test

Accreditation

Education
Fix
bugs/a
dvising
proble
ms Land
purchase

Interactiv
e website

Differentiation

Investment
Website

User
friendly

Operational
Technologically
efficiency
up-to-date

9Functional
Level
Brand
image
Efficiency

Admission

Bank

Sufficient
Training
staffs
program

Admission
Form

After analyzing the existing business model, we can easily say that the existing business model is
helping the university to stand out in the educational industry. However, there is still some
lacking in the functional level. So, we have proposed a new, improved business model based on
our recommendations to bring efficiency in the functional level and make it a differentiator
factor by introducing training program for faculties, technologically up-to-date processes
improve server capacity and fix bugs for advising, bringing operational efficiency and increasing
the number of staffs in the functional offices.

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7. Bibliography
1. DU 'Ga' unit results published, 5.52% pass. (2016). Retrieved November 05,
2016, from http://en.prothom-alo.com/youth/news/124181/DU-Ga-unitresults-published-5.52%-pass
2. 13.5% pass DU 'Ka' unit admission test | The Daily Star. (2016). Retrieved
November 5, 2016, from http://103.16.74.132/city/135-pass-du-ka-unit-test1304149
3. L., C. W., Hill, & M. A., Schilling. (n.d.). Strategic Leadership: Corporate-level
Strategies. In G. R. Jones (Ed.), Strategic Management Theory (11th ed., p. 19).
4. L., C. W., Hill, & M. A., Schilling. (n.d.). Strategic Leadership: Business-level
Strategies. In G. R. Jones (Ed.), Strategic Management Theory (11th ed., p. 19).
5. L., C. W., Hill, & M. A., Schilling. (n.d.). Building Competitive Advantage
Through Functional-Level Strategies: Overview. In G. R. Jones (Ed.), Strategic
Management Theory (11th ed., p. 117).

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