Asana Adoption in Education

Introduction

This case study delves into the significant operational and administrative transformations undertaken by Wonder Nature School, a private Montessori school in Oklahoma City, as part of its expansion to four locations. The school addressed systems challenges, optimized hiring and onboarding processes, streamlined operations, implemented robust systems, and reinforced proper workflows to staff in Asana.

The leadership team implements Asana to address challenges of team collaboration to manage daily work from invoicing to onboarding new students and staff:

• Wonder Nature School has grown to 4 locations in less than 5 years

• After operations consulting, the consultant recommended a project management tool

• School grew staff and team adjusted to the tech stack

Oklahoma City Private School Adopts Asana 

Director and leadership staff knew that with the growth of the business, in order to scale, there would need to be more streamlined processes that directly impacted revenue and their team working asynchronously. 

Needed Streamlined Processes That Work

The school Director, leadership team, and staff had trouble communicating effectively to get things done. There were very minimal processes documented for the core functions of the team. There was also untapped potential in several workflows for new tours, leads, and a way to get the Director out of the weeds of day-to-day operations. 

Why Wonder Nature School Chose Rachelle Nichols & Co.? 

Even though local to the schools, we still did virtual to have everyone who needed to participate do so. The Director chose Rachelle Nichols & Co. due to us being an Asana Partner and having extensive knowledge in hybrid environments and asynchronous working teams. 

How Rachelle Nichols & Co. Helped:

After evaluating, it was clear the team needed clear and streamlined processes for communication, work collaboration, and task management. We did an audit of all processes and determined the necessary processes needed for their next level of growth with more locations, more students, and staff. 

The Results

Eliminated Bottlenecks: Wonder Nature School worked with us to identify and undo bottlenecks in various operational areas, including lead generation, hiring, and onboarding, ensuring a smoother flow of work.

Centralized Management: To manage the school's growing operations across multiple locations, Wonder Nature School decided to use Asana, a project management tool. We created a workspace for the team and locations, enhancing organization and collaboration.

Training and Templates: We trained team members on how to effectively utilize Asana within their permissions. We developed templates for Asana for repetitive processes and projects. We created a video library of training videos and did one-to-one and team training as well. 

Hiring Process: The school worked diligently on its hiring process. This included establishing clear procedures for job postings, interviews, and candidate selection.

Onboarding and Training: After hiring new staff, Wonder Nature School implemented a structured onboarding and training process to ensure that new employees were equipped to excel in their roles. These processes were implemented in Asana to be able to do them over and over using the same process. 

The strategic initiatives taken by Wonder Nature School yielded significant results:

• Implementation and effective use of Asana for centralized management and improved communication.

• A more streamlined and efficient hiring and onboarding process.

• A clearer organizational structure and team roles.

• Enhanced communication and reduced bottlenecks in various areas.

• Effective use of Asana for collaborative, asynchronous work.

These changes contributed to Wonder Nature School's ability to expand to four locations successfully while maintaining the quality of its education and services.

Qualitative Results:

• Improved Communication: 

• One of the key qualitative benefits of implementing Asana was improved communication among the various departments and stakeholders in the school. The tool provided a centralized platform for discussions and updates, leading to better collaboration.

• Enhanced Task Visibility: Asana helped in enhancing the visibility of tasks and responsibilities. This made it easier for teachers, administrators, and staff to understand their roles and stay on top of their tasks, ultimately contributing to improved school operations.

• Streamlined Workflows: The implementation of Asana streamlined many of the school's workflows. This resulted in a more efficient allocation of resources and reduced the time spent on administrative tasks, allowing educators to focus more on teaching.

• Increased Accountability: The tool enabled the school to set clear expectations for deliverables and deadlines. This increased accountability among staff and teachers, as they were aware that their tasks were being tracked and monitored.

• Enhanced Project Planning: Asana improved the ability to plan and execute projects within the school. The flexibility of the tool allowed for the creation of project boards, which provided a comprehensive view of project progress and status.

• Reduced Email Overload: Asana reduced the reliance on email for task-related communications. This, in turn, reduced email overload and helped staff manage their inboxes more effectively.

• User Satisfaction: Overall, the qualitative feedback from staff was positive. Many found the tool easy to use and appreciated the increased organization and transparency it brought to their work and the training from us as their consultant.

Quantitative Results:

• Time Savings: The Director and Leadership Team collectively saved an average of 15 hours per week on administrative and project management tasks due to Asana's automation and streamlined processes. This time was reallocated to strategic planning.

• Reduction in Meeting Time: Asana led to a 20% reduction in the time spent in meetings. This keeps the Director and leadership team out of the weeds. The platform allowed for better communication and coordination, reducing the need for lengthy in-person or phone discussions.

• Error Reduction: The implementation of Asana led to a significant reduction in errors related to task assignments and scheduling. This had a positive impact on the overall quality of school operations.

• Project Data Accessibility: Through reports and insights in Asana, the Leadership Team reported easy access to project data and reports, which allowed them to make data-driven decisions. This resulted in an improvement in project outcomes.

• Increased Collaboration: The number of projects that involved collaboration between different departments and teams increased by over 25%, showcasing the improved collaboration fostered by Asana.

In conclusion, the implementation of Asana as a project management tool significantly benefited the Director and Leadership Team of the private school. It improved decision-making, reduced administrative overhead, and enabled a stronger focus on strategic initiatives. Asana became an invaluable tool in achieving the school's mission and vision while ensuring efficient project management.

Ready to Implement Asana on Your Team? 

Not sure how to get your team onboard with using Asana for working asynchronously and collaboratively? Email me for more details on getting started at rachelle@rachellenichols.com. Or visit https://www.rachellenichols.com/contact