ACE- Balance Scorecard

Executive Summary

This report will provide an analysis and evaluation of the Information Technology department of the American Council on Education (ACE) strategic objectives, strategy implementation, performance monitoring, and provide ways of improving and refining the analysis.  In addressing the findings, a very important method used for the analysis is Balanced Scorecard, which covers all of the financial and non financial aspects of ACE's Information Technology departmental strategy, and further makes a discussion on cause and effect relations within its functions, which are the cause of effective business outcomes. By using this method, it gives the organization an opportunity to completely analyze future with the use of leading indicators rather looking at those indicators which has lagged behind (Miyake, 2002). The balance scorecard is basically a management system which maps the overall objectives of the organization in the form of metrics and highlights four of the perspectives; financial, customers, internal processes and learning, and growth perspectives. All of these perspectives give a relevant feedback about the performance of strategic plan of this particular department in order to suggest adjustments which can be recommended as necessary.

The analysis draws attention to the fact that ACE's Information Technology department has a lot of focus on projects, operations, customer support, and providing of other services for all departments within ACE, as well as other clients within its building.  In measuring the department's strategic objectives from a financial, customer, internal, and learning perspective, it is clear that the company has room for improvements.  In particular, project productivity, customer services, support needs, and documented processes and procedures, are all areas where performance has been subpar. 

     As a result, the report finds that ACE's strategic plan needs to be adjusted. The major areas of weakness require further investigation and action by senior management.  Recommendations discussed include: improving project productivity; improving all around customer service and support; and improving internal processes, procedures and practices.

This report has made investigation about the facts that there are certain limitations to the analysis conducted. Few of those limitations are; lack of well-defined strategy across the department, exact financial data not provided by the company, and using mostly lagging measures.

The American Council on Education

Introduction

The American Council on Education has initially started in 1918; it is the major coordinating body for the higher education institutions. The ACE is USA's most visible and influential higher education association. It represents the presidents of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions, which include two- and four-year colleges, private and public universities, and nonprofit and for-profit entities. It represents more than 1600 presidents of various colleges and universities along with 200 linked associates nationwide. It endows with leadership on the key issues of higher education and further influences general public policies through advocacy.

The American Council on Education (ACE) is the only organization that represents presidents and chancellors of all types of U.S. accredited, degree assigned: community colleges, universities, training for the four-year, private and public universities, business and non-college. Such a diverse representation of institutions of different sectors of education ...