Digital transformation

I began by identifying bottlenecks in their operations: manual reporting and outdated tools were slowing down consultants and limiting their ability to scale. Editors and consultants often relied on emails, spreadsheets, and isolated tools to manage students’ essays and activities, leading to inefficiencies, missed deadlines, and difficulty tracking progress.

To uncover these pain points, I conducted stakeholder interviews, mapped user journeys, and created service blueprints to visualize the end-to-end process. Wireframes and flow diagrams were then used to explore potential solutions and validate key workflows before defining the MVP scope.

To define the MVP scope, we analyzed user workflows and business goals to prioritize features that deliver the most impact with the least complexity. Research showed that 80% of editors’ time was spent reviewing essays and providing feedback asynchronously, so we focused on building a centralized workspace to streamline this process.

Task tracking and automated deadlines were included to address missed milestones, which affected 60% of projects in peak season. An integrated video platform for recorded sessions and offline support was prioritized to enable editors to guide students without requiring real-time interactions, making the system more scalable and accommodating students in different time zones.

These core functionalities were selected because they support the critical paths of the consulting workflow and provide measurable improvements in efficiency, collaboration, and scalability. Future iterations could layer in advanced features once the value of these workflows is validated.

By streamlining operational workflows and automating routine tasks, the platform enabled editors to reduce time spent on administrative work by 40%, freeing up an average of 15 additional hours per week to mentor students. Progress tracking and deadline automation helped cut missed deadlines by 60%, ensuring a smoother process for both editors and clients.

This focus on efficiency increased editor productivity by 30% and allowed Ann Lee Consulting to handle 25% more students without adding headcount. As a result, the company elevated its service quality and positioned itself as a premium, tech-enabled partner for families seeking a seamless and impactful university application journey.