Striving for Operational Excellence at International Schools
Takumi is the Japanese word for artisan - which embodies our mission to continuously improve the operations of your school
Takumi is the Japanese word for artisan - which embodies our mission to continuously improve the operations of your school
Our team of 3 partners has a combined 50+ years experience in international schools, and 40+ years in business. We are strategically based in Singapore, Japan and the U.K. to provide a global capability and perspective. The main geographic focus over our careers has been in Asia. We have formed a partnership to provide consulting services to the K-12 international school community.
We assume your school has the right professional educators focused on students and the curriculum. However, all too often institutions don't have resources to focus on finances, strategic planning, personnel management, enterprise risks, policies/procedures and governance. We are here to complement your team with expert advice that steers you in the right direction, and management skills to assist you in the execution of your most important initiatives.
Your stakeholders want to know that you not only care for the student's education appropriately, but spend tuition and fees wisely, while guiding the enterprise away from risks and reputational pitfalls. Long term strategic planning of finances, human capital and facilities is something you cannot afford to ignore. But having a strategy is not enough, you need the resources to execute on it. We can support you in both areas.
...by providing a sustainable platform for your educators and stakeholders, in line with the goals of your governing body and school leadership. From strategic advice to hands on management our experience in Asia and our acumen in these disciplines will provide value to your institution.
A key component of the health and sustainability of your school is how your institution generates income and how efficiently it is spent. Assessing how your finances look over the short term and long term are critical duties of your leadership and board. Reviews that focus on current state and comparing to best practice can be instrumental to making the right decisions for the school.
Inevitably situations arise which require the school to explore a new way forward. Most international schools in Asia are subject to uncontrollable forces such as shifting demographics, economic or industry downturns, natural disasters or regulatory changes. Our team of Partners has been through many significant challenges and can assist you and your leadership think through and execute on the alternatives.
Your most vital resource is the faculty and administrative staff of your school, and it is undoubtedly the major driver of costs and therefore financial viability. Striking the right balance between attracting and retaining the best faculty and administrators, and the demands of your tuition payers has never been more important. Our professional HR practice can help you with all your challenges.
Facilities:
The buildings and structures on your campus are likely one of your greatest challenges to manage, from costs, to safety, to how they reflect the mission and culture of your institution. Doing this well can be instrumental to your success and provide some of the most significant advantages to your profile. Our expertise can help you look at the big picture, the long term plans, as well as the short term costs.
Change is hard and therefore your most important projects require formal and objective oversight to ensure they stay on track. Having independent resources on board to professionally manage key initiatives, whether that is a new accounting system, a renewal of your insurance program, or a conversion to a new faculty benefit plan, is seldom a wasted effort. Our team will identify the right oversight methodology for you and work with you to ensure your key projects deliver to their budget and timeline, while keeping you abreast of the issues and concerns that will arise.