Operational excellence in higher education

As higher education evolves, institutions need to strategize, adapt, and innovate to stay true to their founding missions. The challenge is for colleges, technical schools, and universities to renew their commitment to student learning and life experiences despite rising costs and fewer resources.

In times of transformation, success hinges on operational excellence. To achieve it, public and private institutions need to assess their processes, workflows, and facilities through a cost optimization, efficiency, and productivity lens. A holistic approach ensures maximum effectiveness by aligning performance and outcomes across all departments and functions. Increasing, this also means integrating AI as a foundational enabler – enhancing efficiency and decision-making, streamlining operations and processes, and supporting both student and staff success across the institutions.

KPMG’s Operational Excellence in Higher Education solution is a comprehensive, tailored method for building long-term institutional resilience in times of change. Our four-pronged approach identifies gaps and opportunities in educational program delivery to develop a roadmap for value creation and sustainable growth, with AI integrated to support smarter, data-driven decisions

If you’re looking to navigate complex challenges by leveraging leading practices and expertise in higher education, KPMG’s Operational Excellence approach can help. Let’s work together to honour the longstanding tradition of Canadian education by building a long-term future for your institution.

As higher education has evolved over time, departments have become more siloed and often isolated, resulting in duplicated services and administrative obstacles. Future-readiness demands connectedness and agility. Process efficiencies and optimizations are therefore essential to redirect the focus back on operational excellence across the institution as a whole.  AI will play a pivotal role in breaking down these silos—enabling smarter coordination, data sharing, and workflow integration. When embedded thoughtfully, it supports a more agile, engaging institution.

Every part of the solution helps build a roadmap toward resilience. Investing in all four target areas helps higher education institutions build a comprehensive approach to renewal and operational excellence.

KPMG helps public and private higher education institutions assess, measure, understand and improve their operational performance. They identify areas for improvement, highlight value creation opportunities, and streamline academic and administrative workflows. AI is embedded across our work—enhancing how we drive operational excellence through smarter insights, automation, optimized processes, and informed decision-making.

Our integrated approaches are supported by proprietary technology, years of educational sector experience and proven advisory support.

• Efficiency assessments: Resilient institutions have a roadmap for cost-effective transformation and revenue growth. KPMG efficiency assessments uncover and eliminate hidden costs, identify actions to increase operational efficiency, and explore revenue-generating activities.
• Performance management: We adopt an audit and performance management methodology to compare institutional performance and outcomes and develop a roadmap for improvement. Our assessment builds in institutional accountability as it helps leadership and boards promote economy, drive efficiency, and strengthen effectiveness.
• Data analytics and AI: Today’s higher education institutions own, manage, and report on enormous volumes of data, contracts, and payments. Leveraging these assets efficiently is essential to staying competitive and achieving institutional objectives. KPMG’s data analytics and AI team helps harness that potential by evaluating data and AI maturity, governance, structure, and pipelines to mitigate risks, close operational gaps, ensure regulatory compliance, and unlock avenues of measurable value.
• Process optimization: In today’s crowded and competitive higher education landscape, standing still isn’t an option. Lean – a proven approach to streamlining processes, eliminating waste, and focusing on what truly adds value – gives institutions the edge by turning strategy into action. By actively engaging faculty and staff in shaping solutions, it builds ownership and momentum often missing in transformation while optimizing operations before layering in AI and digital tools to maximize impact and financial performance. The result: higher educational organizations that unlock capacity for innovation, enhance the student experience, and thrive in a competitive market.