Oxford Brookes University Business School
The Business School wanted to give its academic development planning a clear focus. SMRS was commissioned to undertake a detailed analysis of the course portfolio to identify areas where competition was strongest and where opportunities existed for subject area developments.
The main aims of the project were to:
- ensure the currency of products on offer to the market, and
- facilitate the timely development of a portfolio of products to meet future market expectations and demand.
The project comprised two phases of work.
Phase 1
A quantitative market analysis of trends in the UK Higher Education Business sector that identified Oxford Brookes Business School’s position within it. This included recommendations for consideration in the Portfolio Planning and Review exercise.
The outputs of this phase included:
- an analysis of trends within the HE Business sector as a whole in terms of applications, registered students, study levels and student origins
- an analysis of trends across the constituent subject areas in terms of applications, registered students, study levels and student origins
- an assessment of Oxford Brookes University Business School’s performance and position vis à vis the market as a whole and its main competitors
- recommendations on issues to be considered in the Portfolio Planning and Review exercise.
Phase 2
An analysis of Oxford Brookes Business School’s perceived positioning and product portfolio in relation to a group of competitor and comparator institutions in the context of possible future developments in the market.
The outputs of this phase included:
- a qualitative assessment of the Business School’s intended and realised market position
- a portfolio mapping assessment of the Business School and its key competitors/comparators
- a summary of the effectiveness of current and potential areas of differentiation
- an assessment of the extent to which the Business School maximises its appeal to relevant audiences
- recommendations identifying key areas in which the current offer could be strengthened and extended in respect of likely market developments.
Jean Woodall, Associate Dean, Oxford Brookes University Business School commented,
‘We were delighted with the work that SMRS did in analysing the market for UG and PG programmes in business and management. The fast response and clear analysis enabled us to reflect upon our current programme portfolio and identify a number of options for growth. This was excellent value for money and we really appreciated the professionalism.’