Navigating Complexity. Delivering Clarity.

Operational Excellence for Education

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Navigating COmplexity. Delivering Clarity.

Our Mission

It is “rough seas” in the world of education today. At Maelstrom Advisory, our mission is to help school district leaders navigate complexity and focus on their core business - Student Learning and Success. Too often operational and organizational challenges create unneeded complexity and create distractions from this core work. We teach and assist our clients in applying Operational Excellence tools to help systems run smoother and more effectively. Maelstrom Advisory exists to help our clients simplify complexity and amplify effectiveness.

Our Approach

Maelstrom provides custom solutions specializing in systems optimization, change management, and performance improvement, but where we differ from other firms is that we equip your team with the skills and tools to continue the work once we leave. You are not a project we work on, but instead a partner we work with to create a culture of continuous improvement.

We believe the best perspective is ”boots on the ground” - alongside those doing the work. We believe that ineffective processes, not people, are usually the problem. We make no assumptions. We do not judge. We take an honest appraisal of the current state and then together customize a simple, coherent path forward. We believe “perfect is impossible, but better is possible everyday!”

What is Op Ex?

Operational Excellence (Op Ex) is a strategic continuous improvement approach that focuses on optimizing every aspect of a school district’s operations to achieve both financial and non-financial benefits. Op Ex principles can be applied to all areas of a school system from the classroom to district-wide processes.

By identifying inefficiencies and eliminating waste, districts can significantly reduce costs, redirect resources toward the classroom, and ultimately improve student outcomes.

Beyond saving money and enhancing efficiency, Operational Excellence also fosters a healthier organizational culture by promoting collaboration, transparency, and accountability. This drives higher staff morale, reduces burnout, and increases satisfaction among students, families, and the broader community—ensuring that every effort supports the district’s mission of educating and empowering future generations.

Our Services

Systems Optimization

Effectiveness, not efficiency, should be the goal in a school district. However, many districts struggle from systems that are in conflict with each other, impacting effectiveness. We can evaluate a district’s structure, operations and processes at a macro-level, then recommend improvements and modifications to optimize the system as a whole.

Performance Improvement

Working with district leaders, we identify processes or practices that are not performing at optimal levels. We analyze the current state, identify root causes, and create improved, streamlined processes that save money and enhance the “customer experience” for students, staff, and the community.

Change Management

We have found that one of the major impediments to improvement and optimization is bandwidth. District leaders often feel too busy with their “day job” to take on one more thing. That’s where Maelstrom comes in. With expert training and experience in change management projects, we help you map and design improvement efforts to insure successful adoption and implementation, while creating a culture of continuous improvement where everyone sees finding a better way as a badge of honor.

Our Op Ex Offerings

Training & Coaching

We conduct customized Operational Excellence education for your team. These engaging, interactive sessions introduce your team to the Problem Solving Mindset, Lean Six Sigma, and Systems Thinking. We then provide them with tools and strategies they can implement immediately. Continued coaching and guidance is then provided as your team begins their Op Ex journey.

Kaizen Events

This hands-on workshop puts the Op Ex tools to work in real time. A problem is pre-identified. Relevant data and information is gathered. A cross-functional team is assembled. We facilitate the team through articulating the problem, discussing the data, identifying root causes, devising possible solutions, and finally landing on an actionable path forward. We then coach the team through implementation.

Op Ex Check Up

We take “a look under the hood.” We start by interviewing key stakeholders. We review budgets and spending. We observe processes. We collect both quantitative and qualitative data. From this research, together we identify processes and practices needing improvement and collaboratively create solutions.

Navigating Complexity. Delivering Clarity.