Co-Creation of an Academic Integration Center in Virtual Modality

Crises require effective strategies to get through them, but they are also opportunities to evolve. The search for a way out of COVID-19, for example, led to the production of messenger RNA vaccines, an unprecedentedly efficient technology that revolutionized the immunization market around the world. Similarly, the need to maintain isolation and social distance gave rise to a new type of education and care encompassed by e-Learning, a revolutionary practice that democratizes access to Education in Peru. The pandemic will pass, but Tele-education is here to stay. To do this, entrepreneurial strategies such as the one proposed below are created. This article summarizes the development of a Business Plan that was carried out in the city of Lima/Peru in 2021-2022, with the objective of determining the viability of the co-creation of an “Academic Integration Center in Virtual Modality” that emerges as a result of the prominence that the virtual world and the health crisis currently have due to Covid-19, under the teaching and learning methodologies of E-Learning and B-Learning immersed in the Metaverse, with the purpose of offering innovative virtual courses and avant-garde.

Within the framework of the value proposition of this business plan, offer to the market, the updating of knowledge of health professionals in different areas. The scenario in which the academic integration center will operate will be the LMS platform, a support that has the necessary resources for the learning process, which enables the integration of teaching experts, with active, innovative, technological, immersive, and critical methodologies, for teaching based on problem solving, and with accessibility at any time and scenario. Being a training center on health issues in virtual mode, it is closely related to real problems in different areas, such as social, as well as others, which will be addressed to be resolved through the methodology of education, therefore that the basis of this business plan is characterized by its practicality in the reality. In relation to customer segmentation, it is aimed at the group of people between the ages of 24 and 35, recent graduates, who work, mostly with limited time availability, who wish to increase or strengthen their skills in the labor and professional world. Therefore, a range of current and highly interesting courses is estimated.

In the External Factors Evaluation (EFE) Matrix, 15 Success Determining Factors (SDF) are highlighted, of which 9 are threats and 6 are opportunities. It is estimated that the business plan that is presented addresses the opportunities found with a weighting of 3.09, which gives a strong strategic position to grow and build. Market research was carried out for health professionals, and the most relevant results are that the professions with the highest demand for courses in virtual mode are Nursing (88%) and Obstetrics (12%), which are the main reason for training that they refer is for professional growth (87%), they also consider that the E-Leaning teaching methodology has an excellent score. The subject with the greatest demand is clinical and soft skills courses, that the most accepted medium to receive advertising for events is Facebook (73%), and more than 49% are willing to invest more than USD 50.50 in training. It was interesting that they require other complementary services, such as advice on research topics with more than 36%. These results determined the potential demand for the satisfactory services of the business plan.

The company will have a hierarchical structure, led by the General Manager with authority over the Commercial Manager, Academic Manager and Administration Manager. The recruitment processes and the salary budget are detailed in the Human Resources chapter. The differentiation in quality, technology, and significant and investment experience in real issues of “Metaverse” for the loyalty of the user to the client and this to brand promoter. The investment requirement amounts to USD 37,000; among which are: pre-operational expenses, both for the beginning and for its continuity, the assets to be acquired, the human resource consistent with the operational actions. The investment will be assumed 50% by the shareholders and the remaining 50% will be financed through a bank loan. The economic viability was determined through financial analysis through a positive economic NPV of USD 30,600 and an IRR of 55%; for a period of 5 years, and an investment payback period of 3.6 years. The foregoing estimates a profitable company for investors, given that virtual education must be carried out through adequate and secure platforms. All actions must be recorded to guarantee the storage, custody and security of sensitive personal data.