Context
The MAK – Museum für angewandte Kunst in Vienna was founded in 1863, modeled on the Victoria and Albert Museum, and is now one of the most important museums of its kind in the world. With numerous exhibitions, a remarkable collection, and a diverse educational program, the MAK makes a decisive contribution to cultural education in the fields of applied arts, design, architecture, and contemporary art. In 2023, over 170,000 people visited the museum in Vienna.
Since its foundation, the MAK has undergone various structural and organizational developments. In view of current challenges—such as inflation-related rising costs and processes in need of optimization—a comprehensive operational analysis was carried out between August and December 2024 to identify potential for optimization and ensure the museum remains fit for the future.
Approach
The first step was to conduct a comprehensive status quo analysis: detailed analyses of staffing plans, annual financial statements, and exhibition plans, as well as around 15 interviews with MAK employees, provided important insights into the challenging financial situation and processes that needed to be optimized. A benchmark analysis with four other European arts and crafts museums highlighted the outstanding position of the MAK, particularly in terms of the diversity and artistic quality of its collection. The high number of special exhibitions and the size of the space they occupy confirmed the high productivity of the MAK. Further interviews with five experts from the museum scene provided helpful assessments of the MAK's image, profile, and presence.
In a second step, actori presented optimization proposals for the individual processes, including the application of actori's own digitization check. This was followed by an in-depth examination of the current economic planning in order to analyze the future financial development of the MAK. In this context, potential for increasing revenue and reducing costs was also examined, and additional opportunities for further development in the areas of offerings and presence, structure, personnel, and finances were identified.
Impact
- The project identified measures that the MAK can use to optimize its reporting to its sponsor or the compilation of visitor statistics, for example.
- The benchmarking highlighted the MAK's outstanding position among arts and crafts museums and provided important insights into the classification of its resources and productivity.
- Expert assessments provided concrete indications of how the MAK can further increase its visitor potential and enhance its international appeal.
In addition, the project created transparency for both the sponsor and all employees regarding future challenges and identified possible courses of action.
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The project was implemented by Marietta Schoenberg, project lead, Michaela Herrmann, consulting, Frank Schellenberg, managing director.