case studies

1 - Federal Agency

2 - Financial Services IT

3 - Manufacturing Corporate Leasing Group

1 - Federal Agency

The Issues

• 'Our center introduced an agency-wide software application that required training for 1,700 of 3,600 employees and contractors. The initial instructional-led training (ILT) effort did not satisfy the requirement for a rapid rollout to a geographically dispersed population with intensive work schedules.'
  
• 'Production of classroom-based training (CBT) on CD-Rom could not reasonably manage the frequency of maintenance and increased costs.'
  
• 'The help desk became the method of choice for users of the application to get direction and training - this was inefficient.'
  
• 'A new version update meant a new training initiative and greater diversity of training requirements by the various user audiences (three distinct populations).'

The Goals

• 'We need a cost-effective training program that can easily handle the frequency of revisions to training. It has to be a non-traditional online learning solution. Our learner audiences just want access to what they do not know but need to know to do their job.'
  
• 'We want a learning solution that is secure and scalable, but does not rely on our current eLearning technology and can be accessible anytime and anywhere without concerns for intranet firewall issues. However, it must integrate seamlessly with our IT infrastructure and Learning Management System (LMS) when the time comes.'

The Solution

PulseLearning introduced a solution using the PulseAssess™ product, enabling browser-based access outside the LMS, which can be integrated when dictated by the situation. The solution provided step-through workflow and process-based simulations. The content structure is based on audience profile. Learners define their role and only access material relevant to their position. PulseLearning hosts the solution through a secure website, which is available 24/7. The client has control of the operating environment as well as the administration.

2 - Financial Services IT

The Issues

• 'Our data analysts and programmer analysts have to participate in a four-day training program of instructional-led training (ILT) to be certified to use our propriety database for job-specific activity. They must complete the course before they can receive user authorization to do the work. With present growth and turnover, the backlog of personnel to be trained is impeding progress for the division.'
  
• 'The ILT program fails to provide on-going job aid and reference sources.'
  
• 'The cost of bringing worldwide teams to North America for training is too high. Also, additional global locations, such as Europe and India, mean that ILT is more impractical than ever.'

The Goals

• 'We want a cost-effective, new-hire training solution that simplifies the training and provides better performance results more quickly.'
• 'The solution has to provide some instructor access to students to validate their ability to perform the complex tasks as data or programmer analyst.'
  
• 'We want a solution that can be easily maintained.'
  
• 'We want the online solution to be robust, flexible, secure, and scalable. It has to be engaging but constrained to function in a non-standard desktop computing environment and must also be integrated seamlessly with our existing LMS infrastructure.'

The Solution

PulseLearning created a solution to satisfy these broad client requirements using client prescribed tools and technology. The ILT program was converted from 18 hours of classroom training plus an assessment day to 8 hours of learning online in 12 lessons with a virtual classroom incorporating two 2-hour sessions with a live instructor for assessment and validation. The solution met the operating environment restrictions for desktop computing without sacrificing the learner audience requirements for interaction, interest, and attainment of learning objectives. The results from the assessments indicated that the job performance and job competency requirements had been met. The learning is online and available 24 hours a day, so that training can be delivered at any time and runs from the LMS environment with appropriate tracking.

3 - Manufacturing Corporate Leasing Group

The Issues

• 'Our capital lease sales representatives work in a highly competitive global financial services business that requires us to provide very time consuming, one-on-one training on contract management of leases. They still fail to complete the paperwork correctly.'
  
• 'When something goes wrong with a leasing agreement in the automated approval process, a rejection occurs. The result is that we delay or lose business, create poor customer relationships, and disrupt delivery of equipment being purchased under the lease.'
  
• 'Even after we identify shortcomings in the training, we struggle with the ability to handle the problems arising from 21 countries' regulatory or compulsory documentation requirements. These requirements are forever changing. It means that we do not always take the proper corrective action, or provide effective revision training to maintain or improve performance.'

The Goals

• 'We want an interactive solution that will reduce the time of costly new-hire training.'
  
• 'The solution must provide our sales personnel with an in-depth understanding of the processes and it must be easy to review context-oriented learning. It has to tell us that a person understands how to submit a lease that will not fail the automated approval process.'
  
• 'This eLearning solution must be a custom program oriented to the way that our people work in their respective country environment and oriented to how they are to work with our processes.'

The Solution

The PulseLearning initiative helped the client to create a program that systematically steps learners through the processes of lease completion and highlights the areas where difficulties can occur. The learning solution uses contextual content and an authentic simulation that takes a sales person through the lease experience. The learner-centric approach presents the information and follows up with an interactive practice activity for each lease type.

The solution gives sales people the ability to navigate through all of the essential processes. Simultaneously, the simulation gives them feedback as they complete the forms. In addition, the sales person obtains a score on the practice modules.