Users Prepared and New Software Accepted.
A large national company released a new B2B web-based software system affecting 300 external customers and over 100 internal users. As a large and complex project, they needed to figure out how to prepare their users quickly and completely with limited resources.

Solution:

• Build a relationship with the users and learn what they need to be successful: what they'll accept and what they'll reject.
  
• Work with the IT team to understand what is being delivered.
  
• Identify the delivery and customer issues before release and negotiate solutions with IT and Business project leaders as appropriate.
  
• Work with IT and Business staff to challenge the rollout approach and results as appropriate.
  
• Plan, develop, and deliver a blended learning system (classroom and online information) that allows users of all types to learn what they need to use the application properly on the day it is released.
  
• Release a "pilot" version of the application to allow the users to see it for themselves before the release.
  
• Communicate clearly and accurately as needed by distributing communications over a variety of media: by web, by paper, and in town halls.
  
• Designate a SWAT team of experts to handle application/process issues in the first 2 weeks of release.

Solution:

• Deliver a workshop twice a year (tied to hiring windows) to support the enterprise's need to train senior technical staff and junior employees on how to mentor and how to work with protégés.

Solution:

• Build a picture of how they currently do business as a foundation for future process re-engineering.
  
• Map their processes so that they can understand how they currently work before they change their processes.
  
• Teach development staff how to map and understand processes so that they can do it for themselves in the future.
  

Users Ready to Use the Application Properly on Release Day.
A large national oil and gas company was implementing new Financial Accounting and Production Accounting packages. In the past, the staff had used green screen, character-based software applications to do their work. The new software applications required the users to learn how to use windowing applications as well as change their business processes. As well, the company was undergoing a reorganization that would require all staff to be more independent and computer literate in general.

Solution:

• Build a relationship with the users and learn what they need to be successful: what they'll accept and what they'll reject.
  
• Work with the IT team to understand what is being delivered.
  
• Identify the delivery and customer issues before release and negotiate solutions with IT and Business project leaders as appropriate.
  
• Work with IT and Business staff to challenge the rollout approach and results as appropriate.
  
• Design and deliver a blended learning system to train 250 people in the use of new Financial and Production Accounting software packages. Deliver training over the corporate intranet supported with in-class coaches. Give users the ability to access an online help knowledge repository after training is over.
  
• Communicate clearly, accurately, and often by distributing communications over a variety of media: by web, by paper, and in town halls.
  
• Designate a SWAT team of experts to handle application/process issues with a small group of "challenged" users for the first month of the new application's use.
  

Solution:

• Audit existing documentation processes, present recommendations, and gain buy-in from senior management.
  
• Model the recommendations and meet the critical marketing window by managing the delivery of new and updated user documentation for a major pre-Y2K release.
  
• Use a best practices documentation design and delivery methodology.
  
• Include a key staff member as part of the documentation team and train them in the tools and methodologies used.
  
• Update, edit and write from scratch over 70 user manuals and online help systems for the complex oil and gas plant operating software within an aggressive timeframe of 10 weeks.

Solution:

• Deliver a business writing course to each key IT group and then develop writing templates for each type of documentation during those workshops.
  
• With coaching, IT staff developed documentation standards and practices appropriate to their work environment.
  

Sales Increased & Knowledge Managed.
A rapidly growing software company was unable to support its customers because staff did not understand the new products well enough to answer questions properly. There was no formal training. (Did you offer training as part of the solution?)Sales people were constantly frustrated by the poor service to their customers.

Solution:

• Assess the current sources of information: tacit and explicit.
  
• Map the information needs of the company. Find the information: printed, in someone's head, buried in a file cabinet or elsewhere in the organization.
  
• Structure the information, capture it, and then make it accessible through an intranet.
  

Performance Improved, Cost to Train Significantly Reduced.
A large enterprise needed to train 1500 users in five new desktop tools with a budget of under 75K. They also needed to reduce travel time for the implementation team who also acted as trainers.

Solution:

• Implement just-in-time web-based training through a centralized learning service provider that allows for the administration of all students and tracking of their results.