Case Study - Global CRM Rollout

Overview and approach

Peter Venn was brought in because of his experience and skill in four key areas:

• Setting up and managing contact centres
• Developing and implementing targeted learning and development strategies
• Service partner management
• Blended learning.

The solution was a formulaic and consistent learning template which included the familiar (PowerPoint presentations in the classroom) with the innovative (computer-based learning with a centralised accreditation system managed from the UK).

In essence, each business process was broken down into key learning points, which were delivered via PowerPoint either face to face in the classroom, or, when necessary, through a MOODLE Course Management System (CMS):

• What the process is and when is it needed
• "What's in it for the Customer Service Agent" - in other words, why it's important to learn
• The business rules around the process.

Demonstrations of each process, as managed through the CRM system, were created in Adobe Captivate. These "Captivates" were fully captioned and delivered through PowerPoint, guaranteeing absolute consistency of delivery across the 19 sites globally.

Embedding the Learning

Following the classroom and blended sessions, learners were directed to computer-based training modules linked, through MOODLE, to an accreditation quiz.

This meant that, following training, each group could be compared to other groups, and also the effectiveness of the various trainers compared across the geographies. In doing this, we were able to assess very quickly how each location was performing and also if any potential cutural issues involving the training materials themselves were having an impact on learning.

Finally, to help build agent confidence from their first live Customer Service intervention, the Captivate demonstrations became a key element in the intranet-based Knowledge Management System (KMS), used by the Telecom business both internally and via their Service Providers.

Outcome

The results of this strategic implementation were beyond expectation, in that:

• Learners were able to become confident and dextrous in the new system and processes very quickly - approximately 50% quicker than in previous system roll-outs
• Issues with training material or trainers were quickly spotted through analysis of the accreditation scores, meaning that design tweaks or trainer re-training were actioned more proactively
• Learners surveyed preferred the blended approach, and especially the "hands-on" elements, to pure classroom training
• Trainers surveyed reported being more confident in the delivery of the classroom elements of the training, in particular through the use of the Captivate demonstrations
• Train the Trainer activities took place via conference call or Skype, saving significantly on the previous practice of travelling to all the geographies
• Overall, the savings in this learning deployment ran beyond 1 Million GBP, whilst the project delivered on time, allowing all geographies to go live in line with the project plan
• The company was not able to identify any of the expected "dip" in customer satisfaction while agents were getting used to the new ways of working.