Best Practices in Implementing a Responsive Training Program

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Best Practices in Implementing a Responsive
Training Program

• April, 7 2004

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Speakers
Bill Vaughan Customer Support Supervisor
Laura Anne Plummer Course Developer
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Agenda
Topic Time
Return on Investment 5 Minutes
Skill Assessment and Career Path 5 Minutes
Response to Staff Development Plans 10 Minutes
Responsive Product Training Program 15 Minutes
Course Assessment 5 Minutes
Case Study New Product Release 5 Minutes
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Objectives

• Understand Training Return on Investment
  Vertex vs. Industry Standards
• Review the Vertex Career Path model
• Realize how Vertex responds to Individual Staff
  Development plans in real time
• Appreciate how the Training Department responds
  to Product Support Training needs
• Comprehend the methodology involved in creating
  responsive training
• Understand the application of development and
  delivery methods in the real world

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Return On Investment
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What is the investment? Benchmarking standards
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What is the investment?
Vertex vs. Industry
Training Costs Industry Standard ASTD Vertex Costs
Cost per Employee 761 834.11
Cost of Training 2001- 2002
HR Department 399.00
Training Department 435.11
Total 834.11
Total does not include tuition costs
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What is the return?Vertex
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Decreasing the costs of training
Cost of Training 2001- 2002
Training Department 435.11
Cost of Training 2002- 2003
Training Department 116.11

• Implementation of new training methods including
• On your own exercises
• Coaching program
• WebCasts/CBTs
• Attending external customer classes
• 61 reduction in instructor-led training time

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Increasing the value of training

• At the company level, the implementation of new
  training methods results in the following
• Reduction of training time for PSA
• Reduction of need for training resources

At the product support level, streamlined
training courses decrease ramp-up time to
phone (Vertex 6-10 days) facilitation time
(Vertex 1-2 days) while increasing internal
customer satisfaction.
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Skills Assessment And Career Path

• The Vertex Career Path model

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Career Path perspectives
Corporate
Support Department
Employee
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Career Path model
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General characteristics
Individuals serving in the Customer Support job
family
Individuals in this job family must have a solid
understanding of
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Career Path
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Competencies

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Assessment tool
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Learning maps
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Career Path process

• Identify Requirements of Existing Role
• Identify Short and Long-Term Goals
• Create a Certification Task List
• Determine Review Criteria
• Progress Checkpoints

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How do we practice the Career Path?

• Monthly One-on-One Meetings
• Items Discussed
• Path Forward
• Achievements
• Future Objectives
• Performance Reviews
• Promotions

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Response To Staff Development Plans

• Real World example

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Product Support analyst to Product Support
specialist

• Product Team Membership
• Escalation Resource
• Provide Workgroup Leadership
• Transition from Operational to Strategic
• Advanced Product Knowledge

Level 1
Level 2
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Product Team membership skills
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Escalation resource
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Provide workgroup leadership
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Transition operational to strategic
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Responsive Product Training Program

• Development and delivery from the Training group

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Vertexs education program

• Vertexs education program includes
• Dedicated product course development and delivery
• HR employee development training
• Additional course training
• Tuition reimbursement

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Vertex product release cycle
Beta Release
Product Specifications
General Release
(Major)
Product
Data Collection
Minor Releases
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Dedicated Product Training group
Product Training Components
Training
Training Delivery
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Product team involvement
Training Developers are members of software
product teams from the time of initiation.
Responsibilities
Meeting Attendance
Project Plan
Training Design Specification
Training Group SME
Support Training Liaison
Team Member
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Self-directed instruction
The course designers primary responsibility is
to know the products functionality.
Product Design Specs
Meet with BSA
Practice Application
Documentation
Designer
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Training material development
During the development process, design
specifications are converted into training
deliverables.
Create Case Studies
Review Templates
Create Training Guides
Create Job Aides
Create Self Study Guide
Create Presentation
Instructor Notes
Required
Optional
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Training delivery for product support

• Beta Release (X.X)
• Product Support Training

• General Release (1.X)
• Forum
• Product support training
• Train the trainer sessions

• Minor Release (1.1.X)
• Web Cast

• Major Release (2.X)
• Same as above
• Web Cast

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Course Assessment

• Does training work?

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Course Assessment process
Training Course Assessment
Exercises
Call Quality Assessment
Course Effectiveness
Knowledge Transfer
Pre/Post Tests
Peer to Peer Monitoring
30/90 Day Review
Final Course Exam
Student Survey
Ride Along Sessions
Event Driven Survey
Non-training Related Barriers
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Course effectiveness

• Exercises
• Guided practice
• On-Your-Own practice
• Case Studies

• Pre/Post Tests
• Pre-test results
• Post-test results

• Final Exam
• Must obtain at least 93

• Student Survey
• Instructor assessment
• Material assessment
• Topic assessment

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Knowledge Transfer assessment
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Training filter
A 30 and 90 day Product Support Analyst review is
used to evaluate the analysts ability to perform
specific job tasks and filter out non-related
training barriers including

• Ineffective work tools
• Poor management
• Time constraints
• Personal motivation

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Case Study New Product Release

• Troubleshooting training

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Case study scenario
New Tax Product O Series
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Training needs analysis

• Training must include the addition or improvement
  of the following troubleshooting skills
• Programming Languages XML, JAVA
• Platform Requirements Web Services
• Database Requirements Relational DB
• Product Functionality O Series
• Tax Specifics Value Added Tax, Consumer Use Tax

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Training response
New O Series Skills
Product Training Department
Human Resources Department
In-house courses
External Courses
Tax Field Specifics
Product Functionality
JAVA
XML
DBA
WS
CUT
VAT
O Series
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Product training deliverables

• Courses for O Series
• Human Resources Pre-product offerings
• In-house programming language courses
• Advanced programming courses
• External Oracle DBA certification
• External course Web Services
• Training Department Modularized Product
  Offerings
• Overview
• System Administration
• Sales Tax
• Consumer Use
• Value Added Tax
• Integration Specifics

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Streamlined Training - reduction of cost

• Courses for O Series
• Human Resources Pre-product offerings
• In-house programming language courses 2 day
  company-wide offering
• Advanced product training product development
  supplement
• External Oracle DBA certification 2
  individuals/group
• External course Web Services 2
  individuals/group
• Training Department Modularized Product
  Offerings -
• Overview ½ day instructor-led
• System Administration - ½ day Instructor-led
• Sales Tax 1 day instructor-led
• Consumer Use 1 day instructor-led
• Value Added Tax 1 day instructor-led
• Integration/Platform/Architecture Specifics 4
  day instructor-led/SME adjuncts

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