Leveraging Learning Technologies to Meet Business Objectives

August 16, 2011

Consuela Shorter

In this session we will explore…

Strategies for aligning learning with business objectives

The impact of varying learning technologies

Overcoming challenges that block progress

Ways to measure results, and sustain wanted outcomes

Let’s MeetThe Other Experts in the Room….

• What industry is your business?

• What tools are currently be used for learning?

• What learning technologies do you have or considering?

• What does your learning technology need to do?

Has Learning left the building?Learning is “just doing it’s own thing” for nowLearning & Operations have different objectivesLearning plans and curriculums are a hodge-podge of

offeringsLearning is not measurable or sustainableLearning and Development is fighting to stay alive

The Learning Organization is the last to find out about business objectives and/or organizational changes

Learning Technologies

Business Objectives

Adding Value

Becoming a Resource & Partner

Thinking & Responding Strategically

Tracking Intentional, Sustainable, Proof-positive results

Aligning with Business Objectives• Operational changes

• Addressing needs of the customer

• Developing new skills

• Closing knowledge gaps

• Becoming more competitive or Remaining competitive

• Maintaining compliance = Staying in business

Media Company

Retail Hardware Company

SaaS Product Company

Business Scenarios

Media, Communications and Automotive Company

Profile: Privately held Fortune 500 company with 6 subsidiaries (1 public subsidy) worldwide, and over 80,000 employees. Diversified portfolio of products and services across subsidiaries.

Business Objectives1. Ensure the spirit of company

values, diversity statement, and mission is alive across all subsidiaries

2. Increase bottom line results 3. Promote collaboration across

subsidiaries for like positions4. Hire a more talented,

relevant workforce5. Getting more done with fewer

resources

Challenges• Implementing an approach

that is relevant across all subsidiaries

• Decentralized environment works the way it is

• Over 5000 front-line managers need training

• In at least 1 subsidiary, locations compete with each other for business

• Varying shifts

Ask the Experts…

What would you do?ApproachConsiderationsMeasurements

Our Solution• 3 day Instructor-Led Training for 5000 Front-line

managers▫ Custom designed training program with 3rd party vendor & internal HRD▫ Required for all Executive Leadership & Front-Line Managers▫ Mixed classes of 2 – 3 managers from each subsidiary▫ In class Action Plans▫ Electronic copies of Manager Toolkit as takeaway

•Online Training for all managers & employees on HR policies▫ Off-the-shelf through 3rd Party content provider▫ Real life scenarios to work through

•Cohort groups & forums for managers.▫ Instructor facilitated▫ Peer-to-Peer coaching ▫ Follow up training 6 months to 1 year after attendance in ILT

Measuring Results

• Trained 5000 front line managers in 4 years, under budget

• Behavioral interview practices increased selection of skilled staff (hourly and salary)

• Generated gap analysis reports (How Has/Hasn’t Been Trained)

• Increased job satisfaction by front line managers ______________________________________________________Technology : LMS, eLearning, facilitated forums,& webinars

Retail Hardware

Profile: Hardware retailer with 4600+ stores worldwide which accounts for approximately 70,000 employees. Stores are part of Corporate co-op but individually and locally owned and operated.

Objectives• Maintain company brand• Implement a new sales

process in all stores• Increase overall sales by

13%• Increase customer loyalty by

8% in year 1• Increase employee

satisfaction at retail by 4% in year 1

Challenges• Stores are individually owned • High turnover & seasonal

workers• New products daily• Specialized skillset needed in

some areas (paint, lawn & garden, electrical)

• Limited technology in stores• Current sales process heavily

embedded in store environment• Store management resistant to

change unless able to see direct impact to their store sales

Ask the Experts…

What would you do?ApproachConsiderationsMeasurements

Our Solution• Implemented a new Sales process

▫ Developed training on the 5 step Sales process ▫ Developed internal Product Knowledge Training & worked with 3rd party

vendors ▫ Offered Customer Service training via videos and 3rd Party vendor ▫ Developed Associate Learning Plans by Product Category and sales

process• Implemented new Customer & Employee feedback

program▫ Revamp of Customer Loyalty & Employee satisfaction surveys that

aligned with Sales process▫ Provided remediation on low scoring areas by Associate, Store, District, Region,

and Company-wide• Instructor-Led Training for Store Owners and Managers

▫ 4 day New Investor Training ▫ 2 day Store Manager Training . Required Manager to have worked in

store 6 months.

Measuring Results

• 40% success rate in new stores during 1st year• Increased same store sales by 17%; some stores had higher %

increase• Decreased seasonal worker readiness in product knowledge

areas• Increase customer loyalty by 13% in stores • Increase employee satisfaction by 5%• Stronger corporate brand and image nationwide and in local

markets (In store marketing supported new sales process) ______________________________________________________Technology : LMS, eLearning, SaaS Customer Feedback system,

How To videos, eLearning Plans, 3rd party courseware

SaaS Product Company

Profile: Mid-market SaaS provider with worldwide locations and customers. Product suite includes 6 products; customers may purchase 1 or multiple products within the suite.

Objectives• Develop and offer various

training methods to our customers on our products

• Provide just-in-time training• Allow customers to own the

training process for their end users

• Ensure customers are able to navigate the product as an Administrator

Challenges• Our customers will use our

products in different ways• Our customers need to train

HR Management but also end users (their employees and managers)

• Providing the best training to customers without deflating our company resources

Our Solution• Instructor-Led Training for HR Administrators

▫ Available via webinar and/or onsite training classes▫ Sessions offered multiple times per month; Session length

determined by the product (Average 6 hours)▫ Includes hands on practice with facilitator help & feedback▫ Tests given after each session as review and to measure

retention▫ Additionally bi-monthly product training sessions offered▫ Customers are given access online end-user training to preview

•Online Training for end users▫ Developed by internal Instructional Designers▫ Self-paced learning for end users▫ Interactive, hands on exercises as part of content▫ Can be launched and/or retaken at any time

Ask the Experts…

What would you do?ApproachConsiderationsMeasurements

Measuring Results

• 10% decrease in implementation time• 30% decrease in configuration change requests• Average 50% decrease in retraining requests• requests for retraining• Less calls to support on common “How To” questions• 18% increase in registrations for free bi-monthly training• 90% decrease in end user training requests (which has

freed up our product trainers for other tasks)______________________________________________________Technology : LMS, eLearning, tests

Learning Technologi

es

Business

Objectives

Driven by Strategy. Powered by Technology.

Thank You!

Consuela Shorter has worked in human resources and learning and development for 10 years. Consuela is experienced in leveraging learning technologies to align business objectives and initiatives to sales goals. In previous roles as Learning Systems Supervisor, she has functioned as business project manager for several medium and large scale Learning Management System implementations and other technologies ranging from 500 to 80,000 users.

Consuela is currently a Product Trainer at SilkRoad technology. She trains and provides HR system consulting to human resources professionals on human resource information systems, recruiting management, onboarding, performance management, and LMSs. Consuela is certified as a Master Trainer and in Instructional Development and Design.

Consuela Shorter Connect on

Phone: 312-401-4039Email: consuela.shorter@silkroad.com

consuelashorter@gmail.com