Client Success Stories
Examples of successful projects completed for clients and employers
Training Process Design & Development
A state-wide training and development consortium needed a way to train large numbers of displaced workers for the call center industry. These individuals lived in predominantly rural areas and had limited formal schooling and work skills.
Solution
I enjoyed working with the consortium employees to design, develop and present an innovative call center simulation that could be used in a classroom setting. The course needed to include customer service skills, an introduction to the call center industry, and to reproduce some typical challenges faces by call center employees and mangers.
Challengingly, the first time we offered the class, we had several students attend via teleconferencing! The course design included opportunities for these people to feel fully a part of the training.
As a follow-on, I developed and conducted a Train-the-Trainer class to teach consortium trainers how to run the class (including the simulation) and to help them with the strategies needed to ensure a successful outcome for the students.
Outcome
The course was hailed as a model of innovative thinking and was rolled out state-wide. Happily, follow-up surveys showed that students who attended the class had a significantly greater chance of being hired by a call center. At the time, the call center industry was becoming a significant source of jobs for the rural areas of this state.
Solution
I enjoyed working with the consortium employees to design, develop and present an innovative call center simulation that could be used in a classroom setting. The course needed to include customer service skills, an introduction to the call center industry, and to reproduce some typical challenges faces by call center employees and mangers.
Challengingly, the first time we offered the class, we had several students attend via teleconferencing! The course design included opportunities for these people to feel fully a part of the training.
As a follow-on, I developed and conducted a Train-the-Trainer class to teach consortium trainers how to run the class (including the simulation) and to help them with the strategies needed to ensure a successful outcome for the students.
Outcome
The course was hailed as a model of innovative thinking and was rolled out state-wide. Happily, follow-up surveys showed that students who attended the class had a significantly greater chance of being hired by a call center. At the time, the call center industry was becoming a significant source of jobs for the rural areas of this state.
Web-Based Project Management
A noted testing services company needed web-based training for a new client acquisition. In addition, the company needed to develop web-based tele-training for the launch of a network of new professional testing service centers.
Contributions
The project appealed to me because I'd be learning about, and teaching others, to use an online project and student management tool. I quickly learned the nuances of their brand new web-based, student records management software. Then, I led virtual training seminars for over 60 state certification boards, 400 testing center specialists and 25 technical support team members.
It was great to be able to handle a wide range of facets to the project, including project management, training design and development, training deployment, tracking and records management, and providing user coaching and technical support.
During the project, there were opportunities to develop innovative, cost effective training solutions, including the first-ever use of proprietary testing assessment software for training purposes. I also developed a user database, managed project material distribution, and initiated multiple customer service improvements. Nicely enough, several other managers asked me to develop additional services as a result of the initial success.
Outcomes
The state certification boards reported high levels of end users actually using the new system (which doesn't always happen with training projects!), and strong measures of customer satisfaction.
The company used this training project as the foundation of additional training when they added new clients to their roster.
Contributions
The project appealed to me because I'd be learning about, and teaching others, to use an online project and student management tool. I quickly learned the nuances of their brand new web-based, student records management software. Then, I led virtual training seminars for over 60 state certification boards, 400 testing center specialists and 25 technical support team members.
It was great to be able to handle a wide range of facets to the project, including project management, training design and development, training deployment, tracking and records management, and providing user coaching and technical support.
During the project, there were opportunities to develop innovative, cost effective training solutions, including the first-ever use of proprietary testing assessment software for training purposes. I also developed a user database, managed project material distribution, and initiated multiple customer service improvements. Nicely enough, several other managers asked me to develop additional services as a result of the initial success.
Outcomes
The state certification boards reported high levels of end users actually using the new system (which doesn't always happen with training projects!), and strong measures of customer satisfaction.
The company used this training project as the foundation of additional training when they added new clients to their roster.
Creative Response to Training Need
A major manufacturer was implementing a complex Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software process, and needed training and change management support for factory employees, supervisors, managers, and subject matter experts (SMEs).
Contributions
While developing training materials and working with the SMEs, it became apparent they lacked formal training and effective communication skills. I proposed creating a Train-the- Trainer process for the SMEs, and enjoyed working with a broad range of project managers to develop the course content. We brought on an additional consultant to produce the class materials, and I oversaw the integration of her work with existing materials.
We did a needs analysis before starting course development, but after the first day of our new class, it was clearly apparent we'd overlooked a key issue - we assumed our participants were deeply familiar with how their existing work processes fit together in the factory.
In response to the feedback, I rewrote the materials overnight and made major changes in how we conducted the subsequent days of training.
Outcomes
We observed a leap in conceptual understanding on the part of the learners, and a noted improvement in their ability to conduct end user training. We evaluated the training at the completion and also at 6-week and 3-month intervals. Attendees and managers both reported increased levels of confidence and improved use of training skills as a result of the project.
Contributions
While developing training materials and working with the SMEs, it became apparent they lacked formal training and effective communication skills. I proposed creating a Train-the- Trainer process for the SMEs, and enjoyed working with a broad range of project managers to develop the course content. We brought on an additional consultant to produce the class materials, and I oversaw the integration of her work with existing materials.
We did a needs analysis before starting course development, but after the first day of our new class, it was clearly apparent we'd overlooked a key issue - we assumed our participants were deeply familiar with how their existing work processes fit together in the factory.
In response to the feedback, I rewrote the materials overnight and made major changes in how we conducted the subsequent days of training.
Outcomes
We observed a leap in conceptual understanding on the part of the learners, and a noted improvement in their ability to conduct end user training. We evaluated the training at the completion and also at 6-week and 3-month intervals. Attendees and managers both reported increased levels of confidence and improved use of training skills as a result of the project.
