For the second year since the creation of the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame in 2008, Training magazine required all Hall of Famers to submit an Outstanding Training Initiative that would be judged by each other and shared with our readers. Each Hall of Fame Outstanding Training Initiative submission could achieve a maximum of 20 points (half-point increments can be awarded) as follows:
- Level of potential business impact: 0-3 points
- Level of difficulty of challenges faced: 0-2 points
- Project scope: 0-3 points
- Instructional design: 0-4 points
- Innovation of training: 0-4 points
- Business outcomes achieved/expectations met: 0-4 points
The initiatives that achieved the highest scores are detailed below (KLA-Tencor, Verizon, and Microsoft). The other nine submissions will be profiled in the five remaining issues for 2015.
KLA-Tencor Corporation: Right People, Right Knowledge
KLA-Tencor Corporation is a supplier of process control and yield management equipment and solutions for the semiconductor and related nanoelectronics industries. To support these systems, KLA-Tencor Service engineers must successfully diagnose and repair machines that utilize advanced laser, optical, robotic, and processing technologies. These machines are of such critical importance to customers that some cases of a non-operational system can result in millions of dollars in lost customer revenue.
To further compound this challenge, the rapid rate of technology change in the semiconductor industry requires engineers to continually learn new advanced technologies while staying proficient in the skills they already know.
To address these challenges, KLA-Tencor’s Learning and Knowledge Services team developed the Right People, Right Knowledge skill management process. This program monitors worldwide competencies over time via data analytics and utilizes this information to modify training curricula and certification design. The feedback loop continuously aligns KLA-Tencor’s talent management process with evolving business requirements.
System Design
The system design required four capabilities:
1. Ability to track task completions in both instructor-led and on-the-job-training environments. It must cover all the required certification skills for a given product and track completions across all individuals who require the skill regardless of location.
2. Ability to provide task-based skill assessments that automatically drive remediation activities to improve skills where needed.
3. Analytical capabilities that allow the Service, and Learning, organizations to review ROI data related to field task activity, completion rates, and qualitative assessment feedback.
4. A closed-loop workflow process that drives changes to training tasks and enables compliance across the global learning population.
The Right People, Right Knowledge workflow (Develop a tasklist, Train them on the tasks, Practice it by OJT to gain certification, Perform an annual skill assessment) incorporates two distinct feedback loops. One loop ensures that service engineers are able to maintain their skill set over time and acquire any new learning created due to system/process changes. The second loop brings feedback from quantitative and qualitative data back into the curricula structure, enabling continuous improvement.
Implementation
To automate the business process, the Learning and Knowledge Services team realized that an online database with integrated automated workflows was needed. After an extensive analysis, the team created a custom, internally built system with an expandable Web-based design that integrated with the company’s learning management system (LMS).
After system development, a skill assessment was distributed across all of KLA-Tencor’s Service engineers (more than 1,000 individuals) covering more than 80 products. For each task, the engineers were asked two questions:
1. Are you capable of doing the task? Rated on a scale from “I don’t know how” to “I can teach it to others”
2. How frequently do you do the task? Rated on a scale from “Never” to “More than two times per year”
Based on their responses, the system assigned engineers a required training task. More than 100,000 remediation activities were identified and more than 200 courses were created to facilitate. As part of the process, engineers and their managers were tracked on training activities with a 95 percent completion rate by year-end.
In addition, the Learning and Service management teams reviewed the data to identify systemic gaps in the curricula, resulting in more than 2,000 changes in the training and certification designs.
At a minimum, annual assessments are done, with additional assessments performed in between cycles to keep up with new product introductions and rapid product changes. Currently, KLA-Tencor is on its third assessment cycle.
Results
Level 2: More than 98 percent of approximately 100,000 tasks were successfully assessed and approved by an experienced mentor.
Level 3: After the second assessment cycle for the same population, a 75 percent improvement in overall knowledge/implementation across all the products KLA-Tencor supports has been recorded. This spans more than 3,000 individual certifications.
Level 4: Online skill tracking and curricula improvement/ streamlining efforts based on Right Person, Right Knowledge have enabled a decrease of average time in training for an engineer by 15 percent without any negative impact to service quality.
Level 5: A direct cost savings of more than $1 million per year was realized due to decreased overall training requirements implemented in the program’s first year. Additional year-over-year cost savings of $1 million are estimated due to additional continuous improvement efforts that will be identified by the Right Person, Right Knowledge program.
Verizon: Tech University (Tech U)—Deductive Reasoning
With the accelerating pace of technological change, Verizon’s Wireless Customer Service executives were looking for a way to “future proof” Technical Support (TS)—preparing 3,880 TS representatives to support the current, as well as future unknown emerging wireless technologies. In addition, executives were tasked with reducing costly transactions that frequently stem from ineffective TS troubleshooting. As a result, in late 2013, a strategic business initiative, Tech Transformation, was born.
Tech Transformation is governed by executives from Customer Service (CS), HR, IT, L&D, and Marketing. A Tech Advisory Group (TAG) led by CS Operations and consisting of TS leaders and TS representatives advises and oversees the output from four workstreams: Employee Development, Knowledge Management, Diagnostic Tools, and Cross-Functional Alignment. L&D has joint accountability for the Employee Development and Knowledge Management workstreams.
TAG and L&D determined that gaps in TS representatives’ overall technical competency were leading to high and costly Remedy Ticket Volume, Certified Like New Replacement Devices / No Trouble Found (CLNR/NTF), and 3-Day Repeat Calls. Through root cause analysis, TAG and L&D determined that in order to achieve 2014 cost savings targets, TS representatives needed a new foundational troubleshooting approach, as well as improved device troubleshooting and advanced network provisioning skills. As a result, L&D created Tech U to address these key technical support skill sets, accelerate employee knowledge/capability, and achieve the cost savings targets and training ROI through performance improvement.
The first Tech U initiatives developed to be delivered in 2014 were: Deductive Reasoning, Device Troubleshooting, and Network Provisioning. Deductive Reasoning was completed from March through June 2014. Device Troubleshooting began in August 2014 and is still in progress. Network Provisioning started in January 2015.
Program Details
The overall learning architecture was based on a “life cycle” of learning rather than one training event. The approach consisted of pre-learning communication to TS representatives by TS leaders to establish the “what” and “why” for Deductive Reasoning. A formal, four-hour instructor-led module was developed for the baseline learning. Within that module, recorded real customer calls and “real-plays” using Captivate simulations were used to make the learning “real world” and relevant. An online assessment was developed to assess post-training knowledge attainment.
A demonstration activity called “Prove It” was developed for TS leaders to assess TS representatives’ skill and behavior change post-training on the floor. During “Prove It,” TS representatives are given various scenarios where they have to demonstrate their deductive reasoning skills in action. TS leaders observe the demonstration and use a scoring matrix to evaluate the representatives and to provide feedback immediately following the demonstration. Additionally, post-training booster communications and reinforcement tools were developed for TS leaders.
CS executives designated the director of Technical Support as the project sponsor. CS also “loaned” a TS subject matter expert (SME) to the instructional design team for the duration of the development process. TS training delivery staff facilitated the formal learning program. The delivery approach was “top down/leaders first.” TS leaders then attended sessions with their representatives to provide support and coaching. TS leaders also were trained to execute the “Prove It” portion of the learning process, as well as to reinforce the Deductive Reasoning concepts back on the floor.
Results
Level 2: 97 percent assessment average pass rate (12 percent higher than targeted pass rate of 85 percent).
Level 3: 85.5 percent of the “Prove Its” are complete with an average pass rate of 95.6 percent. 54 percent of participants said they practice the Deductive Reasoning key behaviors more frequently post-training.
Level 4: Mid-year Remedy Ticket Volume decreased nearly 5 percent year on year. CLNR/NTF decreased 2.9 percent. 3-Day Repeat Calls decreased 2.7 percent. Verizon is tracking toward an annualized savings of more than $13 million with just one of the three Tech U modules fully deployed.
Level 5: Overall three-month ROI of training was 3.4 percent. For every $1 spent on training, $1.034 was returned to the business.
Microsoft: The Readiness Edge Always On Program
Keeping Microsoft Sales, Marketing, and Services employees apprised of the spectrum of devices and services Microsoft offers is critical to helping them to promote, sell, and deploy the products. The accelerating pace of innovation and competition created a need for a new, agile, instant publishing program that could record and distribute training content in as little as 24 hours, reaching Microsoft employees across the globe.
In response, Microsoft created the Always On Program, which publishes short videos (less than 10 minutes) throughout the year to offer just-in-time training beginning on the day new products and services are released. Always On supports all main product releases, product updates, and corporate initiatives.
Program Details
The Always On Program began as an extension of The Readiness Edge training program, which produces online, video-based courses required for the Microsoft Sales, Marketing, and Services Group’s approximately 45,000 employees. Always On expands that audience to encompass all of Microsoft (approximately 128,000 employees). The program’s audience now includes 8 percent of Engineering and 15 percent of all Microsoft employees, many of whom have viewed several videos (viewing is optional).
Always On consists of three series addressing urgent business needs:
- Demo Rock Star includes product demos for both consumers and enterprise customers.
- Out of the Box shows the latest Windows hardware available from both Microsoft (e.g., Surface) and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partners.
- On the Edge covers breaking news and major announcements. Strong relationships with internal stakeholders have given The Readiness Edge team a deep understanding of business needs and working closely with subject matter experts helps the team to develop the right level of content for each video. Internal processes and an informal format enable The Readiness Edge team to produce and edit videos quickly and secure final sign-off from topic owners in a short timeframe.
A channel on an internal, SharePoint-based, searchable platform hosts Always On content. Microsoft employees can access videos from outside the firewall using their Microsoft credentials, thanks to a recent migration of the delivery platform to the Microsoft Cloud.
Videos may be tagged by product, series, Microsoft organization, business group, and channel. Each of the three Always On series has its own sub-page below the channel’s main page. Always On videos may be cross-posted to other channels relevant to the content. Links to timely Always On videos appear on the Microsoft Web (MSW) home page and in the weekly MSW newsletter.
To promote awareness and consumption, Always On videos are advertised at events such as MGX (Microsoft Global Exchange) with 10,000 to 15,000 attendees. Always On periodically hosts contests requiring employees to watch a video in order to enter to win prizes such as an Xbox or a Windows Phone. Additionally, users can provide real-time feedback using Yammer, an enterprise social networking service that is integrated with the Always On channel.
Results
Production time for training videos has been reduced from several months to 24 to 48 hours. For fiscal year 2014 (July 1, 2013– June 30, 2014), the goal was for Always On to deliver at least 80 videos; reach 10,000 unique users in Microsoft; and achieve 25,000 views. Since its inception in May 2013, Always On has published 143 videos that have been watched by 22,000 unique users in Microsoft, resulting in more than 67,000 views. These metrics have allowed the Always On Channel to consistently rank in the top three most popular channels on the internal platform.
The ability to provide new product training to employees on the day products launch has resulted in a surge of requests from internal business groups for the Always On modality. As such, the program has been pivotal in driving ad hoc readiness for products such as Surface 2, Surface Pro 3, OneDrive for Business, Office for iPad, Windows 8.1 Update, and Windows Phone 8.1.
