Copier King gets toner change

When Xerox announced its purchase of new software, I wanted to make sure it was accompanied by a state-of-the-art training program. Gary Flood reports on how the company seeks to provide multilingual, multi-mix training program.

Xerox is not just the company that invented the concept of photocopies, its famous Palo Alto Research Labs gave the world the first true personal computer, the graphical user interface, mouse, laser printing and even Ethernet. Their products are still at the heart of many business processes document.

But last year, Xerox’s managers had begun to think that somehow the company was in need of a change toner business.

“We had a previous version of a purchasing management system that was okay – but we were not sure they were getting all the benefits we wanted from him, ‘Simon Hannaford, training manager at Xerox, responsible for training all fall change business processes work, the office said. “Bad habits had crept into use and in some cases well-meaning passers-by misunderstandings about the system that had existed for years.

As a result, Hannaford and his team analyzed the best way to launch a new important application, the SAP platform, and soon decided that the best way to go would be through a phased approach, where key applications are installed one by one. The first step was decided to be the introduction of the management of SAP’s relationship with suppliers (SRM) module.

Why? Well, with thousands of suppliers, clarify what is happening around Xerox’s annual purchasing spend was clearly an important priority. And, as a testbed for the project to transform all the right SRM would a test for the global initiative and a prototype of the elements coming, too.

SRM involved the introduction of two systems that support and enhance the work being done in the purchase of: SAP SRM and upgrading to a funding package. To do this well done, Hannaford says, also meant getting a little help from experts. “We do not want to build a training organization for this project,” he says.

This was particularly necessary as Xerox wanted a real mixture (e-learning allied with the traditional classroom) approach. Not only were there many people who are well trained, but to get SRM Xerox Europe also always going to have several major countries and the challenges in several languages.

Xerox wanted to give their staff a state-of-art training program that has confidence in – and knowledge – new systems and processes.

This was partly to encourage better use of the system, we also hope to provide specific business benefits, including cutting purchase deadlines and processing costs through the electronic catalog more useful mechanism (ideally 5 percent to 25 percent), the overall cut costs by standardizing processes and systems, obtain the signature of the experience, the better the system performance and overall user experience and ultimately improve the quality and compliance reporting .

Meanwhile, the overall strategy for the training of mixture needed a launch, training program in several languages which not only cover the broad range of learning styles and techniques, but also provide long term support not only for employees existing but also new owners.

Staff within the local administrative units were to deliver learning events and to manage change programs of awareness, while working as AMCD training provider to supply the main components. Xerox mandate for training materials that he only met the key criteria would be acceptable, given the importance of the overall project. Thus, all the training material had to be modular, flexible, robust and easily adapted (customized).

A key factor was that everything had to be easily transferable (as part of an “approach to teacher training) faster to update and distribute. Finally, Xerox as a customer wanted to ensure that could go on and exposure of reference used for training and that training was effective and stuck to the budget.

AMCD was able to convince Hannaford and his team that his approach would achieve these objectives, especially regarding the form of translation and localization of content can be achieved in different European countries.

The project started in April 2006 with AMCD development of all relevant material to the end of August, with a short, sharp delivery of only six weeks.

The program contains several elements that Hannaford said were important to the ultimate success of the project. Just as e-learning and translation, instructor-led training and coaching techniques, a lot of support materials, as helpcards step and detailed user guides have been developed.

In addition, to help track the impact of training, user feedback was gathered using web-based surveying tools, while a special training site to celebrate all the simulations (examples of how to perform certain procedures in new systems) and other support materials are available.

This was hosted on the website of the training provider, but it was linked to its own system of Xerox Learning Management (LMS) for reporting and training needs of management.

The training partner provided a general project manager responsible for development and deployment of training content, plus three dedicated SRM experts and a number of technical advisers to the side of finances and other aspects. The team included consultants native French, Spanish and Germans who were able to review and ensure quality of all English materials.

Over 60 ’storyboards’ that eventually became e-learning simulations were also created, and nine sets of instructor led courses (eg, instructor guides, exercises, fact sheets and questionnaires) for classroom use.

In terms of delivery to the actual users, Xerox played an important role, managing quality control, translation (which uses its own internal department Translation Xerox), while the messaging and progress of the project was sent Xerox community through its own institutional role of internal communications.

Train of the training sessions were conducted about two weeks in the development phase for the transfer of knowledge to representatives from Xerox and explain how to work with the training portal. Some 20 internal trainers were selected to deliver blended training events that occurred about 1,000 jobs across Europe. The window of training began in mid-July, while refresher courses took place in early September.

The basis for achieving this duty paid, think Hannaford – Comments training after the project indicated that 90 percent of staff who had taken the course felt confident in their skills and knowledge to perform its function.

For go-day live AMCD had delivered a total of 206 separate training and supporting components. SRM and SAP module was finally launched in September 2006.

Given the breadth of this coverage to the near-term allies, it is not surprising that the project won the prestigious Gold Award from the Institute of IT Training (IITT) in category ‘External Training Project of the Year for 2007.

This level of award is for situations in which the partners (clients and training delivered) have really worked together on a critical business initiative with aggressive timelines.

Hannaford has also insisted that since the implementation of SRM always been seen as one step in a multistep program of change, what was learned needed to be captured in order to help subsequent projects. This was done with a structure of project review meetings that feedback from evaluation of feedback mechanisms, both formal and informal, including web survey, course evaluation forms, hit the e-learning account and content of the comments Xerox community.

Hannaford said: “Clearly there is a significant reduction in the purchase of delivery times and improve the visibility of both business performance through information management [SRM post]. Many of the business efficiencies and reducing projected costs have already been achieved.

Hannaford does not have a piece of advice on the basis of this successful project to move to other trainers? “It’s not all going well and there were some bumpy moments. But what I learned here is Palito Ortega – if you know what to do is the right of business just thanking you.