2010 Technology Conference & Expo

Lessons Learned:Building Bridges for Effective

E-LearningWednesday, December 15, 2010

2:15pm to 3:30pmContent Leaders:

Gregory Dean, Executive Director Insurance Education, AHIP

Raffaele Vitelli, Sr. Director, Operations and Finance, AHIP

Tobin Conley, Senior Consultant, DelCor Technology Solutions

Brendan Noud, Senior Project Manager, WBT Systems

About the Center

• We currently offer 40+ courses and 15+ designation programs covering topics such as…

– Fundamentals of Health Insurance– Managed Care– Disability Income Insurance– Medicare– Long Term Care– Annuities

Where were we before TopClass?

• Courses offered in self-study with text book format only• “Mailed in” Paper Exams• No access to student’s training history• No possibility of managing students for supervisors• Processes were carried out manually, were time consuming, and prone to

human error• No options to expand or diversify our offerings

Steps to Success at AHIP

• Create the Right Team– Appropriate Representation – “What’s in it for Me?”

• Provide Direction & Vision– Decision making criteria– Success Metrics

• Engage in Sound Process

Gathering Requirements

• Meet with all appropriate areas– NOT just IT and Education/Certification

• Mandatory, Preferred and Optional

• Identify potential problems/issues

• Listen and remain flexible

The Vendor as Your Friend (NOT Your Enemy)

• The Value of Clarity & Transparency

• Remembering the Golden Rule

• Translate when necessary

• Build trust over time

• Consider it a long-term relationship

Project “Do’s & Don’ts”Do:

• Plan • Communicate• Cooperate• Document• Test [and re-test!]• Measure• Revisit regularly

Don’t:• Compete • Complain• Obfuscate• Overcomplicate• Forget the future• Give up

The Challenges

• Aggressive Timeframe– New LMS needed to be live for AHIP’s Summer Semester– 7 month implementation from kick-off to go-live– Missing deadline would have delayed LMS launch by 3 months

• Several Parties Involved– AHIP– Delcor– WBT Systems– Innovatia (hosting partner)– Fusion Productions (course content provider)

The Challenges• Wide-ranging Business Needs

– Center for Insurance Education• Move to online learning• E-Commerce Functionality (Designations, Courses, Books)• Complex Certification Rules• Improved Customer Service• Need to empower students’ managers

– Finance Department• Integration with Finance system• Order fulfilment• Reporting

– Marketing Department• Communication with Members• Promotions / cross-selling opportunities

– IT Department• Hosted Solution• High Availability• Minimum support requirements

The Solution

• TopClass Learning Management System– Integrated e-Commerce functionality

• Member / Non-member pricing• Multiple Product Types (Designations, Courses, Books)• Coupons / Tokens / Upsell Functionality• Ability for managers to bulk purchase• Multiple payment options (credit card, bill me, debit a/c)

—Online course bookmarking and testing engine—Automatic awarding of certificates—Flexible notification options (enrollment, completion, fixed date, days after

completion)— iMIS (membership data base) Integration—My Students functionality for managers

The Implementation Approach

• WBT’s QuickValue Project Management Methodology• Put a Project Board in place:

– Project Sponsor to own the project– Key Business Owners / Stakeholders– Monthly Project Board Meetings to:

• Review progress / project schedule• Make key decisions• Review project risks / issues• Manage changes in scope

• Put a project team in place:– Attend weekly status calls– Manage projects tasks from an AHIP and WBT perspective– Manage communication with 3rd parties– Technical resources to develop solution

The Implementation Approach

• Phased Approach

– Project Kick-off– Requirements Gathering– Solution Design– Development– Training– UAT– Go-Live– Post Implementation Support

Potential Pitfalls

• Getting the project team size right• Taking on too many IT projects at once• Scope creep (importance of prioritizing requirements)• Agreeing on a master system (AMS or LMS) • Getting sample data for integration points early• Importance of a go-live checklist (tasks, responsibilities)• Identifying all possible workflows

– How members / non-members will interact with LMS– Registering new user accounts– Single sign-on between association website and LMS– Anonymous browsing of catalog

The Immediate Results

• LMS went live on schedule, on budget– In time for AHIP’s Summer Semester– 8 online courses available for purchase / enrollment

• Improved operations within the Center– Less time spent on customer calls / emails– Certificates no longer had to be printed and posted out– Can focus on developing new course offerings– Can promote special offers / marketing initiatives

The Immediate Results

• More options available to Managers / Students

– Managers can manage training budgets better– Managers can track progress of their students– Students have access to full training history– Students can print their own certificates when they want– Managers / Students can take advantage of discounts– “Corporate” options

2 ½ Years Later

• 60% of our 45+ courses are now online

• All Instructional Design is done in house

• Moved to TopClass ver. 8

• Capable of Providing “personalized” solutions

• Expanding Partnerships

• Exploring new ways of delivering instruction and providing support (Virtual Forums, Blogs, live chat, etc.)

Contact Information