Software Futures, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSE Securities Exchange-listed MGX, has delivered a technology-based training (TBT) application to Vodacom's Customer Care department to fast-track staff skills on its Siebel Systems implementation.
The system, believed to be the first South African TBT solution developed for a Siebel customer relationship management (CRM) system, cuts training time by up to 75%, enabling rapid deployment of new training and cutting costs.
Following a basic introductory course for first-time users, the TBT system decreases the time required by Vodacom's 850 customer support staff to learn changes to Siebel by providing online training that users can access in their own time and follow at their own speed. This means users need only 15 minutes to learn changes at their desks, where previously they would have been away from their desks for a lengthy period to achieve the same outcome. This time-saving is having an overall positive effect on call centre agents' ability to maintain the high level of proficiency they require in their roles as a key interface between Vodacom and its six million cellular subscribers.
The need for the TBT system came about when Vodacom Billing Systems decided to implement Siebel in September 1999. At the time, Vodacom's training division required a solution that would enable it to train an initial 650 customer care staff on Siebel in six weeks to dovetail with the system's go-live date in November 1999. In addition, the TBT system had to be flexible enough to cope with frequent changes to the CRM system.
As the core customer care support channel for call centre agents, the CRM system is regularly and proactively enhanced to ensure the highest standard of customer service. The TBT system also had to be able to communicate these changes to staff members on an ongoing basis, and enable them to master them quickly, whenever they occurred.
Other requirements were that the solution should:
* Reduce Siebel training time from five days to three, which ultimately reduces staff's time away from their desks;
* Be accessible from users' desktops, enabling self-guided learning, in their own time, thus empowering the users, increasing knowledge retention, improving skill transfer and promoting knowledge sharing: all proven benefits of TBT;
* Provide built-in competency and evaluation tests to ensure staff keep up to date with system changes; and
* Enable managers/trainers to track the progress of staff.
The solution devised by Software Futures comprises a simulation of Vodacom's Siebel system using a combination of the Macromedia Suite, which includes Authorware and Flash, integrated into Microsoft SQL, Visual Basic, ASP (active server pages) and XML (extensible markup language). Software Futures also supplies ongoing support and maintenance for the TBT system.
"The initial training roll-out was done on a staggered basis, first to the customer centres, then to the network manager centres and finally to the Vodacom Service Provider centres and was highly successful," says Joan Joffe, group executive, corporate affairs, Vodacom. "Subsequently, Software Futures provided customisations for other divisions in Vodacom that need to use the system, using 60% of the framework they had developed, and adding 40% of customisation."
In addition, where and when changes are made to the Siebel system, around every four to six weeks, Software Futures Cape translates the changes to TBT within a 72-hour turnaround period, to ensure call centre staff are able to update their skills as soon as possible.
"When the project began both Vodacom and Software Futures understood there was an element of risk. However, Vodacom felt that if the solution worked and achieved its goal of reducing the amount of lecture-led training and eliminating the need for a paper-based manual, it would be worthwhile," says Joffe. "The difference between learning from a paper manual and using the TBT simulator is similar to reading a manual on how to fly a plane and getting into a flight simulator cockpit."
"We gave Software Futures the opportunity to develop the system because of their proactive interest in our situation at the beginning of the Siebel implementation. The breadth and scope of the project changed constantly, and Software Futures was always flexible enough to accept the change and the accompanying risk. We are very happy with the outcome."
"As only 20% of all major enterprise systems have built-in TBT systems, and these are usually not customisable, training departments are faced with the daunting task of constantly having to upgrade paper-based user manuals," says Irwin van Stavel, assistant business unit leader of Software Futures.
"A true test of a system's success is the way the end-users use it," says Sue Ingram, Software Futures account manager in charge of key client Vodacom. "This TBT system is constantly being used and is playing an effective role in maintaining Vodacom's call centre staff skills."
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