This document outlines the specifics of the training program that is being developed by M7 Training Solutions (MTS) for PJ Enterprises.

Transcription

1 Project Plan This document outlines the specifics of the training program that is being developed by M7 Training Solutions (MTS) for PJ Enterprises. Project Name This phase of our project is called New Product Training 2.0. Project Description/Overview MTS will produce a training course for Telephone Operators and Customer Service Supervisors pertaining to new products. The initial training will be developed and conducted by MTS prior to the introduction of the Summer Catalog released 4/15/15. The new product training course developed by MTS will then be modified by PJ Enterprises going forward to mirror the new products introduced in the upcoming quarterly catalogs. Project Purpose and Justification PJ Enterprises hired MTS because they believed training would be the solution to increase catalog sales and reduce customer complaints. MTS affirmed this conclusion by conducting a performance analysis, which determined the following: Current product training only describes new product, it does not provide visuals Current product training provides minimal opportunities for notetaking/interaction Current product training does not include an assessment to ensure employee understanding Existing Product Guide does not offer efficient means to locate product information and has durability issues Important product information is not available to customers and telephone operators alike High level of customer dissatisfaction due to lack of Telephone Operator product knowledge/ability to answer questions. New Product Training 2.0 will successfully address the above listed opportunities. In addressing these opportunities, PJ Enterprises will be able to meet their business objectives. Business Objectives The business objectives of PJ Enterprises that will be specifically addressed by this training are:

2 Improve customer service scores by at least 10% Reduce telephone operator call time to handle 6 calls per hour Increase telephone operator product sales by 20% Scope Statement Deliverables Included MTS will design, develop, and deliver a 7-hour seat time initial new product training that contains new products for the Summer 2015 catalog. MTS will complete pre-development new product research for Product Knowledge Information Guide (PDF) MTS will create the Product Knowledge Information Guide (PDF) MTS will develop the training design document MTS will develop a style guide to be consistent with existing company branding MTS will provide a general course agenda and a PowerPoint template for course materials that can be updated by PJ Enterprises with new products for upcoming catalogs. Additionally, the content includes interactive activities, introduction of Product Knowledge Job Guide (PDF), and assessment of knowledge. MTS will train the trainers (Maria Gomez and Sara Commons) or others as designated by PJ Enterprises, to conduct the training class going forward and will provide a facilitator guide. Telephone Operators and Customer Service Supervisors will be provided a participant guide (content mirrors PowerPoint slide presentation of new products) Pilot Test Training will be conducted with SMEs, future trainers, and select learners prior to the roll out of the training MTS will conduct a summative evaluation after the training and provide an analysis report to PJ Enterprises Exclusions PJ Enterprises will be responsible for: Reviewing the content for accuracy and appropriateness for audience in a timely manner to respect project schedule Ensuring that the necessary resources are available for the creation of course content

3 Making copies of printed materials for facilitator guides, job aides, course completion certifications, or any other materials to be used for training Ongoing training and development for employees following completion of training Ongoing training and development for employees hired after delivery of training Reviewing the Product Knowledge Job Guide (PDF) upon completion for inclusion of all products and completeness of information found with each product Install Adobe Acrobat XL on workstations of the Telephone Operators and Customer Service Supervisors Ongoing addition of new products to the Product Knowledge Job Guide (PDF) Determining which product information to highlight in the New Product Training Ongoing process of updating the Power Point presentation, Participant Guide and Facilitator Guides with new product information Providing sample products for the New Product Training classes Project Completion Criteria MTS will have fulfilled their obligations and the project is to be considered completed once the following actions take place: Initial training courses are delivered with Telephone Operators and Customer Service Supervisors Train-the Trainers courses have been delivered Training Facilitation Guides are turned over to PJ Enterprises Pilot course assessment data is turned into PJ Enterprises Pilot course evaluation data is turned into PJ Enterprises External Dependencies None identified at this time Assumptions MTS makes the following assumptions about this project: Project timeline and budget is based on PJ Enterprises expressed priorities All the appropriate stakeholders and team members have been identified MTS will design and develop courses as described above for Telephone Operators and Customer Service Supervisors Personnel will be available to conduct the ongoing training

4 SMEs will be available to provide needed information for course development and review design document and materials at the key sign off points referenced above MTS will have access to PJ Enterprises training facilities for all trainings PJ Enterprises will accommodate for reduced service levels while employees are permitted to attend training PJ Enterprises will pay Adobe Acrobat Licensing of $14/month * 8 workstations = $102 month PJ Enterprises will ensure that employees are available for the pilot/initial trainings Project Plans Constraints MTS has identified the following project constraints: Though there are none currently identified, unanticipated competing projects may impact the timeline Timeline outlined is dependent upon the availability of SMEs to review design and materials at key sign off points Changes in PJ Enterprises priorities may impact the project solutions and / or project timeline Dependent on client IT support for installing Adobe Acrobat and distributing Product Knowledge Information Guide (PDF) Limited access to Subject Matter Experts for project information Milestones The following milestones have been identified as points of delivery where PJ Enterprises will be asked to sign off on the deliverables. Milestone or Activity Course / Deliverable Target Date Client Sign Off - Predevelopment Product Research Client Sign Off Design Document Client Sign Off - Style Guide Provide document outlining product list, descriptions, and categories Provide new product training design document file Provide new product training style guide file 11/28/14 1/14/15 1/16/15

5 Client Sign Off- Power Point Presentation Provide Power Point 02/09/15 Client Sign Off- Facilitators Guide Client Sign Off - Participant Guide Client Sign Off - Pilot Training Client Sign Off - Training Rollout Client Handover - Assessment Results Final Client Signoff Provide new product training facilitator guide file Provide new product training participant guide file Conduct training with SMEs, future trainers and test learners Deliver New Product Training 2.0 to all Telephone Operators and Customer Service Supervisors Analysis of summative assessment results Training Course Ownership Handover 2/23/15 2/16/15 3/9/15 3/11/15 3/17/15 3/20/15 Project Approach The MTS project team will approach the New Product Training 2.0 project using the ADDIE process for Instructional Design, which includes Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. MTS identified the New Product Training 2.0 as a solution to identified training needs in the Performance Analysis Report previously provided to PJ Enterprises. MTS will be conducting all phases of the project in-house and will not need to outsource any tasks or resources. However, PJ Enterprises will provide content and supply MTS with current training materials. MTS will complete this project in the following phases: Conduct a job task analysis to ensure that the training meets the needs of telephone operators Create a complete design document detailing the project purpose, learning objectives, strategies, and assessments Develop the course materials according to the design document Deliver and assess pilot test training, including a train the trainer component Deliver and assess initial roll out of the training

6 In order to ensure that all phases are completed smoothly and within scope, MTS has developed a complete work breakdown schedule, a communication plan, a risk assessment, and a process for managing project scope changes. Details regarding these components appear below. Scheduled Meetings A bi-weekly meeting will be held onsite at PJ Enterprises with the following audiences present: MTS Project Team, Project Sponsor, and SMEs. This meeting will be held on Friday mornings in the main conference room. Client sign-off meetings will scheduled in real time with Project Sponsor and Project Owner to obtain client sign offs on project deliverables. Additional meetings may be requested throughout the life of the project as needed at the discretion of the stakeholders. Scheduled Status Reports Weekly status reports will be delivered via every Monday to all stakeholders, including the following audiences: Project Owner, Project Sponsor, SMEs and Reviewers, Trainers, Human Resources, Information Technology,. This update will be provided by noon every Monday throughout the life of the project. This status report will highlight progress completed the prior week and outline progress goals for the upcoming week. WBS Diagram The chart below is a 10,000-ft view of the MTS New Product Training 2.0 Work Breakdown Structure. To view the complete WBS, please see the attached PDF document MTS New Product Training WBS.PDF. Schedule This is a view of the first page of the MTS New Product Training 2.0 schedule in Calendar format. To view the complete schedule, please see the attached excel document MTS New Product Training WBS and Schedule.xls. To see a calendar view of the schedule, please see the attached MTS New Product Training Calendar.pdf.

7 Exported on November 23, :22:52 PM EST Page 1 of 5 Gantt Chart The image below is the first page of the MTS New Product Training 2.0 Gantt chart. To view our complete Gantt Chart, please see the attached MTS New Product Gantt Chart.pdf. It is easiest to view if you print it out and lay the Gantt across in 4-page sections.

8 Exported on November 23, :19:06 PM EST Page 1 of 20

9 Risk Assessment In order to minimize the effects of potential threats to the project that can result in a delayed timeline and higher costs, MTS has completed a thorough risk assessment and determined an appropriate mitigation strategy for each potential risk. An outline of our assessment follows: Risk One or more SMEs have been given higher priority work tasks and are not available to provide content to MTS One or more stakeholders responsible for project review and approval at key milestones have become unavailable and are unable to respond to s, phone calls, or requests for meetings Last minute catalog product changes need to be made to PDF catalog, resulting in delay in searchable PDF creation, delaying timeline Future course trainers are extremely busy and are not available to observe and provide feedback on pilot test course Risk Level (L/M/H) M H M H Likelihood of Event Medium Medium Low Low Mitigation Strategy MTS will communicate all documents/data needed so that PJ Enterprises can provide them in a timely manner. If a SME becomes unavailable, MTS team will meet to determine if content can be obtained through other identified SMEs. If project will be impacted, the project sponsor will be notified via regarding the project impact. MTS will ensure that other approval stakeholders are notified via regarding the delay in approval and possible delay to timeline. Request consideration of amending approval process to exclude this stakeholder, in order to not delay the project or approval to extend timeline. MTS will try to ensure that the products featured in the PDF are the final products for the 1 st quarter catalog. If additional items need to be added, a revised project timeline will be created. MTS will make an effort to schedule the pilot test training date with future trainers at least 2 weeks ahead of time.

10 Risk Due to illnesses or weather, catalog order department is short staffed at the time of pilot testing so selected learners cannot participate in pilot test course Development team underestimates time required to for development, resulting in delayed timeline One or more SMEs or project approvers take additional time off for the holidays, delaying the schedule for content or key milestone approvals Material production equipment (printer/copier) breaks down during course materials development or during preparation for pilot test course Computer equipment is not working on the day of the pilot test or the actual training deliver day Risk Level (L/M/H) L M M L M Likelihood of Event Medium Medium Low Low Low Mitigation Strategy This will have little impact on the project. The Pilot Test Training will be conducted with the available selected learners. MTS will meet to discuss the timeline to see if there are other tasks that may allow for a shortened timeline. To make up the difference. If time cannot be shaved from other tasks, a revised project timeline will be created and sent to key stakeholders who approve project milestones via . MTS will provide the projected milestone schedule and will provide updates to ensure that all key approvers are aware of the schedule in advance. If an key approver is known to be unavailable in advance, MTS will request that the project move forward with the other approval signatures. Copying and printing of training materials will be outsourced. A back up computer will be selected during the pilot training set up process.

11 Change Management Plan Purpose The Change Management process establishes a structure for tracking the submission, coordination, evaluation, review, and approval of any and all changes to the project. Goals Changes that could impact project cost, timeline, deliverables, or scope must be fully evaluated, vetted, approved, communicated, and tracked. Our change control process provides the management of both PJ Enterprises and MTS with: A mechanism for tracking all change requests A transparent process for making informed decisions about proposed changes An evaluation of the impact of the change to the overall project An addendum to the Project Plan that specifies any modifications to deliverables, cost, timeline, and scope Approved Change Requests are added as deliverables to the Project Acceptance Document Change Control Process Step 1. Request change to project 2. Generate Change Request (CR) 3. Log CR Status Description Project Sponsor submits change requests to MTS for evaluation. Based upon request for change, the Project Coordinator at MTS generates a Change Request Form. MTS Project Coordinator enters the CR into the CR Log. The CR s status is updated throughout the CR process as needed. 4. Evaluate CR MTS Project Manager evaluates the CR and provides an estimated level of effort to process, and develops a proposal outlining costs and schedule impacts for the incorporation of the suggested change into the project 5. Authorize Approval to move forward with incorporating the suggested change into the project/product provided by the Project Sponsor via the Change Control Team 6. Implement If approved, MTS will make the necessary adjustments to carry out the requested change and communicate CR status to the submitter and other stakeholders. The status of every CR is included in weekly with all project updates. CR deliverables are added to the Project Acceptance Document.

12 Change requests are evaluated and assigned one of the following status types: Status Open Rejected Approved Work in Progress Ready for Review Completed Description Entered/Open but not yet reviewed by the Change Control Team CR was rejected by the Change Control Team CR approved by the Change Control Team, scheduled and assigned CR work is progressing CR work is completed and is ready for review by PJ Enterprises CR work is complete and has been signed off on Change Control Team Person Project Sponsor, Jane Smith Responsibilities Submit change order request to MTS Project Coordinator Review and approval of project change orders Project Owner, Mike Merrill Project Manager, Rhonda Mikelenas Project Coordinator, MS Review and approval of project change orders Incur change order expenses Draft, propose, and secure acceptance and approval of project change orders Initial receipt of change order request from client Assist in drafting of change order proposal, including providing Rhonda M analysis data of project metric impacts Update project schedule and metrics to reflect impact of approved change orders

13 Communication Plan Communication Objectives This communication plan seeks to accomplish the following objectives: Bolster project support from all stakeholders and empower them with a clear understanding of their roles in the project s success Sustain confidence in the vision and real time development of the project Define a consistent standard and expectation for project communication deliverables Mitigate inefficiencies and confusion in communication processes Create a safe environment for two-way communication to nurture the project to satisfactory completion Change Implications This project initiative requests a heightened participation and flexibility of all stakeholders. The success of the initiative s objectives is dependent on stakeholders openness to the reality of change and a commitment to engaging in its success. The following are changes that can be expected as a result of this initiative: A Product Knowledge Information Guide in PDF format is a major training deliverable that will be introduced during training and provided on Telephone Operator and Customer Service Supervisor workstations. Telephone Operators will be expected to use this tool to search for and quickly find information to improve customer experience The Product Knowledge Information Guide (PDF) will include an increased breadth of information about the products, including dimensions, width, etc. Telephone Operators should be able to provide ancillary product information from personal perspective due to familiarity with the tangible products Telephone Operators will have increased responsibility in handling calls from beginning to end Telephone Operators call times should be reduced Call transfers to Customer Service Supervisors should be reduced Telephone Operators will be expected to meet outlined quality and performance metrics pertaining to call quality and product sales Telephone Operators and Customer Service Supervisors will have ample opportunity to raise questions and address concerns during training The training experience will be more engaging and more informative

14 The following will facilitate project success: A PDF featuring the new products will need to be created, installed, and used by employees during calls Participant guides will be handed out at the beginning of training The existing paper product guide will be eliminated Employees should be paid for attending training Employees will complete a new product training assessment Physical products will need to be made available for training sessions The following behaviors will need to change to facilitate project success: Trainers need to actively involve trainees through hands-on and interactive activities Trainers need to provide enough time for questions during training Telephone Operators need to actively engage in new product training Telephone Operators need to confidently and appropriately use the Product Knowledge Information Guide (PDF) Telephone Operators will be expected to handle the majority of their customer calls from beginning to end, transferring to Customer Service Supervisors only in the case of escalation Telephone Operators will be held accountable to QA and performance standards. Customer Service Supervisors will be expected to demonstrate leadership in product knowledge and act as supportive and accessible resources for telephone operators Management will prioritize training and understand that employee motivation is tied to compensation. Employee time will therefore be respected and compensated for training. Human Resources will develop and work with management to roll out an incentive program, partially based on metrics achieved through successful implementation of knowledge gained through training Audiences and Key Messages The following chart summarizes project audiences and key messages that will be conveyed in the project communication strategy:

15 Audience Jane Smith, Project Sponsor Mike Merrill, Project Owner MTS Project Team Members Sheena Perez and Ray Johnson, Subject Matter Expert and Reviewer Sara Commons and Maria Gomez, Reviewers, Trainers, and Subject Matter Experts Paula Moore, and Rosalinda Sanchez, Additional Subject Matter Experts and Reviewers Key Messages This new product training initiative is being done to increase catalog sales and reduce customer complaints to meet company growth goals. The purpose of this training initiative is to empower the employee to improve their employment and by extension, the customer experience This training initiative will benefit the customer by guaranteeing telephone operators that are knowledgeable, confident, and creative product consultants in their ordering experience This training initiative will benefit PJ Enterprises by facilitating the company s success in meeting product sales, customer service, and profitability goals PJ Enterprises will be supported throughout this change by consistent and transparent communication, engagement with and attentive listening to all employees, and commitment to the project s success by MTS This training initiative will begin at Project Kick Off on 11/17/14 and conclude at Project Close by the end of March PJ Enterprises will know this training initiative has been successful when follow up assessment data demonstrates progress toward supporting the company s goals. This training initiative is being done to improve employee retention of product knowledge and improve the customer experience The purpose of this training initiative is to provide a concise and thorough new product training that includes hands on learning experiences and allows ample opportunity for absorption and demonstration of product knowledge. This training initiative will benefit the customer by offering them an efficient, informative, and positive ordering experience This training initiative will benefit PJ Enterprises by improving trainer and trainee experience through demonstrated results PJ Enterprises will be supported throughout this change by offering accessible avenues for suggestions, concerns, and general input throughout the project development process. This training initiative will begin at Project Kick Off on 11/17/14 and conclude at Project Close by the end of March PJ Enterprises will know this training initiative has been successful when follow up assessment data demonstrates progress toward supporting the company s goals.

16 Audience Human Resources Telephone Operators Customer Service Supervisors Key Messages This new product training initiative is being done to improve employee morale and improve the customer experience The purpose of this training initiative is to empower the employee to improve their employment and by extension, the customer experience This training initiative will benefit the customer by offering telephone operators with developed expertise due to reduced turnover This training initiative will benefit PJ Enterprises reducing HR workload through reduced employee turnover and dissatisfaction PJ Enterprises will be supported throughout this change by consistent and transparent communication, engagement with and attentive listening to all employees, and commitment to the project s success by MTS This training initiative will begin at Project Kick Off on 11/17/14 and conclude at Project Close by the end of March PJ Enterprises will know this training initiative has been successful when employee turnover is reduced and employee job satisfaction is improved This new product training initiative is being done to empower you with increased product knowledge and resources to facilitate more positive customer service experience and therefore a more positive job experience The purpose of this training initiative is to provide a concise and thorough new product training that includes hands on learning experiences and allows ample opportunity for absorption and demonstration of product knowledge. This training initiative will benefit the customer by offering them an efficient, informative, and positive ordering experience This training initiative will benefit PJ Enterprises by improving your experience as telephone operators through improved access to information thereby improving your customer interactions. PJ Enterprises will be supported throughout this change by offering accessible avenues for suggestions, concerns, and general input throughout the project development process. This training initiative will begin on 11/17/14 and conclude at Project Close by the end of March PJ Enterprises will know this training initiative has been successful when you pass the new product training assessment, transfer this knowledge and confidence to the customer s experience, and meet quality and performance metrics