Problem Context: Insurance company was spending approximately $1,500 per employee, multiplied by ~200 employees per year, to travel to Cincinnati location for customer service and sales training with a heavy emphasis on role-play. Total cost for this training was estimated at $300,000, excluding various opportunity costs. I was an intern learning the basics of Instructional Design, using Storyline and other core software. The training expenditure was viewed as an annual fixed cost with no plans of changing.
Solution: I met with the Customer Service Manager to pitch an idea to create role play-based e-learning simulations. The intent was to cut the 4-day training down into two days or less by creating a flipped and/or blended training overhaul that would have learners complete the e-learning simulations prior to class and reflect on the training during it. These simulations would include multiple branching conversational paths, instant feedback in a gamified ‘points & badges’ award system, elements of randomness (e.g., which virtual customers a learner would interact with), and other complex features utilizing Storyline’s variables and triggers. I created several prototypes of these e-learning modules along with a tentative SOP for how to integrate and align the new technology with existing practices and processes. The Customer Service Manager and my Learning & Development colleagues met to help me refine the idea based on myriad business considerations, caveats, etc. Once refined, it was brought to the Director of Business Development where it was approved and later implemented.
Result: As the internship was short-term, I had to leave the project shortly after it was approved. Through my continued friendship and contact with my team after I left the company, I later discovered that my ideas grew through an interdepartmental collaborative team effort and were fully implemented with some modifications. Specifically, the company eventually ceased onsite trainings altogether in favor of a fully remote model that utilized the e-learning modules in conjunction with live facilitation via WebEx. After initial costs, this led to an annual logistics savings of $300,000+, as well as decreasing onboarding time by 50% – from four days down to two days total – which also had indirect ROI, such as greatly reducing the workload and stress of all employees formerly tasked to help facilitate the old onsite training.
