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Project Gap Analysis Strategy

October 31, 2014

Project Description

PJ Enterprises is a catalog distributor with ambitious growth goals. The company

has retained the services of our instructional design consultancy to address their

training needs in support of their growth projections. As part of the project,

Training By Design will also examine the overall business environment at PJ

Enterprises to maximize the effects of any training developed and provide

additional recommendations to improve their operations.

Information Needed

After a preliminary review of PJ Enterprises operations, the Training By Design

team has compiled a list of areas for further examination. These include:

Who is our main point of contact? Who are the key stakeholders for this

task?

Call center capacity, from a technical perspective: Is it possible existing

infrastructure will not support the projected growth?

Online Ordering System: Does PJ Enterprises intend to develop an online

purchasing capability to relieve pressure from the call center operators.

What is the timeline for deployment?

What training methodologies has PJ Enterprises experimented with? What

is the budget for internal labor to allow employees to attend training?

Who do they intend to do the instruction – internal staff, vendors, or

Training By Design staff?

Training By Design would like additional information about the incentive

program – flexibility, budget, tolerance for modification, etc.

What are the reasons for relatively high employee turnover in the call

center? How does PJ Enterprises retention compare with industry

standards? Can we interview line employees to get further insight into this

area?

As a rough order of magnitude, what is the scope/scale of the company’s

desire to grow its internal customer list? What is management’s timeline

for this project? How do they intend to achieve this goal?

How does PJ Enterprise’s management team communicate process,

procedure, and standards to its workforce?

What does success look like (in terms other than net revenue gains)

Team Strategy

The team suggests a strategy of one-on-one interviews and surveys with employees

at different levels, performing different functions within the organization. While

PJ Enterprises suspects call center training is a root cause, Training By Design

would like to execute a more holistic needs analysis that includes a review of:


recruiting/interviewing/hiring, management training, and incentivization. The

team would also like to evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of PJ

Enterprise’s call center, and enter a discussion with leadership regarding the

viability of shifting some workload to an online purchasing portal.

Analysis Plan

Analysis

Activity/Method

Target Audience Purpose or Information You Hope

to Gain

Team Member

Responsible

1. Interviews Telephone

Operators

In the current working

environment, what has training

prepared you to deal with? What

do you feel the organization could

benefit from if they trained more

formally? What training do you

personally feel would enable you

to do your job better, and to derive

greater satisfaction? What

customer issues do you routinely

encounter day-to-day? How can

training be better?

Michele

2. Hiring Process

Review and

Compensation

Plan Discussion

HR Managers What is the process, is it legal, and

why does the company have a

retention problem?

Jamison

3. Training

Program

Review

Telephone

Operators

Customer

Service

Supervisors

Determine current state of

training, understand the types of

training currently used.

Sophia

4. Customer

Experience

Data

Customers What happens when problems are

brought to management’s

attention?

Dave


Task 1 – Employee Interviews and Training Program Review

Details of Activity/Method The Training By Design team anticipates the bulk of information needed to structure the

training program will be derived through interviews and follow-on discussions with line

workers. The team will use a sequence of online surveys followed by in-person interviews

to gain an understanding of:

- The needs of telephone operators.

- The current procedures?c

- The correct procedures.

- Factors are impacting retention at PJ Enterprises.

The team will also use the same strategy with each of the four the Customer Service Supervisors.

The goal of this discussion is similar, and should provide insight to:

- The needs of the Customer Service Supervisors.

- The common hygiene factors impacting working conditions at PJ Enterprises.


Questions to Ask Catalog Division Employees The questions below will be integrated into an online survey mechanism.

Questions for the Online Survey – Telephone Operators and Customer Service Supervisors 1. How long have you been employed at PJ Enterprises:

< 1 year 1-3 years 3+ years

2. Overall, how satisfied are you with your job? Very satisfied Satisfied Not satisfied, but no unsatisfied Unsatisfied Very unsatisfied

3. What factors about your job give you the most satisfaction? 4. What factors about your job are the most significant irritants? What might cause you to seek

new employment? 5. Do you feel you got enough training to do your job?

Yes No

6. Describe the types of training you have received to make you better at your job. 7. Which method of training do you prefer?

Classroom Internet Video

8. Would seeing and touching the products be helpful in the training? Yes No

9. Are employee meetings helpful? Yes No, because_______________

10. Identify two things that motivate you.


Task 2 - Hiring Process Review and Compensation Plan – Human Resources Managers

Details of Activity/Method Training By Design will interview Human Resources Managers at PJ Enterprises to:

- Understand the specifics of their hiring process

- Review exit interviews to determine reasons employees leave

- Understand/gain insight into PJ Enterprise’s compensation strategy

Training by design will interview Human Resources managers using the questions below.

Following the interviews, Training By Design will review the data collected, determine key

response topics, organize the topics, compare the results of the interview to industry best practices,

and present results to the stakeholders.

Questions to Ask Catalog Division Employees In addition to looking at the exit interviews, the Training By Design Team will use the

following questions as a guide to execute this activity:

- What does the telephone operator hiring process at PJ Enterprise consist of?

Expected responses should include the various stages from job application

vetting through hiring and up to onboarding.

- How are telephone operators compensated for quality work? How does PJ

Enterprises seek to recruit and retain “best in class” operators?

- What are the industry norms for compensation, and how does PJ Enterprises

compare? (This is an off line research question the team will answer using

external resources)

- How do you feel employee retention at PJ Enterprises compares to industry

standards?


Task 3 – Training Program Review

Details of Activity/Method This activity will target trainers and training designers, telephone operators and

supervisory personnel. We may also seek access to Human Resources and Management

Personnel. The purpose of this activity is to gain an understanding of what the course

currently contains. We know the training room contains a LCD projector and the trainees may

learn best by hearing and working with information as opposed to reading the information. We

will review the current content and design of the Power Point decks used in pre-catalog

release training seminars.

Task 4 - Merchandising

Details of Activity/Method Training by Design will interview Buyer Staff at PJ Enterprises to: 1) Find out the catalog

item selection process. TBD will meet with Buyer Staff at PJ Enterprises to interview

them, using a series of questions related to trade show and vendor numbers, product

quality, and overall selection processes. Upon completion of the interview process,,

Training By Design will review the data, determine key response topics, organize the

information and present the results to stakeholders.

Questions to Ask The Training By Design Team will use the following questions as a guide to execute this

activity:

- How are items selected for the seasonal catalogs?

- What types of trade shows does the buying staff attend?

- How many vendors are involved in PJ Enterprises Merchandising process?

- What is the baseline of quality the company seeks to provide?

- How are employees engaged in the merchandising process?

- Do Telephone Operators understand the products they are representing to

customers?

Task 5 – Customer Experience Data

Details of Activity/Method This is expected to be a quick activity – we seek to gain insight to the customer’s

perception of value and service from their experience at PJ Enterprises. We will review

the customer feedback already available to look for trends. We will also seek permission

and access to recent customers to derive independent data.

Questions to Ask

- Do you have customer satisfaction survey data that you can share with us to

aid our analysis?

- (If yes) How do you use this data to improve operations in the call center?


- (If no) Would you be willing to allow us to contact recent customers to

interview them about their purchasing experience?

Roadblocks & Dependencies

Roadblocks are to be expected on a project of this nature – the fact is that people are reluctant to change.

We hope to establish a project charter from the beginning, and we plan to help PJ Enterprises with strategic

communication and messaging throughout the project. Our major concerns at this point:

- Employee Resistance -- do they want to participate?

- Timing and access to employees. What is their coverage plan so we have

access without further disrupting operations. Are they being paid to

participate?

Strategies to Mitigate Risks

- Advise employees that their inputs are confidential and won’t be shared with

PJ Enterprises Leadership (outside of aggregated data)

- Tie participation to something they want?

- Make sure they know what’s in it for them?

- Keep the surveys SHORT!


IMPROVING SERVICE AND SALES – AN ANALYSIS REPORT Prepared for PJ Enterprises


Performance Analysis Report

November 9, 2014

Introduction

This report is submitted to PJ Enterprises on behalf of Training By Design

Incorporated. PJ has asked for Training By Design to design, develop, and deliver

a learning program for the telephone operators to substitute the training course that

has previously been done by Sheena Perez and Judie Thompson. The company

would like to increase sales and revenue while improving customer service and

employee retention.

Background

Many PJ employees had the opportunity to interact with our team. Training By

Design met with Jane (management) to get more information about the customer

service complaints and employee turnover. After this meeting, Training By Design

suggested a full performance analysis be done to examine PJ’s business operations.

Performance Analysis elements included interviews with Jane (management),

Judie Thompson (catalog director), Sheena Perez (merchandising manager) at PJ

Enterprises. A group interview was done with operators and supervisors to explore

thoughts regarding catalog sales, customer service, incentives, PJ’s mission and the

monthly meetings. In addition, managers, previous trainers, and telephone

operators completed electronic surveys, which gathered information regarding

ordering, training, and general PJ information. Last, we observed working

conditions and employee interactions. The following report details our

observations and recommendations.

Purpose of the Report

This report is provided in response to your request for a training solution to issues

of customer service and employee retention. We understand PJ Enterprise’s

aggressive growth goals for the future and have target areas and recommended

solutions to enable your team for future success.


Version Control

Version Date Comments

DRAFT 11/7/2014 Initial document

Revision 1 11/8/2014 Completed Training Plan, Tech Edits

Revision 2 11/9/2014 Minor Technical Edits

Incorporated Charts

Added Coversheet

Revision 3 11/9/2014 Final Team Inputs reviewed and

incorporated

Analysis Methods

The Training by Design team has completed our initial data collection and analysis

of results. We approached our research with a six-point process. The table below

offers a brief description of each activity, the audience we targeted, and the

purpose of the activity/information we were seeking to gain.

Analysis

Activity/Method

Target Audience Purpose or Information You Hope to Gain

1. Employee

Interviews and

Electronic Survey

Line employees What’s wrong? What’s right? How can

training be better?

2. Hiring Process

Review and

Compensation Plan

Discussion

HR Managers What is the process, is it legal, and why

does the company have a retention

problem?

3. Training Program

Review

Telephone Operators

Customer Service

Supervisors

Determine current state of training,

understand the types of training currently

used, and examine potential for more

student-centric methodologies.

4. Customer

Experience Data

Customers What do they do when they find out about

issues


Data Summary: Employee Interviews and Electronic Survey

The above graphic expresses results relevant to the issues identified in the

employee interviews. Of most concern, out of the 20 operators that responded to

the survey 18 reported an issue with job training. Secondary concerns include low

or absent meeting/seminar compensation and poor product training.

Importantly, the issue with job training matches with what PJ Enterprises has

requested from Training By Design. These numbers are based on the raw data

gathered during employee interviews and surveys.

Data Summary: Infrastructure/Environment Analysis

PJ Enterprises is in the process of updating systems in its call center. The current

environment has significant shortfalls that impact telephone operator efficiency.

See findings and suggestions sections of this report for additional detail.

Data Summary: Hiring Process/Compensation Plan Discussions

The hiring process is informal via an initial phone interview. The interview process

includes a phone interview done with prospective telephone operators. The phone

calls are structured as sample phone calls that an operator would do with

customers. There is no follow-up interview in-person. Hiring is based on etiquette

over the phone during the initial phone interview. Specifically, managers and

previous trainers reported that people are hired based on courtesy demonstrated in

the initial phone interview.

New hire training is outlined in more detail in the “Training Program Review”

summary.

Compensation was viewed differently between operators and management.

Compensation was reported by management and previous trainers as up to industry

standards, yet in exit interviews the operators mentioned the money was not

competitive. It should be reported that operators specifically found customers too

impatient making the money not worth the hassle. In addition, there is no payment

or compensation for monthly meetings and employee attendance is low for these

meetings. Management reported wanted to keep these meetings optional.


In addition, there is no compensation for training. The theory is that if the

employees are trained well, it will show up in sales, incentives, and salaries.

Data Summary: Training Program Review

The training program is currently sparse and simple. The training for telephone

operators can be divided into two types: one for catalog training done quarterly,

one for onboarding.

Onboarding training includes communicated expectations over the phone during

the initial phone interview. Training on the system is done with operators the first

day of work with a supervisor, after which, operators are expected to perform well

in completing orders without review of processes or procedures. This onboarding

is in the form of orientation that includes 2 hours of company history, 2 hours of

demonstrations on the order entry system, 2 hours on current products, and 2 hours

filling out paperwork. The order entry system training is purely based on features

and benefits. No case scenarios are used for the training. The TOs reported the

system is easy to use after about three days of experience placing orders. Human

resources reported operators do okay but take a awhile to get up to speed, this was

not seen as uncommon.

Catalog training is done four times a year two weeks prior to the release of new

catalogs and is unpaid time for the Telephone Operators. Training content is done

by Sheena and Judie (no formal training education) via a 2.5 hour PowerPoint

presentation solely based on the new merchandise in the catalog followed by a 30

minute question and answer session. TOs reported that the training sessions are

inadequate and boring. Learning assessments are not used to measure training

success or TO knowledge and performance.

There are no training manuals to assist trainers nor learner materials provided to

the telephone operators; although, a paper copy of the product guide is passed out

to TOs upon training end. TOs reported that the product guide is difficult to use

and the new products are mixed in with all of the old ones.

When asked about an online training system, the two trainers didn’t know much

about the outcomes or possibilities with this style of training delivery. It was

reported that TOs and managers have never received computer-based training in

the past.

Other trainings were not reported. Specifically, there is no training for supervisors

regarding leadership and management and there is no operator training for

telephone etiquette, customer service, or procedural training for the order

placement system. If there is a “service” issue while attempting to complete an

order, the operator transfers the customer to a customer service operator.

The reason for requesting our service in revamping the training is that PJ expects

to see a reduction in customer complaints and staff turnover. These trainings will

become a part of the staff development program for PJ Enterprises. Telephone

etiquette was mentioned by management as a subject to be included in future

training.


Data Summary: Call Issue Report Data

Surveys were administered at the end of each call with the same telephone operator

that placed the order. Questions asked relate to whether the customer was satisfied

with the order placement system, the operator’s services, the catalog

contents/items, and overall satisfaction

Customer service surveys revealed that 6 out of 7 customers reported that they

were unsatisfied with their experience placing an order by phone with PJ

Enterprises. In addition, two out of three customers reported a complaint about the

telephone operator. Complaints reported relate to product knowledge, telephone

etiquette, and prompt response (wait times are long). 50% of respondents reported

that they were not inclined to do business with PJ Enterprises again as a result of

poor customer service they received.

Analysis Findings

Our findings will address data discovered during employee interviews,

infrastructure/environment analysis, review of hiring processes, training program

review, merchandising review, and our review of customer service data.

Employee Interviews

Our employee interviews suggest that new hire employees enter the work center

excited to get to work and motivated to perform. There is evidence to suggest that

a lack of formal training, lack of follow-up on-the-job training, the lack of a

computerized performance support system, and PJ Enterprises overall

compensation/recognition strategies quickly de-motivate employees. There is

evidence to suggest that call center employees are frustrated by their lack of

proficiency. Further evidence suggests that the product-centric quarterly training

sessions are inadequate to satisfy learning objectives. Employees are also

asked/expected to attend sales meetings and training seminars on their own time –

they are not compensated for their participation in these events. Employee

turnover is above industry norms.


Many of the company’s processes and practices seem appropriate for a relatively

small operation where quality is easy to monitor and standards can be

communicated by word of mouth. As the company’s workforce grows in size, and

particularly in light of high turnover, PJ Enterprises must invest now in training

and infrastructure support. Additionally, the company should consider some

attention to strategic communication in the form of enhanced mission and vision

statements.

Infrastructure/Environment Analysis

PJ Enterprises is in the process of updating systems in its call center. The initial

rollout for the system is Q3 2015, however, management suggests the project may

be slightly behind schedule. In the meantime, the current system is operating at

approximately 85% capacity. There is little attention to the ergonomic

environment for workers – they are forced to work with paper copy reference

materials and hand held telephone handsets. Existing systems are slow; it is

anticipated that the updates will fix this problem. There is no online ordering

capability; all orders pass through the human operators in the call center.

Hiring Process/Compensation Plan Discussions

PJ Enterprises management believes its compensation plan is on par with

competitors. Exit interviews suggest a majority of employees leave for improved

strategies. The company has no formal onboarding program. Initial workcenter

training is limited and inadequate. The company has an incentive program for

exceptional performance, but it is limited to a small discount on merchandise –

there are no cash incentives, commissions, or bonuses available for exceptional

performers. Managers suggest they may not have the ability to access, interview,

recruit, and retain the best available candidates for open positions. There does not

appear to be a coherent promotion process in place.

Employees are also asked/expected to attend sales meetings and training seminars

on their own time – they are not compensated for their participation in these

events.

Training Program Review

The current training program is inadequate. There is no formal onboarding

process, no work center introduction, and no initial skills training to baseline

performance expectations and standards. Follow-on training for new product roll-

out is PowerPoint based and ineffective according to managers, supervisors, and

employees.

Merchandising Review

PJ Enterprises is satisfied with its merchandise selection process. We uncovered

no evidence to suggest that customers’ desires enhanced quality or broader product

selections.

Customer Experience Data Review

Reviews of customer call experience were quite revealing. PJ Enterprises has

collected its own customer experience trends data to reinforce the conclusion that

job aids are outdated, training is insufficient, and infrastructure is inadequate to


provide world-class customer service. Telephone Operators are not equipped with

the skills to deal with common, fundamental customer issues. Overall, PJ

Enterprises customer experience ratings are below industry standards.

Identification of Needs

We highlight three primary needs areas for consideration as critical deficiencies as

PJ Enterprise’s seeks to meet its aggressive growth goals – Training, Infrastructure,

and Customer Service.

Training

New training, mentoring, and compensation programs to meet industry and

professional standards for both line workers and supervisors. Training and

mentoring programs could be expanded to include comprehensive training for new

hires and new catalog products. Compensation can be offered during trainings and

meetings to improve employee attendance and overall preparedness.

Infrastructure

PJ Enterprises needs infrastructure to support increased revenue from orders and

telephone operator efficiency. The system capacity needs to match usage in order

to maximize system benefits and get the most bang for the buck.

Customer Service and Performance Support

Improved customer service and enhance customer satisfaction. PJ Enterprises

needs a customer service procedure that includes preventative efforts by way of

training telephone operators in customer service and phone etiquette.

“PJ Enterprises will provide customer satisfaction by offering premium merchandise products at

competitive pricing and providing excellent and knowledgeable customer service. We will gain

market share through excellence in all we do.”

Recommended Solutions for PJ Enterprises to Consider

While Training By Design is prepared to tackle the challenges PJ Enterprises faces

to professionalize its customer service / telephone operators staff with training, the

organization also needs to address some factors external to trainng:

As PJ Enterprises strives to meet its growth goals, it will need to consider

training, mentoring, and compensation to professionalize its sales force.

PJ Enterprises should consider additional infrastructure investment to

include work center upgrades, ergonomic enhancements, computerized

performance support systems, and an online web portal for a portion of

customers to complete their own orders.

As PJ Enterprises strives to meet its growth goals, it will need to consider

training and compensation strategies to recruit, access, and retain line-

level leaders who can help grow the business.


PJ Enterprise’s customer experience is well below industry benchmarks.

This is helpful information and PJ should continue to survey customers

on their experience. Consideration should be placed in using an

automated survey completion system so that the operators can move on

to the next order placement call.

The training strategy should be structured with the end vision in mind to

ensure content and delivery are appropriate for employee and

organizational needs.

Our sister company, Strategy By Design stands ready to engage with PJ

Enterprises for compensation plan, formal infrastructure assessment, performance

support system design, testing and implementation, and web portal design.

Proposed Solutions for Training By Design to Carry Out

Training By Design is ideally suited to help with the overhaul of PJ Enterprise’s

training program. We have experience in this industry and have helped a vast array

of clients in similar situations. Our work in one setting improved productivity by

38%, reduced customer complaints and error rates by more than two-thirds, and

has resulted in greatly enhanced retention. Year-over-year net revenue jumped

40%. While we cannot guarantee similar results in this case, we have every reason

to expect we can help PJ Enterprise meet their goals.

For this program overhaul, we recommend a three tiered approach.

Initial Systems Training/New Hire Orientation: This block would focus on the

equipment the telephone operators use on a day-to-basis. In addition to equipment,

we would use this training to introduce service standards and customer relations

policy through simulation-based events. Training evaluation would occur on

several levels, to include academic testing and performance evaluation on the

simulation events. In this area, performance support materials would consist of

basic order taking scripts, frequently asked questions database, and

complaint/escalation procedures.

Product Training: The current approach to training is ineffective for the vast

majority of employees. We will design, develop and implement a hands-on/tour-

based review of existing product. In addition to staging new seasonal merchandise

in an area for employees to examine, we would recommend soliciting their inputs

for catalog information – what do they like best, what features attract them to the

product. They might also be canvasses for input on pricing strategy during this

period. Outside of formal training sessions during product release, this same area

would be used to familiarize new employees with the entire product line, and could

be available as “petting zoo” for employees to revisit to enhance product

knowledge during breaks or other downtime. We would also consider weekly

product knowledge challenges for teams of employees to compete for internal

shopping credit, small monetary gifts, or similar types of award. Performance

support materials would be incorporated into an online database to allow the

employee to answer frequently asked questions about specific product items

without having to flip through loose piles of paperwork. This would expedite their

work and professionalize the customer experience.

Follow-on -- Supervisor/Manager Training: Finally, we would recommend follow-

on training for supervisors and managers. As the company grows, by necessity so

will its leadership and supervisory staff. It will become increasingly important for

the firm to norm supervisor/employee relations and to ensure all supervisory

personnel understand and apply human resources guidance and corporate policy in


a uniform manner. These training sessions could be recurring in nature, and could

also introduce some fundamental leadership, management, and performance

feedback/counselling techniques. One feature we would include would be call

review, where real, taped conversations could be played for group critique to

emphasize themes, articulate trends, or address specific learning objectives.

Additionally, our training process would feature a mentor/protégé relationship

between experienced operators and newer hires. This would give new hires a near-

peer to interact with for questions, alleviate some manger workload, and also begin

to define a progression for employees considering long-term employment with PJ

Enterprises.

Lastly, we have experience developing and fielding low-cost online training

solutions. If implemented, a properly managed learning management system can

enhance communication, standardize training, and allow employees remote access

to training materials.

Evaluation Plan

The Training By Design Team endorses a Five Level Training Evaluation Plan.

We develop our evaluation plan before we begin training development; this

calibrates objectives and ensures that any training we develop will deploy and

achieve desired effects. It allows us to spot problems immediately and make on-

the-fly corrections. Finally, our process recognizes that training evaluation is an

additional investment for our clients, so we apply these resources prudently. Some

tasks can be evaluated with simple academic knowledge checks. Others require

more in depth observation to accurately gauge training efficacy. We propose the

following evaluation strategy for our training program:

Level 1: Student Reaction At this level of evaluation, we seek to ensure the students are responding favorably to the training, and that the training environment is conducive to facilitiate learning.

- In class – instructor interim summary/Q&A session

- “Third party” sensing sessions – training director, training analyst, PJ internal, could be a

member of our team

- Student end-of- training critiques

Likert Scale and constructive response

Level 2: Student Learning At this level of evaluation, we check learning at the group and individual levels. In our experience, we find students and instructors prefer to operate in a game-based activity (as compared to paper tests). We provide a variety of activities that allow the instructors to assess learning, and also to provide additional content or review weak areas based on group performance.

- Classroom review activities:

- PowerPoint Games: Jeopardy/Pyramid/Clue, etc

- Formative/Summative quiz/test

- Lightweight role playing activities

Level 3: Behavior This level of evaluation occurs post training, and assesses how the trainees retain the information they’ve learned, as well as how well they


have been able to incorporate the training into their daily on-the-job routines. Notice the natural linkage that will exist between Program A – Telephone Operator Training and Program B – Product Training. This linkage will offer some rudimentary evidence to support Level 3 evaluation in the training environment.

- Observation in the work center

- Post-training supervisor interviews (how are they different, what’s better, what can be

improved)

- QA/TO call recordings

Level 4: Results – Return on Expectations Return on expectations is measured at this level of evaluation. Training By Design will return to the PJ Enterprises site approximately six months following the completion of the pilot program and train the trainer activities to help assess the efficacy of training at this level.

- Customer Feedback positive / negative

- Trendline year over year

- Retention/employee satisfaction (retention is a bottom line issue, the hiring process is

expensive)

- Management Interviews

Level 5: Return on Investment Finally, return on investment is the highest level of evaluation, and measures the results of training at the business level. While other factors will also contribute to this metric,key success indicators of training could include the following list. Alternately, we can consider negative results at this level an indicator of the need to make adjustments to the training programs.

- Did they meet their revenue/sales goals for the year? Are the telephone operators

completing 6 order placement calls per hour with happy customers at hang-up?

- Are there return customers because of their previous experience with PJ telephone

operators?

- Cost of training / year over year revenue metric

Request for Proposal

The Training By Design Team would like to take this opportunity to thank PJ

Enterprises for the opportunity to visit their operations. We appreciate the extra

effort by leadership, management, and employees to make our time productive.

We are excited to help your organization succeed and grow. At your request, we

will submit a written proposal to detail our plan of work. We’re eager to get to

work!

WebsiteSB+Team_1_Project_Portfolio_141211pm_jem 19

Project Charter

November 16, 2014

Project Information

Project Name and Description: Improving Service and Sales at PJ Enterprises

Training By Design is undertaking an initiative to improve customer service and sales

at PJ Enterprises. We seek to optimize performance by establishing durable, formal

training programs to support onboarding, call center training, and product knowledge

for sales staff and telephone operators. Our team delivers blended training programs

consisting of academics, performance/demonstration/laboratory events, and hands-on

exposure to product lines. The training will be developed to consider PJ Enterprise’s

revenue and growth goals as a key success indicator.

Project Manager

Jamison Patrick is our project manager for this project. He is backed by a team of

certified learning and development professionals. As necessary, he will reach back to

Training By Design’s substantial web design, graphics arts, and interactive gaming

programmers to deliver a finished, high-end training experience.

Project Sponsor

Jane Smith will provide sponsorship and advocacy for the Training By Design team as

our key contact on the PJ Enterprises leadership team.

Project Owner

PJ Enterprises corporate leadership commissioned this effort and will retain ownership

of all materials and intellectual capital generated as a result of this charter. This

includes training materials and any evaluation or testing data. Design documents,

project charters, and other administrative documents are the shared property of PJ

Enterprises and Training By Design. All materials, discussions, and results of this

effort should be considered confidential and proprietary between both parties. Within

the PJ Enterprises leadership team, Mr. Mike Merrill has been formally designated as

the project owner. All day-to-day interaction with the Training By Design team, to

include milestones and signoffs is delegated to the project sponsor.

Stakeholders and Impact

In addition to the Project Manager and the Project Owner, Training By Design will

rely heavily on stakeholders at all levels for subject matter expertise and input at key

points in the delivery process. These stakeholders include:

Employees: Telephone Operators – Arguably, the Telephone Operators

will have some of the most relevant input to the design and content of the

training. Also, they stand to feel the most direct impact of the training

through better performance, clearer standards and expectations, and an


enhanced work environment. Telephone Operators are responsible for

participating in alpha and beta testing of training materials, and are

responsible for providing feedback to the training design team. PJ

Enterprises has formally designated Sarah Commons, Maria Gomez, Paula

Moore, and Rosalinda Sanchez as subject matter experts and key

contributors for development, pilot, and delivery of the telephone operator

portion of the training program.

Ray Johnson: With the departure of Judie Thompson, Ray Johnson has

emerged as an additional resource. Ray has substantial knowledge of day-

to-day operations, Ray will provide broad subject matter expertise, and

identify key staff for interviews and assistance to the training design team.

Sheena Perez/Sarah Commons/Maria Gomez: Sheena is dual hatted as the

Merchandising Manager and Catalog Director as Judie transitions to her

new role. While she is extremely busy, she has invaluable product

knowledge and will have key inputs to the design of the product

knowledge component of our training program. Sheena will provide

oversight to the design team, and has identified Sarah Commons and Maria

Gomez as her leads for subject matter expertise on product information, as

well as call center operations.

Customer Service Supervisors (Sarah Commons/Maria Gomez): As

discussed above, these individuals will represent the Customer Service

Supervisors for this effort. The Customer Service Supervisors are

operations at PJ Enterprises. They know what’s working, and they know

the pitfalls they encounter on a daily basis in the call center. They have

much to gain through clear performance standards, and will be

instrumental in professionalizing the customer experience for PJ

Enterprise’s patrons. Call Service Supervisors will provide critical

training feedback from their perspective of daily operations managers.

Training By Design Team: At Training By Design, we consider

ourselves as mission partners with our clients – your success is our

success. Our industry relies on referrals from past projects as evidence of

our qualifications. We won’t quit until we get it right.

Version Date


1 11/13/2014 Initial document

2 11/15/2014

(am)

Changes Incorporated, Format, Edits


Description of Work

Project Purpose

The purpose of this project is to increase sales and revenue of PJ Enterprises. Additionally,

the training should result in improved customer service and bolster employee retention.

Business Objectives

There are three main business objectives associated with this initiative:

Increase employee retention

Improve customer service scores by 10%

Sustain or increase profits by 100% (year over year)

Project Deliverables

Training By Design will deliver three unique training programs under this effort:

#1) Deliverable 1: New Hire Orientation/Training for Telephone Operators

(Program A)

This training will emphasize equipment, service standards, and policies on service

relations. Training will be delivered and evaluated in two ways: computer modules

and simulated events. Performance support materials will consist of basic order-taking

scripts, a frequently asked questions database, and complaint/escalation procedures.

Each computer module will have a seat time of 10-15 minutes. New hires will be

expected to complete the module assessments with a minimum score of 80%.

Computer modules will include:

Answering the phone and beginning conversations with customers

Entering an order into the order management system

Answering product questions

Answering shipping questions

Answering return policy questions

Selling additional products

Completing the call and ending conversations with customers

The simulated event will consist of three calls and an oral formative assessment, per

new hire. Seat time total will be 45 minutes per new hire. According to current

staffing plans at PJ Enterprises, Sarah Commons or Maria Gomez will conduct

simulated calls with new hires. New hires will receive feedback on an initial

simulation-based formative event prior to summative evaluation in the same format.

Simulated event topics:

Paraphrasing customer concerns

Maintaining composure

Demonstrating patience

Applying computer module training skills

#2) Deliverable 2: Product Training (Program B)


Product Training will include a hands-on, tour-based review of existing products.

Training will be delivered using a show-and-tell method, allowing time for employee

questions. New seasonal merchandise will also be staged in an area for employees to

examine.

The show-and-tell method of training will have a seat time of 60 minutes per session

and will be done with groups of shift workers. Each session will cover 5 products.

The intent is that over the course of one week, employees will have hands-on exposure

to each product. The final training session will have time set aside for a game-based

review challenge. The challenge will be a game-show-like PowerPoint deck. This will

ensure ease of updates after the initial training project is complete, and will facilitate

the instructor’s ability to assess student learning. The training session will also be

taped and made available online.

The classroom (display room) will have products available for employee review

between training sessions and after training concludes. As part of this plan,

PJ Enterprises will need to commit sustainment funds to set up the room and maintain

the displays.

The final component of this deliverable will be the product guide and content for the

online support system currently being fielded by PJ Enterprises. The design of the

product guide will describe features and benefits of each product, list answers to

frequently asked questions, and also cross-reference additional merchandise that may

also hold interest for consumers. This will enable telephone operators to make quick

recommendations and maximize sales to already-willing customers. The product guide

will be modular in nature to allow for ease of update when merchandise is deleted,

added, or for seasonal changes in inventory. These changes will highlight to each

operator in a news panel at each system login.

#3) Deliverable 3: Supervisor/Manager Training (Program C)

Supervisor/Manager Training will emphasize human resource guidelines and policies.

A key point of emphasis will be enacting policy in a uniform manner. One training

session will be held bi-annually with all supervisors and managers in one session. Seat

time will be 90 minutes per session. The Director of Human Resources will conduct

this training.

Training topics include:

Human Resource guidelines

Human Resource policies

Employee Handbook review

Work In Scope

All analysis, planning, preparatory, and development work associated with this project

is considered in scope. The work in scope includes New Hire Orientation/Training for

Telephone Operators, Product Training, and Supervisor/Manager Training along with

training materials and modules. Training materials include a PowerPoint for each

training session, accompanying activities as appendices in the Facilitators’ Guide,

Facilitators’ Guide for entire program, and Assessments as PowerPoints and

Worksheets. The scope of work also includes a training evaluation plan and a follow-

up visit by Training By Design approximately six months after the initial rollout of the


training program. Acceptance of this charter becomes the statement of work that

Training By Design will adhere to. Signatures on this charter will complete the

planning phase of this project.

Out of Scope

Training By Design will not complete additional work not included in this charter. If

additional work is deemed necessary, a new project charter will need to be designed,

agreed upon, and signed by all parties involved. Training By Design does not conduct

training. The sole exception to this provision is for pilot testing of course materials

with your internal training staff and initial train the trainer sessions with functional

leads. Additional Training services are available outside of this charter and can be

negotiated separately. Unless clearly identified in this project charter, Training By

Design does not provide staff augmentation or other human resources support.

Project Completion Criteria

This project will be completed when all training materials are delivered to PJ

Enterprises. PJ Enterprises will schedule follow-up and formal results-level evaluation

approximately six months after the initial delivery of the final training materials.

Project Parameters

Project Team Members & Roles

The table below presents roles and responsibilities for each project participant. Formal

introductions will be part of our kick-off events.

Name

Role

Responsibilities

Est. Time (in hours)

Jamison Patrick

Project Manager

Project Completion

520

Sophia Burris

Project Coordinator

Coordinate Team

1240

Ingrid Sutherland

Instructional Designer

Instructional Design

520

Dave Matthews

Technical Writer

Edit Documents

520

Michele Williams

Business Analyst

Research

520

Sheena Perez

PJ Enterprises SME

Content Expert and

Reviewer

100

Ray Johnson PJ Enterprises SME Merchandising 200


Expert, Subject

Matter Expert for all

Training Design and

Development,

Sheena’s Stand-in

Sarah Commons PJ Enterprises SME Company Trainer,

Customer Service

Expert, Content

Expert, Feedback,

Analysis and Review

of All Training

100

Maria Gomez PJ Enterprises SME Company Trainer,

Customer Service

Expert, Content

Expert, Feedback,

Analysis and Review

of All Training

100

Paula Moore PJ Enterprises SME Telephone Operator

Expert, Analysis and

Review of Training

related to TOs

100

Rosalinda Sanchez PJ Enterprises SME Telephone Operator

Expert, Analysis and

Review of Training

related to TOs, New

Employee Perspective

100

Company IT

PJ Enterprises

Technology

520

* If anyone listed in this chart is transferred or cannot perform their duties, the responsible company will be

responsible for replacing them immediately


Project Milestones

The table below outlines key milestones and task leads for this project.

Milestone

Date

Charter completion –

Jamison Patrick

12/1/14

Project plan completion –

Jamison Patrick and David Matthews

12/8/14

Instructional materials completion –

David Matthews

1/9/15

Training Needs Assessments 11/21/14

Initial Design Documents: 12/5/14

Product Guide 12/26/14

Facilitator Guide Review 2/3/15

Training commencement – Alpha and Pilot Programs

Sophia Burris

2/18/15

Training completion (initial) – Pilot Programs

Sophia Burris

3/3/15

Six month assessment –

Sophia Burris

9/14/15

Vendor Assistance Required

Training by Design does not plan to use the assistance of an outside vendor at this

time.

Budget

The table below outlines projected budget. Formal accounting will be provided at

the completion of each milestone as well as a composite report at the conclusion of

the project.

Deliverable/Solution

Total Work Estimated

Cost

Project Charter 40 hours @ $80 per hour $3,200

Project Plan 40 hours @ $80 per hour $3,200

Design Documents 40 hours @ $80 per hour as below: Program A: TOO Training 25 hours @ $80 per hour $2000


Program B: Product Fam 7 hours @ $80 per hour $560 Program C: Management 8 hours @ $80 per hour $640

Scripts 70 hours @ $80 per hour as below: Program A 35 hours @ $80 per hour $2800 Program B 25 hours @ $80 per hour $2000 Program C 10 hours @ $80 per hour $800

Beta Version Delivery 70 hours @ $80 per hour Program A 24 hours @ $80 per hour $1920 Program B 23 hours @ $80 per hour $1840 Program C 23 hours @$80 per hour $1840

Final Training Delivery 70 hours @ $80 per hour $5,600

Status Reporting 40 hours @ $80 per hour $3,200

6-month Follow-up eval N/C

Total $29,600

Possible Problems

While we feel our experience provides substantial risk mitigation, problems may

arise during the course of any training development project. Based on past

experience, the table below identifies most common problem areas, likelihood, and

the corrective strategy we intend to employ to return to established timelines. We

have used these strategies in the past with proven results.

Problem Area Likelihood

1 – 5 scale

Problem

Owner

Project Impact and Mitigation Plan

Tech problems and

content delivery

3 Sophia

Burris

Development may take longer than expected

depending on training content provided to Training

By Design and inevitable tech problems. Mitigation

plan includes padding in the timeline for possible

tech problems and coordination of content for

training. Also, the tech budget includes tech

maintenance and security protection.

Work Schedules and

Life

4 Jamison

Patrick and

Sophia Burris

Work hours may delay collaboration between PJ

and Training By Design. Mitigation plan includes a

padded timeline allowing for canceled meetings or

delayed deadlines for design, development, and

delivery due to PJ increased work load or life

elements outside of both teams’ controls. Also, a

detailed calendar will be provided at each status

meeting and weekly deadlines will be agreed upon.

Communications 3 Sophia Burris Communications can be incomplete or incorrect

causing for misunderstanding of content, design, or

other elements in the training. Mitigation plan

includes a detailed communication plan regarding

email, phone, and meeting protocols.


Problem Area Likelihood

1 – 5 scale

Problem

Owner

Project Impact and Mitigation Plan

Employee Turnover or

Promotion

3 Jamison

Patrick and

Jane Smith

Employee turnover or promotion may happen

within our given team. Mitigation plan includes a

team member replacement requirement by both PJ

Enterprises and Training By Design. Outlined in

this requirement is that the roles that are currently

filled shall always be filled by a capable and

willing worker, prepped for collaboration by

project team members from the respective

employer immediately upon former team member

termination of project responsibilities.

Working Conditions 2 Sarah

Commons

and Maria

Gomez

Working conditions for PJ Enterprises’ employees

may impact worker performance for training testing

and evaluation. Mitigation plan includes efforts

from shift supervisors to ensure employees are

happy and comfortable. Complaints about

environment should be addressed within 1 week.

Any feedback received will be sanitized of

personally identifiable information and presented to

PJ Enterprises leadership in a consolidated report.

Assumptions

Training By Design assumes that the following will remain true:

PJ Enterprise employees are using the current call system with the printed

product guide until PJ communicates otherwise.

A training room is provided with an LCD projector to carry out trainings.

PJ Telephone Operators will continue to complete customer service surveys

upon order completion with customers.

Supervisors will keep measuring Telephone Operator performance as currently

outlined.

High employee turnover and customer dissatisfaction will remain until the new

training is implemented and all employees are trained.

PJ Enterprises will provide the Training By Design developers a secure,

on-site project team room for the duration of this effort. The room

should be equipped with internet access and adequate workspaces for up

to six at a time.

Training By Design assumes that PJ Enterprises is responsible for:

Communicating organizational improvements and obstacles to Training By

Design.

Maintaining team members to fill roles outlined in Kick-off Meeting of

project.


Providing Training By Design with training content and subject matter.

Meeting calendar deadlines related to training content, decisions, sign-offs,

reviewing, approvals, and other requests related to PJ Enterprises.

Working with project manager and coordinator to create schedule and

deadlines throughout project’s active phases.

Implementing, facilitating, and delivering training at PJ Enterprises.

Producing consumable course materials for training sessions (after initial pilot)

Completing training prep, delivery, and clean-up.

Obtaining evaluation data from training delivery interfaces and participants.

Training By Design assumes responsibility for:

Supervising budget and project schedule.

Tracking time and labor spent on all tasks.

Designing, developing, and completing outlined deliverables.

Delivering status reports delivered to PJ Enterprises team members.

Adhering to deadlines and calendar for project.

Preparing status meeting agendas and GoToMeeting online rooms.


project.

Constraints

PJ Enterprises and Training By Design agree to the following constraints:

Quality (Scope): Training By Design agrees to provide a New Hire

Orientation/Training for Telephone operators, Supervisor/Manager training,

and Product Training framework.

Cost: All deliverables will be provided to PJ Enterprises within the budget of

$29,600. Overflow costs are to be approved by PJ Enterprises in writing prior

to any further work by Training By Design. Exceptions to this include

mistakes by the Training By Design team.

Schedule: All deliverables will be provided to PJ Enterprises by November 10,

2014, with follow-up assessment completed and report returned to PJ by May

31, 2015.

SME Availability: Project success is highly dependent on timely access

to subject matter expertise for each of the three training programs we

will develop. We understand that operational tempo at certain times


may limit our access to key individuals and will flex to non-standard

work schedules to the greatest extent possible. We will work with your

project sponsor, as articulated in our communications plan, to identify

any problems in this area well in advance of adverse impact to project

timeline. Student Availability: We are proposing an aggressive rollout schedule.

This can be adjusted based on student availability for the pilot program,

however delays due to student unavailability will impact delivery

timeline.

Stakeholder Satisfaction

The hallmark of Training By Design’s success in this industry is our client’s

satisfaction. Our business grows through your referrals. Our benchmarks of

stakeholder satisfaction are listed below:

TOs: Upon completion of training, Telephone Operators and Supervisors will

be satisfied and report feeling prepared to perform job responsibilities.

PJ Project Team Members: Upon completion of training, members working

on this project will feel the program provided by Training By Design contains

all required materials to deliver training to employees.

PJ Management and Leadership: Upon completion of training program, PJ

Enterprises’ management and leadership will consider the training program to

meet expectations and provide potential company growth.

Quality of Delivery

PJ Enterprises will experience minimal glitches and implementation issues due to

Training By Design’s provided user manuals, training manuals, and descriptions.

Benefits

PJ Enterprises recognizes that the training program is only a part of the overall

plan to increase profit. Potential benefits of the training program include increased

customer satisfaction and employee retention.

External Dependencies

PJ Enterprises and Training By Design recognize the following external dependencies

that could impact planned delivery:

New call equipment installation

Market shifts or emerging requirements

Approvals

By signing below you are agreeing to the charter presented including the scope of

work, constraints, and responsibilities. In addition, you are agreeing to work towards

the overall success of this project through completion.


Role Signature Date

Training By Design

Project Manager

Jamison Patrick

__________________________________

_

_____________________

PJ Enterprises Project

Sponsor

Jane Smith

__________________________________

_

_____________________


Project Plan

November 23, 2014

Project Information

Training By Design will deliver product training for telephone operators and other

customer service personnel. The training will consist of hands-on exposure to

products, guided discussion facilitated by a structured Power Point outline, and a

PowerPoint-based “game show style” review exercise to evaluate student learning

and training effectiveness. Training By Design will deliver a complete facilitator

guide detailing set up, suggested ice breaker activities, and nominal timeline for

each discussion/demonstration item. The guide will recommend key transition

points for recommended interim reviews. It will also feature answers to anticipated

questions as well as links to performance support/product guide materials.

Project Name

For the purpose of clarity, the Training By Design Team and PJ Enterprises Staff

will refer to this training program as “Program B – Product Training” in all

correspondence, conversation, and deliverable materials.

Version Control


Initial Draft 11/20/2014 Initial document

Team Edits 11/20/2014 Team Edits

Added Comm Plan and

links to proposed

schedule

11/22/2014

Changed Milestone

Dates

11/22/14 Sophia Burris

Project Description/Overview

Training By Design is undertaking an initiative to improve customer service and

sales at PJ Enterprises. This component of training (Program B – Product

Knowledge) will empower telephone operators and customer service staff with

information to answer questions and better market merchandise to

interested/engaged customers. We seek to optimize performance by establishing

durable, formal training programs to support product knowledge for sales staff and

telephone operators. Our team delivers blended training programs consisting of

academics, performance/demonstration/laboratory events, and hands-on exposure

to product lines. The training will be developed to consider PJ Enterprise’s revenue

and growth goals as a key success indicator.


Project Purpose and Justification

The purpose of this project is to increase sales and revenue of PJ Enterprises.

Additionally, the training should result in improved customer service and bolster

employee retention.

Business Objectives

There are three main business objectives associated with this initiative:

Increase employee retention (job satisfaction)

Improve customer service scores by 10% (product knowledge)

Sustain or increase profits by 100% (year over year)

Scope Statement

Deliverables Included

All analysis, planning, preparatory, and development work associated with this

project is considered in scope. The work in scope is Product Training for

Telephone Operators and Customer Service Personnel (aka Program B – Product

Training). The scope of work also includes a training evaluation plan and a

follow-up visit by Training By Design approximately six months after the initial

rollout of the training program. We will also develop performance support

materials in the form of a product guide that will provide content when PJ

Enterprises migrates to its online support system. Charter signatories (Jamison

Patrick and Jane Smith) will indicate approval of milestones achieved and signal

authorization for the continuance of work.

Exclusions

Training By Design will not complete additional work not identified in the

“Deliverables Included” paragraph. Additional work will require a new project

charter to be signed by all parties involved. Training By Design does not conduct

training. The sole exception to this provision is for pilot testing of course materials

with your internal training staff and initial train the trainer sessions with functional

leads. Additional training services are available outside of this charter and can be

negotiated separately. Unless clearly identified in this project charter, Training By

Design does not provide staff augmentation or other human resources support.

Project Completion Criteria

This project will be completed when all trainings and training materials are

delivered to PJ Enterprises. Training By Design will work with PJ Enterprises to

identify timing and schedule follow-up and formal results-level evaluation

approximately six months after the initial delivery of the final training materials.


External Dependencies

PJ Enterprises and Training By Design recognize the following external

dependencies that could impact planned delivery:

New call equipment installation could impact employee availability

Market shifts or emerging requirements

Availability of merchandise for hands-on portions of training

Access to computer systems or a simulated environment may be a

consideration for this training

Assumptions

Training By Design assumes that the following will remain true:

A training room is provided with an LCD projector to carry out trainings.

PJ Telephone Operators will continue to complete customer service surveys

upon order completion with customers.

Supervisors will keep measuring Telephone Operator performance as currently

outlined.

High employee turnover and customer dissatisfaction will remain until the new

training is implemented and all employees are trained.

PJ Enterprises will provide the Training By Design developers a secure, on-

site project team room for the duration of this effort. The room should be

equipped with internet access and adequate workspaces for up to six at a time.

Training By Design assumes that PJ Enterprises is responsible for:

Communicating organizational improvements and obstacles to Training By

Design.


project.

Providing Training By Design with training content and subject matter.

Meeting calendar deadlines related to training content, decisions, sign-offs,

reviews, approvals, and other requests related to PJ Enterprises.

Working with project manager and coordinator to create schedule and

deadlines throughout project’s active phases.

Implementing, facilitating, and delivering training at PJ Enterprises.

Reproducing hard-copy course materials for training sessions after initial

delivery.

Completing training prep, delivery, and clean-up.


Obtaining evaluation data from training delivery interfaces and participants.

Training By Design assumes responsibility for:

Supervising budget and project schedule.

Tracking time and labor spent on all tasks.

Designing, developing, and completing outlined deliverables.

Delivering status reports delivered to PJ Enterprises team members.

Adhering to deadlines and calendar for project.

Preparing status meeting agendas and GoToMeeting online rooms.


project.

Project Plans

Constraints

PJ Enterprises and Training By Design agree to the following constraints:

Quality (Scope): Training By Design agrees to provide Product Training:

framework: content, assessment, training evaluation plan, initial pilot and train

the trainer services.

Cost: All deliverables will be provided to PJ Enterprises within the budget of

$9,500 for Program B – Product Training as itemized in the project charter.

Overflow costs are to be approved by PJ Enterprises in writing prior to any

further work by Training By Design. Exceptions to this include mistakes by

the Training By Design team. Training By Design uses an early warning

budgeting system that will flag potential cost overruns in time for stakeholders

to revise scope, quality, timeline, or budget factos.

Schedule: All deliverables will be provided to PJ Enterprises by February 15,

2015, with follow-up assessment completed and report returned to PJ by June

15, 2015.

SME Availability: Project success is highly dependent on timely access to

subject matter expertise for each of the three training programs we will

develop. We understand that operational tempo at certain times may limit our

access to key individuals and will flex to non-standard work schedules to the

greatest extent possible. We will work with your project sponsor, as

articulated in our communications plan, to identify any problems in this area

well in advance of adverse impact to project timeline.

Telephone Operator and Customer Service Representative (Student)

Availability: We are proposing an aggressive rollout schedule. This can be


adjusted based on student availability for the pilot program, however delays

due to student unavailability will impact delivery timeline.

Milestones

The following table outlines milestones associated with Program B – Product

Training:

Milestone or Activity Course/Deliverable Target

Date

Needs Analysis - 11/14/

14

Product Review/Research

Activities

Associated Content

for Program B –

Product Training

11/26/

14

Finish Product Guide for TOs Comprehensive

Product guide and

shell for future

additions of new

products

12/26/

14

Scripts and Support Materials Program B Support

Materials

1/9/15

Facilitator Guide Facilitator Guide for

Program B

2/3/15

Alpha Testing/Pilot Program Pilot Course/Train

the Trainer Sessions

for Program B

3/3/15

Final Training Delivery All course materials,

supporting

documentation,

product guide, and

final course report

for Program B

3/2/15

-

3/3/15

6-month follow-up evaluation Evaluation Report

for Program B

9/14/1

5-

9/28/1

5

Project Approach

We will manage this project in five distinct phases. The first, PLAN, is coming to a

close. We will officially transition to the PREPARE phase of this project when this

project plan is ratified by Training By Design Project Manager and the PJ Enterprises


Project Sponsor. The PREPARE phase consists of enabling research, material

collection, and final training delivery decisions. Moving to SET UP, we will compile

courseware materials, facilitator guides and other supporting learning aids in to a near-

finish quality. This phase will also produce the rough draft of the product guide and

content for the online performance support system. For the purposes of this project the

CONDUCT phase begins with the BETA Delivery and course pilot, and concludes

with train the trainer activities. Lastly, ANALYZE RESULTS will begin concurrently

with the pilot to capture student reaction and learning. ANALYZE results will

conclude approximately six months after delivery, when our team will return to

conduct results-level evaluation (return on investment/return on expectations) of

training impact. These phases form the basis for our work breakdown structure.

Primary Plans

This is a rapid development project. Training by Design requires maximum

flexibility but will operate within the constraints defined in this document.

Scheduled Meetings

In addition to formal meetings between Training By Design Staff and the Project

sponsor at each milestone or sign off point, we will check in informally with Jane

Smith each Monday morning for leadership vectors, and provide ongoing status

reporting via a weekly activity report each Friday afternoon at close of business.

Additional meetings may be scheduled at client request, or as required to facilitate

project completion.

Scheduled Status Reports

As stated, we will offer weekly progress / status reporting NLT than Friday

afternoon at the close of business. Status reporting will be suspended at the

conclusion of the pilot/train the trainer (CONDUCT) phase, and resume when the

team returns for the EVALUATE phase of the project.

WBS Diagram and Schedule

The WBS and schedule are provided below. This product is depicted below and

is provided as a separate attachment to this project plan.

Improving_Service_and_Sales_at_PJ_Enterprises.png

Click on the image icon above to open the file separately.


Gantt Chart

This Gantt chart is a visual representation of our proposed work schedule linked to our work breakdown

structure. We have provided the document as a separate attachment to this project plan.

Risk Assessment

The following table outlines reasonably foreseeable risks, our perceived level of

potential impact, the likelihood of each risk, and our mitigation strategy.


Risk Risk Level

L/M/H

Likelihood

of Event

(1 – Low, 5 –

High)

Mitigation Strategy

Technology/systems

compatibility problems

between PJ Enterprises

and Training by

Design systems

leading to content

delivery delay

M 3 Appropriate

timeline creation

and resources

allocated to include

tech maintenance

and security

protection.

Work/shift schedules

may make key

personnel unavailable

during critical phases

of development

M 4 Appropriate

timeline to allow

for cancelled

meetings or

delayed deadlines.

A detailed calendar

will be provided at

each status meeting

and weekly

deadlines will be

agreed upon.

Communications

protocols as Training

By Design integrates

with PJ Enterprises

organization.

M 3 Detailed

communication

plans regarding

email, phone, and

meeting protocols.

Employee turnover or

promotion

M 3 Employee

replacement

agreement between

PJ Enterprises and

Training By

Design.

Training delays due to

the holidays

H 5 Holiday schedule

addressed during

initial timeline

development; “fire

brigade/reachback

capability to

Training By Design

internal resources.


Risk Risk Level

L/M/H

Likelihood

of Event

(1 – Low, 5 –

High)

Mitigation Strategy

Gremlins L 1 We are confident

on our risk

assessment for this

project, however, if

unanticipated risks

emerge, we will

consult

immediately with

the project sponsor

and PJ Enterprises

staff according to

the

communications

plan outlined in this

document to

develop mitigation

strategy. We will

employ “fire

brigade” resolution

commensurate with

the level of

potential impact

Change Management Plan

Purpose

The purpose of our change management plan is to develop a procedure that ensures

scope changes are controlled and documented. As part of this procedure, a

communication plan is developed to make sure stakeholders are up-to-date on

scope changes.

Goals

The goals of our change management process are:

Develop a procedure that documents scope changes

Make sure all stakeholders are informed of scope changes

Training By Design’s change procedure is:

1. Record the requested change, who it is coming from, and when it was

requested.

2. Determine if the requestor is authorized to request changes.

3. Verify if the change is feasible.


4. Project Manager prioritizes the request against all other current work.

5. Determine what impacts the change would have on work scope, cost, and

schedule.

6. Propose change to PJ Enterprises including the impact on costs and schedules.

If PJ Enterprises accepts the proposed change:

a. Assign change request to appropriate team member

b. Update contract

c. Update work breakdown structure

d. Update budget

e. Update Gantt chart

f. Inform all stakeholders of the change

g. Maintain documentation of any changes

Responsibilities

Person Responsible Responsibilities

Jamison Patrick,

Project Manager

- Review and prioritize incoming change requests

- Assign work to address the change

- Communicate with stakeholders

Sophia Burris,

Project Coordinator

Determine scope impacts

Michele Williams,

Instructional Designer

Determine Content/Structural Changes

Dave Matthews,

Technical Writer

Update project documents

Communication Plan

Communication Objectives

Project success depends on effective communication across all levels and with all

stakeholders. The objectives of the communications plan we offer are to:

Promote and explain the purpose of training to stakeholders.

Build stakeholder confidence in training program.

Facilitate dialogue among all stakeholders.

Encourage stakeholder questions, comments, and concerns.

Disseminate correct, timely information to stakeholders about project and

statuses of project components.

Broadcast consistent messages to stakeholders.

Inform team members regularly.


Communication Principles

The Training By Design team emphasizes the following principles of effective

communication:

Clear, honest exchanges, using the PJ Enterprises’ values as a guide.

Consistent messages between participates and stakeholders.

Shared information between participants and stakeholders, regarding all

questions, comments, and concerns.

Recommended “shared” ownership of the project as a whole.

Constant civility for all involved.

Acknowledgement of stakeholder time limits.

Change Implications

To understand the implications of this project, we consider the following points in

the context of change:

How will using the new method(s) differ from what employees are used to

doing?

o Customer calls will be monitored and evaluated more frequently.

o “Best Practices” will be established to boost Telephone Operator

responsibility.

What practices have to change?

o Telephone Operators must switch between calls more quickly.

o Payment and adapted scheduling should be implemented for all staff

meetings and trainings.

What behaviors will have to change?

o Customer Service Supervisors must communicate more effectively with

the telephone operators for purposes of providing quality feedback.

o Telephone Operators will need to follow new practices that have been

newly realized.

What expectations will have to change?

o Telephone Operators must increase their product knowledge and improve

their telephone etiquette skills to lessen call time lengths and reduce

customer complaints.

Target Audiences and Key Messages

This table outlines key messages and themes to assist with communications and

change management during this period.


Audience Key Messages

Telephone Operators Communication is needed for the

stakeholders and the project team members

– why their participation is critical, and the

intended outcomes/improvements to follow

from this initiative.

A training course will be developed by the

Instructional Design Team and Subject

Matter Experts to be delivered by PJ

Enterprise employees.

Training will provide improved customer

service (inquires/orders) and reduce

customer wait times and number of calls

transferred to Customer Service

Supervisors.

Telephone Operators will benefit from a

more professional work environment.

Product knowledge and customer service

skills will empower employees to do their

job.

Training activities will begin in early

February.

Customer Service

Supervisors

A training course will be developed by the

Instructional Design Team and Subject

Matter Experts to be delivered by PJ

Enterprise employees.

Training will provide improved customer


customer wait times and number of calls

transferred to Customer Service

Supervisors.

The training will enhance the quality of

customer service and improve the etiquette

of telephone operators.

Customer Service Supervisors will

experience fewer customer complaints and

call escalations

The Training by Design team will assist PJ

Enterprises with the recalibration of

Telephone Operator knowledge and skills..


February.


Audience Key Messages

Management/Administration Training will provide improved customer


customer wait times and transfers to

Customer Service Supervisors.


February.

Challenges and Opportunities

This table outlines potential challenges for the project team:

Audience Challenge Message to address

challenge

Method or

Channel

Responsible Date

Telephone

Operators

Varying schedules Project Plan &

Overview

Informal

Meetings

Project

Manager

1

1

11/3/1

4

Customer

Service

Supervisors

Lack of

communication

with Telephone

Operators

Project Plan &

Overview

Informal

Meetings

Project

Manager

1

4

11/3/1

4

Management/

Administratio

n

Promotion of new

procedures

Project Plan &

Overview

Kickoff

Meeting

Project

Manager

11/3/1

4

We see the following opportunities for this project:

A redesigned product guide that is more user-friendly.

Established guidelines for more appropriate telephone etiquette.

Professionalized environment for PJ Enterprises employees

Our business is based on your success. We seek ongoing business

relationships and rely on your referrals – we recognize that we can only

succeed if our clients succeed.

Project Plan Approvals

Approvals

Approved by:


Name Role Signature Date

Jamison Patrick Project

Manager

Jane Smith Project Sponsor


Design Document for

Program B – Product Training

Training By Design Document

Description

This design document is presented to PJ Enterprises in order to

provide documentation of the design plans for Program B – Product

Training.

Purpose of

the Course

Program B – Product Training is designed to provide product

training for telephone operators and other customer service

personnel. The goal of this product training is to empower

telephone operators and customer service personnel with

information to answer questions and to better market merchandise

to interested customers.

The gained product knowledge will give telephone operators and

customer service personnel a solid product knowledge foundation

for selling and completing telephone orders at PJ Enterprises. This

increase in knowledge will help increase sales and revenue, improve

customer service, and bolster employee retention.

Audience

Description

The audience for product training includes telephone operators and

customer service personnel with many different backgrounds,

mostly unknown. Experience levels may be highly variable, from

new employees to more seasoned. These employees are the labor of

the catalog sales by fulfilling orders via the order entry system

while taking orders from customers on the phone. They get paid

industry standards, which could be slightly above minimum wage.

It has been mentioned that these employees may learn best by

hearing instead of reading. The telephone operators are ready to

learn more about catalog products in order to improve their

individual customer service ratings and call completion rates.

Andragogy will be considered when designing this training to

ensure that the training is focused on the process as opposed to the

content of the training. Training By Design will specifically follow

Malcolm Knowles assumptions that 1) adults need to know why

they need to learns something, 2) adults need to learn experientially,

3) adults approach learning as problem-solving, and 4) adults learn

best when the topic is of immediate value.

The job tasks the operators must complete are answering phones,

completing orders, addressing angry customers appropriately, and

identifying product details.

All employees are assumed to have a desire to increase their

understanding of the products sold at PJ Enterprises and to increase

their skills in serving customers.


Major

Course

Objectives

After completing the course in product training, the learner will be

able to:

Identify product information resources and compare the

content/purpose of each.

Using resources such as the online performance support

system and product guide, answer product questions in a

conversational manner

Cohesively answer questions about products to aid in

completing phone orders given brief customer requests or

product needs.

Using standards of performance published in PJ

Enterprise’s telephone operator performance policies,

determine when it is appropriate to solicit the help of a

customer service supervisor (in the specific context of

answering product knowledge questions).

Learning

Assessment

for Course

No formal assessment will be required.

Informal assessment in the form of a game-based/PowerPoint-

based-game-show activity will give telephone operators and

customer service personnel the opportunity to evaluate their

understanding of the products.

Instructional

Strategies for

Course

Methods of

Delivery

The instructional strategies to be used are learning objectives,

overviews, and procedural directions.

Delivery

Methods and

Activity

Styles

The course will be an instructor-led course, with a strong emphasis

on self-directed exploration of the PJ Enterprise’s product line.

Each session will focus on a separate category of products. Slide

presentations will only be used for emphasis of specific points of

interest and for some game-based evaluation methods. Students

will also learn through product demonstrations and discussions.

The following exploratory learning and evaluation methods will be

used at various places throughout the course:

Scavenger Hunt

Mock role playing events

Pros/cons list-making

“Speed dating” with products

Partner/Small group work

Question and answer opportunity

Examination of product via chunking (with an opportunity

to hands-on and active learning) and nutshelling

Similar immersive events


Media The course will utilize the following media:

Instructor

Course guide

Slide presentation with products

Job Aid: Customer Service Reference Card (artifact/job aid

from Telephone Operator training. This will be used in role

play events and serve as the basis for connections between

Training Program A (Telephone Operator Training) and

Training Program B (Product Training)

Job Aid: New Product Catch Phrase Theme Card

Course

Outline

1. Training Overview including a) Course Introduction and

Overview (5 minutes) and b) Course objectives for products

2. Lesson 1- Home Goods Products

3. Lesson 2- Kids’ Toys Products

4. Session 3- Pet Products

5. Session 4- Seasonal Products

6. Session 5- Product Review (Course Review)

Each lesson follows the same outline, with the exception of

the Training Overview:

1. Training Overview

2. Product Line Introduction

3. Do Practice Activity

4. Role Play Practice Activity

5. Jeopardy Assessment based on Product Line for the

Session

6. Questions and comments

Class/Seat

Time of

Course

Seat time for the course is 5 hours and 15 minutes. Delivery is

divided into five one-hour sessions over the course of a standard

work week. The initial session will last approximately 15 minutes

longer to allow for administrative details, icebreaker, and to

establish connections to previous learning

Practices and

Application

Exercises

1. Product Exploration Activity

2. New Product Game Event

3. Customer Service Case Study Activity

Development

Tools

The course will be developed in Microsoft Word and Microsoft

PowerPoint.

Ownership Design documents are shared property of PJ Enterprises and

Training By Design.

PJ Enterprises corporate leadership commissioned this effort and


will retain ownership of all materials and intellectual capital

generated as a result of this course. This includes training materials

and any evaluation or testing data.

Other than content, PJ Enterprises will have no proprietary or

intellectual capital rights to the training methodologies used or

devices used in this program.

Development

Time

For 5:15 hours of seat time, we expect we will need 60 hours of

development time; 10 hours/1 hour of training plus 10 hours of

extra for revisions, tech problems, and other obstacles. This will

also allow time for us to pilot the training with PJ Enterprises SMEs

and training staff.

Support

Requirements

Training By Design will provide support as well as schedule

follow-up and formal results-level evaluation approximately six

months after the initial delivery of the final training materials.

Project Sign-

Off

Please sign below indicating agreement with the proposed course

design.

By signing, approval is granted for the start-up of the development

phases.

Project Manager, Training By Design

Date

Project Sponsor

Date


Appendix A: Task Analysis


Appendix B: Detailed Course Outline

Mins.

Task / Topic / Key

Content

Objective

Method

Assessment

Visuals / Media

Support

Lesson One – Home Goods Products

15 Review of Program And Key Points

Introduction

Objectives

Given product training, the telephone operator will answer customers’ product questions with 100% accuracy.

Presentation Slides Products

10 Home Goods Product Line Introduction

Cohesively answer questions about products to aid in completing phone orders of PJ Enterprise’s Home Goods product line given brief customer requests or product needs.

presentation of facts Products Slides

20

Exploration Activity – Show Product and Tell about Details

Given a choice of new products on a table, learners will give all details of the product that are listed in the product guide in less than 1 minute by presenting to the group.

Presentation Activity: Learners will choose a product off of a table to present to the group with details and “sell” it to the group.

Products Product Guide Activity Slide

10 Call Role Play Given a call scenario, learners will role-play completing a phone order

role play – application of guidelines.

Worksheet scenario set-up, completion in

Worksheet Product Guide


with a partner by using the product guide and customer service awareness.

partnerships

15

Learning Assessment – Jeopardy

When divided into two teams, the group can complete the jeopardy game with less than 6 missed questions.

remembrance of facts. Scenario quiz in jeopardy form completed in competition style between two teams made up of the group of learners.

Jeopardy Presentation Product Guides

5 Questions/Comments/Closing

Connect activity by learner-led discussion and product knowledge synthesis.

Session Two: Kids’ Toys Products

10 Kids’ Toys Product Introduction

Cohesively answer questions about products to aid in completing phone orders of PJ Enterprise’s Kids’ Toys product line given brief customer requests or product needs.

Presentation of facts Products Slides

20 Exploration Activity – Scavenger Hunt

Identify products that fit the customers’ requests given the product guide.

Exploration Activity: Learners will be given a worksheet to use guide them through “hunting” for products to fit sample customer requests.

Products Product Guide Worksheet

10 Connect Activity- Call Role Play

Given a call scenario, learners will role-play




completing a phone order with a partner by using the product guide and customer service awareness.

partnerships

15 Learning Assessment – Pyramid Game

Given six product categories arranged in a pyramid, two teams of learners will make associations between statements and matching products using product guide.

PowerPoint Pyramid Game Presentation

Scenario quiz in Pyramid game form completed in competition style as two teams.

Product Guide PowerPoint Pyramid Game Presentation



Mins.

Task / Topic / Key

Content

Objective

Method

Assessment

Visuals / Media

Support

Session Three: Pet Products

10 Pet Products Product Introduction

Cohesively answer questions about products to aid in completing phone orders of PJ Enterprise’s Pet product line given brief customer requests or product needs.

Presentation of Facts Products Slides

20 Exploration Activity – Product Sorting Activity

Given 10 pet products, organize them by color, size, materials, and your personal interest.

Exploration Activity: Learners will be given 10 physical pet products to organize in different ways, including: color, size, materials, and personal interest.

Products Product Guide Worksheet



Given a call scenario, learners will role-play completing a phone order with a partner by using the product guide and customer service awareness.

Worksheet scenario set-up, completion in partnerships


15 Learning Assessment – Lists

Given categories and 15, learners will list 90% of products that fit into category in 20 sections.

Worksheets with lists for each category.

Scenario quiz in List game form completed in competition style as individuals.

Worksheets Timer



Session Four: Seasonal Products

10 Seasonal Product Introduction

Cohesively answer questions about products to aid in completing phone orders of PJ Enterprise’s Seasonal product line given brief customer requests or product needs.

Presentation of Facts Products Slides

20 Exploration Activity – Speed Calling

Learners complete detail worksheets for products by rotating through product stations.

Exploration Activity with stations for different products and worksheets to fill out about each product.

Products Worksheets Product Guide Station Labels Directions Slide


Given a call scenario, learners will role-play




completing a phone order with a partner by using the product guide and customer service awareness.

partnerships

15 Learning Assessment – Pyramid Game

Given six product categories arranged in a pyramid, two teams of learners will make associations between statements and matching products using product guide.

PowerPoint Pyramid Game Presentation

Scenario quiz in Pyramid game form completed in competition style as two teams.

Product Guide PowerPoint Pyramid Game Presentation




Mins.

Task / Topic / Key Content

Objective

Method

Assessment

Visuals / Media

Support

Session Five: Product Review

60 This review session will connect the product learning to the training in Program A – Telephone Operator Training. Students will be placed in a customer call situation and asked to describe/recommend products. They will also be faced with situations that may require escalation to supervisory staff. Students will have access to all resources normally available at a telephone operator workstation.

- Given a call scenario based on a realistic scenario, learners will simulate the order process with zero mistakes in 10 minutes or less.

Performance Products Slides Product Guides


Appendix C:

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