A Tale of Two Cases: Mobile Solutions with Phillip Neal #ASTDTK14

 These are my live blogged notes from a session on the final day of ASTD Tech Knowledge with Phillip Neal, VP of Business Need at Maestro.

One of the struggles with mobile is that organizations are used to designing the way they always have and that fits within their existing models of what training is.

Mobile is different.

(It’s like in the olden days of elearning when we all moved from CD ROMS to the Internet. Today, people are making a lot of mistakes. Just like we all did back then!)

When deploying mobile you have to think about partnering with marketing and other divisions within your organization.

Don’t eliminate core training – that still needs to take place. Instead we need to create pull through.  How can we pull learning content out into the field where they can continue to use it?

Phones just don't work for courses.  People might access courses on tablets, but if you want to be that mobile, you probably need to reconsider your design.

What is your pain point? Can mobile help with that? Start small.

Case Study:

Pharma company with lots of field reps.

Core training (LMS, webinar, elearning courses) vs Continuous Training (ways to extend that core training).

Client asked for one thing. Did some consulting and came up with a different solution to solve the business problem.

Challenges:

• They had no mobile support
• Limited extended training in the field after formal training
• Decentralized content
• No feedback loops to T&D team
• Slow adoption and IT support
• And did not want to tie this to their LMS (if they did that, it would have taken WAY TOO MUCH time). Decided instead to build the app native – but tie analytics to the back side for reporting.

Process:

• Did a needs analysis – profile audience and understand their needs. Not just sitting in the board room to hear what stakeholders say. But talk to the people. To get the context as it applies to that need.
• Build a road map
• T&D education
• Designed a process workflow and governance to support the app.
• Socializing change
• Pilot
• Build momentum

Case example is an ipad app – Product Knowledge for sales reps:

• Has access to pharma products package inserts.
• Competitive section to stack your product against the competition – so you can see your messaging against the competition. (may have gotten this as part of core training, but now you can refresh)
• Mini learning lessons tied to competition - -videos and lessons.
• Uses a CMS to manage and update content.
• A Learning Center within the app: Flash cards, lessons tied to the application (5-7 minutes in length around specific subject tied to that product).  The challenge was figuring out how we narrow down the bigger formal content into mini-lessons, mini-quizzes, drag and drops. As ways to reinforce retention.
• Create a glossary with audio tied to it (so sales rep would know how to pronounce things and not make that mistake in front of the customer).
• Through the application, people can rate the content and give feedback to T&D group about how effective. (Had to figure out a good workflow for T&D group to handle this feedback). Users could now search for the BEST content. T&D group can look at the poorly rated content and improve upon it.
• Currently, feedback on quizzes given within the app – so user knows immediately – but that data is not tracked or sent back to an LMS. Didn’t want to duplicate an LMS.
• The goal here is that if we can prove they’re using the app in the field, then that’s the outcome.
• My Assignments area: your coach can assign you some content (e.g., the coach is on a ride along with the reps and identifies some gaps), you can assign yourself some content.
• Journal: for reps in the field, important to journal in the field and track what’s going in their cases and reviewing with manager and coach.

Results showed 22 sessions per user, 1.7 minutes per session. So lots of touchpoints as reference.

I had to duck out to catch a plane and so missed the second case study on Kellog's.