Trained 2,500 users on SAP and saved $3 million training cost
Challenges
- Cumbersome manual mortgage application process
- Lengthy wait for loan decisions
- A traditional training client would be costly to develop
Solutions
- Assima Cloning and Digital Assistant Suite
- Mix of classroom training and eLearning
- 2,500 staff trained in six months
Results
- Training savings of $3 million
- Reduced development time for training content
- Interactive training builds user confidence faster
With the Assima tool, we have achieved dramatic cost savings compared to developing, deploying, supporting and refreshing a traditional training client. We estimate these savings at around three million dollars.
Canadian Bank
Challenges
To increase efficiency and improve the customer experience, a major Canadian retail bank is streamlining its mortgage application process, which was previously manual and paper-based. As well as making the process more efficient, the changes will allow the bank to give customers a decision on their mortgage application quickly, in one meeting. Key team members from the bank created a new, 11-step mortgage approval process for branch staff to follow. With all official documents needed to support the process scanned rather than stored, the new process eliminates the need for paper files. After evaluating potential platforms to support the new mortgage process, the bank decided to deploy SAP. With each step of the process automated in the system, the bank needed to accommodate a major change in working practices for branch staff and other bank executives.
Specifically, over three thousand staff needed to be trained on the new SAP CRM within a very challenging timeframe.
Solutions
As a first step, the bank initiated a program to build a dedicated training client to deliver the required training. However, the live system was changing constantly, and the development costs were prohibitive. The bank went to the market for an alternative training solution that could prepare staff for the change quickly and cost-effectively.
A number of training approaches were considered, including screenshot-based training systems and click-and-go simulation software. In the final analysis, however, the bank met its training requirements with the Assima Cloning Suite, which uses clones of the live SAP system as the foundation for interactive training exercises. A team of developers from the bank used Assima Training Suite to create around 20 exercises that take users through all the processes required for four different types of loan applications. In addition, around 100 fragments of additional SAP functionality were recorded in Assima to show users how to complete different steps that apply to different types of mortgages.
A mix of classroom-based training and e-learning was delivered to thousands of employees who touch the mortgage process using the Assima exercises. These include 2,500 branch staff, 70 members of the operations team, 15 insurance staff and 80 team members at the bank’s contact center. The training was also delivered to 300 mobile sales professionals.
In the second phase of the project, Assima exercises will be used to train additional staff across Canada, including 500 branch employees, 100 mobile sales professionals, 30 operations staff and around 20 risk and marketing staff.
The multi-lingual capabilities of ATS have been a huge benefit. As well as being fast and cost effective, this approach to translation will ensure a consistent training experience in both French and English.
Results and Benefits
With the Assima tool, the bank has achieved dramatic cost savings compared to developing, deploying, supporting and refreshing a traditional training client. A spokesperson from the bank estimated these savings at around three million dollars. As an additional benefit, Assima Training Suite makes it much faster, easier and less expensive to keep training exercises up to date as changes are made to the live application. Core application functionality is simply recaptured in Assima when necessary, ensuring that training reflects all the latest developments. The ‘object manipulation’ features of Assima Training Suite helped the bank create training exercises quickly and cost effectively, with no need to access the live SAP application or rerecord its functionality. This helped to reduce development times significantly, by enabling teams to work on clones without touching the live system. The multi-lingual capabilities of Assima Training Suite have been a huge benefit to the bank. Glossaries are currently being added to Assima clones to support automatic translation of French training exercises into English. As well as being fast and cost effective, this approach to translation will ensure a consistent training experience in both languages. Assima played a central role in the success of this major training program. With screens that mirror the live system, employees could experiment with different controls, use drop down menus and get hands -on experience of the new system. This helped to ensure a smooth transition to SAP, with employees prepared to work with the new system from day one.
