Background
Cable&Wireless Europe, Asia and US is one of the world's leading international communications companies, providing enterprise and carrier solutions to the largest users of telecoms services around the world. Its history can be traced back nearly 140 years to 1869, when it laid the first sub sea cable. Since then, it has seen technology evolve to a new era of international communications. Throughout this time it has developed its business to suit the changing global communications marketplace.
Cable&Wireless’ ambition is to redefine what it is like to work with a global telecommunications company. As part of this strategy, it has set its sights firmly on a worldwide target market of about 3,000 corporates, carriers and public institutions - where its experience and capability can make the most difference to their business.
This means that, instead of selling to customers, it wants to partner with them and talk to them about building their business and helping them to achieve their business goals. It wants to lead the market by understanding customers' needs and delivering them first time, every time.
At Cable&Wireless there is a large service division, a range of sales, engineers and technical colleagues and support functions. For almost all of these colleagues (the preferred term for staff), a PC is an essential tool of their jobs.
The training function at Cable&Wireless has evolved dramatically over the last few years and e-learning has been embraced and developed as a cost effective way to meet the growing needs of the business. As Mike Booth, Cable&Wireless’ Learning Technology Manager, puts it “E-learning is now part of the fixtures and fittings.” However, this position has emerged only as a result of a considered strategy.
The Strategy: a simple platform
E-learning at Cable&Wireless is based on the establishment and promotion of a single platform for learning. This has been delivered through an outsourcing arrangement with the e-learning company “SkillSoft”. The core platform is a learning management system which is available to Cable&Wireless colleagues as a portal labelled iLeARN. All training delivery channels are linked to this portal.
The e-learning management system is a proprietary SkillSoft product and is maintained by them. It is integrated with Cable&Wireless’ HR system and can be used to track and book learning requirements. For the user it is a one stop shop for their learning needs. The key elements or delivery channels accessible are:
- Formal classroom based training opportunities.
- Generic e-learning modules and performance support aids provided by SkillSoft.
- ‘Custom’ e-learning modules developed in partnership with Kineo to meet the company’s very specific needs, these are considered further below
- Books24X7 – a repository of worked-based e-books from SkillSoft.
- Virtual classroom sessions using technology provided by Genesys
- A help desk and training administration facility.
An underlining principle of Cable&Wireless’ approach to training is ‘search and learn’. This makes use of a facility on the iLeARN platform something Mike Booth characterises as the “googlisation of learning”. Any colleague within the company, wherever they are working, can type a search term (for example project management) and ‘nuggets of learning’ will be made available to them. These could be drawn from e-books, e-learning modules or other performance support aids.
Mike Booth refers to the process as performance support. He feels that the point of having an extensive library is to make information available bite-size (5 minute components) to colleagues as and when they need them. He is less concerned about the number of people who complete entire courses or modules. It is for colleagues to determine the way in which they access or use the performance support that is available.
Custom e-learning modules
Mike Booth estimates that the library of generic material accessible at Cable&Wireless consists of some 15,000 items. By contrast, the number of custom or bespoke modules commissioned by Cable&Wireless currently stands at about 60. However, this is a growing area of activity and custom e-learning modules are essential to underpin the transformation journey the company is undertaking.
Custom e-learning modules include:
- ‘A New Way of Management’ – a series of 10 modules providing all managers with a clear view of exactly what is expected of them to ensure Cable&Wireless achieves its ambition. Over 95% of managers have completed the modules over a four month period.
- ‘Know Your Telco Stuff’ - a series of modules that provide colleagues with an understanding of telecoms technology, its customers and products.
- ‘Onboarding’ – modules for inducting new colleagues, prior to joining and through their first few weeks.
- ‘Keeping Safe and Compliant’ – mandatory modules covering areas such as health and safety, security, data protection etc.
Cable&Wireless partnered with an e-learning company called Kineo who specialises in rapid e-learning to develop custom modules. Mike Booth says that if the three key individuals of developer, e-learning manager and subject matter expert are available and committed, an e-learning module can be produced and deployed in a week. He estimates the cost of a 20 minute bite-sized module at £2,500; given the number of people who may need to access it, this can represent very considerable returns on the investment.
The overall picture
It is evident that e-learning has gained wide acceptance at Cable&Wireless. In the first year since iLeARN was launched, (May 2006 – April 2007) three-quarters of the workforce used it and this penetration figure is rising. Some 20,000 e-learning activities were accessed and 15,000 hours of e-learning undertaken in total.
Where the training team at Cable&Wireless is fortunate is that there is a high degree of technological literacy across the company. Moreover, in Mike Booth’s words “a lot of people are hungry for knowledge”. Clearly Cable&Wireless’ approach is predicted on the existence of motivated and committed learners who are prepared to search and learn. Cable&Wireless have a sufficient number of colleagues to provide a critical mass portal infrastructure investment needed to implement this approach. This however should not detract from what is evidently a clear and cost-effective strategy which has been thoughtfully implemented over a sustained period.