BLENDED LEARNING
for
SOFTWARE TRAINING
for a
Biopharmaceutical Company
BLENDED LEARNING
SOFTWARE TRAINING
THE CLIENT
Our client is a leading US research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes innovative medicines for the unmet medical needs of patients living with life-threatening diseases. The company partners with science, academia, businesses, and local communities to develop and deliver these products to people as efficiently as possible.
The company’s portfolio of products includes treatments for HIV/AIDS, liver disease, cancer, inflammatory and respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular conditions. The company has several firsts to its credit, including complete treatment regimens for HIV and the first oral antiretroviral pill.
The organization has more than 14,400 employees with operations in more than 35 countries worldwide. Their total revenues in 2021 were around USD 27.3 billion.
THE RELATIONSHIP
CommLab India had previously worked on a few projects for the client (including an Onboarding Course for new hires) that were very well received.
When this new project was in the offing, CommLab India helped the client develop and finalize the scope of the project in detail.
Though a few major US and Indian companies were also in the running, we were the ones who were ultimately awarded the project because we could offer a customized solution based on our understanding of their unique requirements and constraints, and the changes the new software would entail.
THE REQUIREMENT
Biopharmaceutical research needs all research data to be documented accurately in compliance with stringent industry standards and approval processes. Its growing organizational needs and regulatory demands made it necessary for the client to shift from their old RDMS (regulatory document management system) to a more sophisticated one that would work seamlessly for their global user base.
They were seeking a qualified training partner to help in the development and delivery of an effective ‘Role-based/Blended-learning’ training program that would provide the content and tools required to demonstrate, educate, test, evaluate, and allow for end-user adoption of the new RDMS for their global user population of around 2100 employees in 3 locations.
The main challenges for the RDMS training were the dynamic nature of the system itself (that was still being reviewed, tested, and updated), the multiple roles (4) and functions of end-users, their global spread, and a fixed go-live date before which all training formats had to be ready.
How does an organization in the highly regulated field of biopharmaceutical research train its global end-users to seamlessly use a new RDMS from the day it’s launched?
By ensuring that software customization and courseware development happen simultaneously! They wanted to utilize the time when the new system was being customized and tested to train end-users on using the system according to their different roles. They also wanted to offer learners:
- The flexibility to learn in their preferred format – Instructor-led training (ILT) in the classroom or through Webex sessions, OR eLearning
- The opportunity to practice using the system in a risk-free environment before it went ‘live’
- Just in time (JIT) performance support while they use the system to execute their tasks
THE SOLUTION
The blended approach for the training meant that CommLab India needed to develop ILT material for onsite classroom training, WebEx sessions, standalone eLearning modules, and performance support for the four different user roles.
The training solution we provided included:
- Different formats – ILT (face-to-face or Webex sessions) and eLearning
- Simulations to enable learners to practice using the system
- QRGs (quick reference guides) as JIT support while using the system
A major challenge in developing courseware simultaneously along with the software’s customization is that developing the training curriculum cannot wait until the customization is completed, finalized, tested, and accepted. The training had to be delivered to the 2000+ users before the system went ‘live’. The solution was to shadow the technical teams, document the changes, and develop the training material simultaneously along with the customization.
Another challenge was developing customized training curriculums for each of the four user roles, and scheduling training for learners with multiple roles. In the latter case, the training had to be planned in such a way that those users could attend their sessions in one place and at timings that did not clash with their other sessions.
How it all worked
The blended framework gave learners the freedom to opt for instructor-led classroom training, Webex sessions, or eLearning modules. After completing the required training, learners were given the opportunity to practise using the software in the live training environment. Whatever the format of training, it was followed by an online assessment, on the successful completion of which the learner was certified to use the system.
The team that worked on this project included a dedicated project manager, 4 instructional designers, 1 visual designer, 8 courseware developers, and a classroom trainer.
The instructor-led training was delivered by a trainer from CommLab India who travelled to the US. This included face-to-face sessions in onsite classrooms and WebEx sessions with material that included classroom training presentations, instructor guides, and participant guides.
The eLearning modules were developed in Articulate Storyline. They applied the ‘watch-try’ approach where learners were first shown how to perform tasks, and then were allowed to try to do the task with appropriate help.
Whatever the format learners opted for, they had to score a minimum of 90% in the final quiz at the end to become certified system users.
Online QRGs were designed as individual PDFs that provided step-by-step processes of each task with screenshots and explanations.
The total number of deliverables included:
Deliverables
0
ILT presentations and
180 hours of onsite training
180 hours of onsite training
0
eLearning courses
0
Quick Reference Guides (QRGs)
THE RESULTS
The training was very well received by the learners and almost 100% of the participants completed the training successfully. All learners from the US headquarters to their satellite offices and subsidiaries in Europe and Japan were able to use the new system seamlessly from the day it was launched.
THE REVIEWS
This is what the stakeholder said about us on eLearning Industry.
