Background 

The financial institution, which I work for, is in the process of implementing a new LMS.  The go-live date for the learners is 1Q08.  The implementation will be the result of three companies collaborating to replace an existing system which serves 250,000 employees.  It is an interesting project due to the synergy resulting from the client, HR service-provider, and LMS vendor.

The Audience

The audience is the Enterprise Learning Operations Support team.  This team is responsible for supporting the LMS and serving as relationship managers for the varied bank line’s of business.  The team has both domestic and international clients.  Another important characteristic of this team is they are a virtual team residing in Virginia, North Carolina, Washington, Colorado and South Carolina.  They rely on email, conference calls, webinars and instant messaging to stay connected.  The larger department, Enterprise Learning, hosts an annual face-to-face meeting.

The team has an overall “beginner” skill level using online tools.  There are several tools currently in place, but the team is on the receiving end of the tools, meaning they pull the necessary documents, rather than manage the site.  Existing tools include Sharepoint, Outlook, Live Meeting, Team Workspace, and Communicator.  A great deal of time is wasted searching for the correct or current documentation.

 The team has two roles.  The first is referred to a business as usual (BAU).  This pertains to the day to day operations of the existing LMS.  BAU includes the following:

• Training new users on the system
• Oversite of LMS data integrity
• Issue resolution involving user error, system issues, system functionality, and data errors
• Troublshooting
• Communication

The second role is to serve as the subject matter experts (SME)  for the new LMS.  This requires the ELOS team to be involved in all aspects of the new LMS implementation.  This includes:

• Meetings
• Document review
• Data mapping
• Functional specifications
• System roles and access verification

Essentially, this results in MEETINGS, MEETINGS, MEETINGS!  It would be safe to say the team is getting frustrated. 

This team needs

• Efficiency
• Simplicity
• Accuracy
• Information
• A good laugh  (here is one of our favorite sites http://www.despair.com/)

What the team really needs is a club house.  A place they can come together, share what has happened during the day, provide updates, compare notes, track deliverables and access current documents.

The Message

The tool for the ELOS team will have two purposes.  The first will be the ability to access project documentation. There are well over 100+ documents supporting the project, spread over 3 different tools.  The team needs to be able to quickly locate a current and accurate document as they serve as the SME’s.  The second purpose will allow the team members to track their project deliverables.  Please remember the ELOS team is juggling both BAU and the new LMS. 

The contribution of the users will be

• To post current project documents or provide links to the most current version
• Update deliverables
• Share insights and ideas

The Tool

Thanks to some good advice from a certain instructor, a tool has been located.  The tool which will bring some sanity to the ELOS team is Basecamp (www.basecamphq.com).  The Basecamp site offers  

• Customized colors and logos
• Dashboard
• To-do lists
• File sharing – key to our project
• Message board
• Milestones
• Time tracking  – no one really enjoys this!
• Project Overview – VERY NICE
• Comments on messages – easier than email strings

This appears to be a tool which can bring together the ELOS BAU and LMS work together on one page.  The site will have three objectives:

1. Increase the team’s efficiency with ease of access to documentation and tasks.
2. Decrease the team’s stress by streamlining the information overload and simplifying communication.
3. Develop the team’s technology skill set.