The ELearning Fieldbook [Electronic resources] : Implementation Lessons and Case Studies from Companies that are Making eLearning Work نسخه متنی

Case 2: JPMorgan Chase

Company Facts and Figures

Industry: Financial Services

Scope of Services and Products: 17 unique financial services companies

Estimated Number of Employees: 100,000

Year e-Learning Introduced: 1997

Offices and Locations: Operations in 59 countries; Headquarters in New York

Estimated 2002 Revenues: US$3.4 billion

Web Site: www.jpmorganchase.com

Introduction

JPMorgan Chase was faced with a tremendous challenge in bringing quality e-learning to its 100,000 employees worldwide. Mergers, acquisitions, and consolidations within the banking industry resulted in a multinational, multi-state organization with disparate learning methodologies. Within the 17 unique financial businesses at Chase, there were 14 distinct training departments.

In 1997, under the leadership of the current Director of e-Learning at JPMorgan Chase, leaders from each of the training departments convened to discuss the concept of alternative delivery methods. Their discussions centered on how to deliver training to individuals who were geographically dispersed, and how to increase their level of expertise and knowledge quickly so that they could be competitive within the industry. The group hammered out ways to align funds and resources, and create one strategy for the organization instead of fourteen separate strategies.

As roles were defined and processes put into place, Chase created successes in developing content, rolling it out to small populations, and collecting feedback. This helped them to understand how the technology infrastructure worked, how to reduce costs across the organization, and how to increase learners’ access to learning.

Why e-Learning?

JP Morgan Chase selected an e-learning approach to:

Explore alternative delivery methods

Deliver training to a geographically dispersed group

Quickly and efficiently transfer knowledge so that individuals are better positioned

Reduce cost across the organization

Increase people’s access to learning

To analyze need and to facilitate learning development, Chase created the Decision Support Tool—a tool that not only gave them significant media attention, but allowed 350 learning professionals within the organization to share a common language (see Figure 16-3). This tool, through a series of questions, helps determine the best learning vehicle for a particular learning event. It has changed the way people think as they:

Consider e-learning solutions

Balance the shelf life and costs of a program

Build programs that are managed and maintained by internal resources

Figure 16-3: Decision Support Tool

This tool, in conjunction with other e-learning support tools, allowed Chase to develop and implement a self-paced Product Knowledge Assessment Process to help their consumer bankers, or sales force, to become more comfortable in selling products to their retail business clients. Initially, the process consisted of an online assessment only. However, it has now become a combination of assessments plus development opportunities for approximately 1,000 professionals.

How Was the Program Aligned with the Business?

The Product Knowledge Assessment Process was developed to support JPMorgan Chase’s Six Sigma initiative called Customer On-Boarding.

This project outlined that one of the drivers for successful customer on-boarding was knowledgeable employees. The seven-module assessment process and associated e-learning programs were established to help the consumer bankers become comfortable discussing the range of products offered by Chase and enable them to cross-sell products and services effectively.

Because their consumer bankers are responsible for bringing 80 to 90 percent of customers into the Chase network, they wanted to make sure that the customers were receiving the correct information at the initial point of contact.

Key Business Drivers

Educate employees

Enhance employee performance

Improve customer satisfaction

Ensure opportunities were not missed for customer on-boarding

Ensure customers receive accurate information

Strengthen customer relationships

How Was the Program Designed?

The Product Knowledge Assessment Process is a Web-based, self-paced set of e-learning programs. It was designed and developed by an internal team consisting of people from the learning community, Human Resources, a project leader from the Six Sigma team, and the Information Technology group. The program was championed by the senior executive of the Six Sigma initiative.

Assessment questions were written by a core team of subject matter experts within the organization. What followed was a very rigorous review by teams who verified product content, geographic accuracy, and role or competency expectation.

It is not possible to be exact in calculating the number of hours spent designing this program. The entire assessment process took about seven months to develop and implement. The core team comprised of about eight people and additional resources were added and removed as the project moved into the various stages.

Program Structure

The program contains seven individual product-specific timed assessments. The assessments are used to establish the learner’s baseline of product knowledge, which identify areas that require development. Learners complete the assessments using their desktops in a controlled environment to ensure equity across the process. Assessment scores are tracked, and learners with a development need are directed to Chase’s internal learning portal, LearningConnect, to enroll in online e-learning in the required areas.

Each product learning module is approximately 30 minutes in duration; quiz results are not scored and learners can check their progress in a particular area by re-taking the assessment specific to that module. This however, is done on a scheduled, controlled basis, for example, every six months.

Media and Tools

Questionmark Perception assessment tool

Macromedia Dreamweaver

Macromedia Flash

HTML

How Was the Program Deployed?

Product assessments were rolled out in phases every two to three weeks to consumer bankers with at least three months of service.

To support the assessments initially, online e-learning programs were built in parallel, by leveraging the classroom training content for consumer products and converting it to Web-based learning. The learning was organized by the various topics within the assessments then uploaded to LearningConnect, where learners accessed the learning modules.

With the assessment process established and key areas of learning developed, Chase is now able to evaluate the transfer of knowledge and related job performance of their professionals.

Product module completion is required if an assessment identifies a particular area of study as a development need. Learners are notified of completion deadlines and managers and coaches are assigned to assist individuals in fulfilling learning requirements.

Marketing Approach

Weekly market updates

Identify certain key points of the program to discuss during established meetings

Market on company’s intranet site

What Was the Business Impact of the Program?

The Product Knowledge Assessment Process was launched to more than 1,000 consumer bankers in 500 branches located in four states.

Developing this program helped Chase realize that in the past they did not have a rich, disciplined approach to assessing existing training, instituting development initiatives, and delivering product training. They now have a focus they did not have before, with training directly linked to the performance management process.

Additional impacts on the business from this program are:

The opportunity to build key relationships within the company and build credibility as a learning organization

A sharp jump in the number of people requesting and participating in the product-related online e-learning programs

The Scorecard, which is a tool used by Chase to evaluate consumer bankers, shows an increase in the accuracy and amount of key information being shared with customers

Customer satisfaction within the targeted market segment has increased from 75 to 80 percent in some areas

Learner Perspectives

"It was a great way to let me know areas I needed to brush up on."

"It helped to give me a better under- standing of our products."

"I liked the Web-based functionality because I was able to take the modules when it was right for me."

Summary

Purpose: To provide a self-paced e-learning opportunity that would enhance Chase’s consumer bankers’ product knowledge and enable them to:

Give customers the correct product information at the initial point of contact

Recognize opportunities to bring new customers to Chase

Expand their relationship with existing customers

Program Structure: Seven product assessments and e-learning modules related to a specific product

Number of Learning Hours per Learner: 3.5 hours

Total Number of Hours of Learning in the Program: 3.5 hours

Number of Learners: 1,000

Completion Requirements:

Learners must complete all job- and geography-specific assessments and the associated e-learning modules if there is an identified development need

Media and Tools:

Questionmark Perception assessment tool

Macromedia Dreamweaver

Macromedia Flash

HTML

Deployment Mechanism:

Internal Web- based learning platform, called Learning Connect

Lessons Learned

Building the link with the internal Six Sigma initiative enabled Chase to focus on learning development resources and gain the support of a business champion.

It is important to identify resources early in the process.

Communication with all levels of the organization is imperative for executive buy-in.

Plan a rollout strategy to minimize the impact on the business.

Do not assume that all users have the same level of computer skills.

Help desk support is crucial to success of any online program rollout.

Make sure your technology infrastructure can support your rollout.