Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stan Malcolm, Ph.D. 17 Caffyn Drive Marlborough, CT Strategies for Learning Technologies and Performance Centered Systems Corporate Learning Consortia

Stan and Performance Vision 14 years at Aetna 5 years consulting coaching and consortia 9 years experience with EPSS manage PCD competition Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999

Harangue Training Tech-based Learning Documentation Workflow Knowledge Management …etc. Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Performance Support SYSTEM

Electronic Performance Support... Means giving people the means to perform competently, whether or not (and certainly before) they are personally, independently competent. Has performance as the only essential outcome. Embeds workflow, and provides access to just-in- time information and training “granules.” May support groups; reflect multiple, interdependent work flows; and be dynamically variable. Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999

Integration Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Intrinsic  Extrinsic  External

Tools versus Systems... Tools: Task-focused Modest in scope/complexity Easy to build from scratch Likely to succeed Systems: Job-focused Automate major job functions Build from “legacy” systems Require a “release strategy” Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 A Case Study… in success and failure Client “X” Customer service - new customer advice, and trouble-shooting Multiple call centers being merged “virtually” Multiple business clients and “products” supported Major system upgrade underway - “untouchable” Tight deadline driven by system schedule My client wanted something “different” from training

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Our Solution: On-line “real time” Reference System, supplemented by On-line “calculators” Coexisting on the electronic desktop, but not linked to “the system”

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Our Process: Observe call center staff Gather business knowledge from SMEs Propose “natural” organization of content “Duke it out” Build trial version Review and adjust; add calculators where it made sense Roll-out and PARTY TIME!… er, not exactly

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 What happened? The transactional system was… d e l a y e d I discovered “Essential Use Cases”

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Essential Use Cases: Constantine & Lockwood ( “…a structured narrative, expressed in the language of the application domain and of users, comprising a simplified, generalized, abstract, technology-free and implementation independent description of one task or interaction that is complete, meaningful, and well-defined from the point of view of users in some role or roles in relation to a system and that embodies the purpose or intentions underlying the interaction.” (from Software for Use by Larry L. Constantine & Lucy A. D. Lockwood)

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Essential Use Cases… in lay-person’s terms: A form of abstract model: “Abstract models encourage innovation. By leaving open more options, they invite us to fill in the blanks in imaginative ways.” More abstract and general than either a scenario or a use case

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 ATM Use Case versus ATM Essential Use Case insert card read magnetic strip request PIN enter PIN verify PIN display menu etc. identify self verify identity offer choices choose dispense cash take cash

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Essential Use Case for Client “X” Call Center: 1. Receive call 2. Gather facts from… caller and/or transactional system 3. Determine proper course of action 4. Provide information to caller and/or perform system transaction

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Essential Use Case for Client “X” Call Center: 1. Receive call 2. Gather facts from… caller and/or transactional system 3. Determine proper course of action 4. Provide information to caller and/or perform system transaction Conclusions: Knowledge gathering comes first! The overall system is used in the knowledge context first, transaction second (if at all!)

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Postscript: Moving the solution “upstream” We addressed CSR needs What about customer needs?

Knowledge: Bashful Partner or Leader of the Dance? Stanley E. Malcolm, Performance Vision, Copyright 1999 Conclusion: Barriers to a superior solution Functional Organizational Definitions: systems vs training vs call center The Emperor’s New System Schedule: fight for what you believe Failure to understand knowledge’s role in “essential use” Client too narrowly defined: call centers versus product owners