5 Reasons Why Litmos Version 3.0 is Better

The recent release of Version 3.0 of the Litmos online training system means a lot of things have changed for the better.

Here are 5 major reasons why Litmos 3.0 is better:

1. User Friendly Interface This is probably the biggest change you will notice. We got together with a usability expert and figured out a way to make Litmos work for you. So you should notice now that it has a dramatically improved, more intuitive and friendly flow to it. Plus, on log in you'll now see a nice clean snapshot of account activity on the Dashboard which displays recently opened courses, assessments that need marking, recent emails and news items.
   
   
2. Less Clicks to Complete an Action Whether it's assigning training to people, building courses, or creating trainees, all clicks have been massively reduced to the absolute minimum which means your productivity level will increase. For example, it used to take 15 clicks to create a new trainee and then assign them to a course. Now it takes just 3 - wow!
   
   
3. Bulk Trainee Account Creation Litmos now automatically creates trainee accounts for you. All you have to do is go in to the course you want to assign, type your trainees email address (or a list of email addresses) in to the 'Add User' box, and voila! Each trainee is sent an email to tell them they've been set up with an account, they click on a link in the email, choose their password and begin training. Too easy!
   
   
4. More Comprehensive Reporting Area Reports now have increased flexibility to allow training administrators to drill-down in to information. You can see aggregated results across courses and teams, see if your trainees have completed the latest version of a course, and unlock their assessments to be repeated.
   
   
5. More Trainee Notifications Now trainees will receive automatic system notifications when you a) Create them an account b) Assign them a course and c) Add them to a team. This means less work for you as the Trainer, and you can rest assured knowing everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing.
   

First Customer Feedback After Litmos V3 Release

We have received our first piece of customer feedback after releasing Litmos Version 3.0 over the weekend and it's so good I just had to share it:

"Hi Nicole,

Wow! That’s all I can say. Wow.

I’ve been playing around with the new Litmos interface, and it is just fabulous. So many improvements – my personal favorite is the drag & drop functionality to move modules up and down in the course lineup. But really, it seems everything is a little more intuitive. Congratulations on this and thank you!!

Talk soon,
Greg"

We've put a lot of work in to v3.0 so it's wonderful to hear such positive comments from a customer straight away. If you have any feedback or comments about our new version release, please do let us know here in the comments section, or on the new Litmos Help Pages.

5 Solid Reasons for Franchisors to Deliver Training Online

Could there be another industry out there more reliant on training than franchises? From start to finish, it's about ensuring a high-quality, consistent experience every time, to every person, in each location, and that requires a clear strategy, explicit policies and procedures, and an entrenched learning culture.

I read that the worst-case scenario is customers referring to a franchise as 'hit or miss' depending on which outlet they go to. Why? Because it means the franchise is not achieving its goal of creating an experience that should be replicated no matter where you go; a service people can depend on.

The paramount importance of training in franchises is a no-brainer. Now here's 5 solid reasons why franchisors should be using an online format to deliver that training:

1. SUBWAY® has been voted entrepreneur.com's #1 Franchise for 16 years and more recently their success has been directly attributed to ongoing eLearning initiatives and follow-up support that ensure brand quality and service consistency. I think that one speaks for itself.
   
   
2. Training Consistency is the Franchise Operation's Key to Success and what better way to achieve consistency than one published eLearning strategy. Especially one that can be linked with overall business objectives, which allow personnel to 'see how their efforts directly relate to the success of the operation' (2007 study by Synapsys).
   
   
3. Geographic Distance can be a Big Expense so why not minimize travel costs by handling all possible training online. Sure, there may be some necessary on-site training which is expected of the franchisor (like being present at the grand opening and during the first week of business) but the rest of the training modules about finding the right real estate, dealing with leases, hiring employees and other how-to's, can be covered off online. Make sure you've got a good reporting suite in your training system and you'll have most legal requirements ticked off too.
   
   
4. Store your Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Online along with your operations manual, and any other important documents that should never be more than an arm's length away from your franchisees. This way your online training system doubles as a document management tool. Save special offers, approved advertising and any other related materials online so your franchisees always know where to find it - no excuses.
   
   
5. Support your Franchisees and Build a Community Around the Brand through a shared but secure online space. Your franchisees have a wealth of experience amongst them and what better way to connect them up than through a closed online learning eco-system of forums, discussion threads, bulletin boards and internal messaging so that even if you (the franchisor) are not around to provide immediate support to someone, they'll probably find someone who can help. Use it to post up news items, feedback on training, send out sales figures, industry-related news and announcements in one hit.
   

According to many people franchising defeats most who try it because it requires a very specific skill-set beyond a can-do attitude. With the most common complaint among franchisees being the lack of adequate training and on-going support, doesn't implementing an online training system just make sense? Yes, it does.

Follow me on twitter @schnicker

Litmos Wins Bike Wise Battle

Usually, the blog is all about learning related topics, but today I just want to throw a human-interest piece out there.

Yes, the team at Litmos work hard to bring you a cutting-edge training product, but we also like to have a little outdoors fun. We all own bikes, and back in February we entered the Bike Wise Battle which is a competition that encourages everyone to get out riding their bikes. To be fair, it wasn't all that hard to get moving as we do ride our bikes anyway, so we needed no persuasion getting out there. But we did make the effort to ride more frequently for health and the environment's sake.

But to our surprise, we won in our category for having 100% staff involvement and riding a distance of 104km!

So, we'd like to say a big thank you to the Bike Wise team for organizing the battle, for the cool certificate (pictured) and for the vouchers which bought us some yummy coffee, green tea, babaganoush, hummus and crackers that we are now devouring in the office!

Online Compliance Training - All You Need To Know

I just read a great article from David Becker called "What's Your E-Learning Strategy for Compliance Training?" which you can find on the eLearning Guild website. You'll need to login to read it though, so I thought I'd post up the most important points I've extracted.

It's a timely article about being cost-effective with compliance training based on a) relevant risks b) method of training delivery.

Becker says risk can be assessed in 3 ways:

1. Likelihood that a given risk will become a reality
2. How often this risk will occur
3. Impacts on the organization should it do so
   

He sites examples of companies that run in to specific industry-related problems such as sexual harassment, privacy, and health & safety. His message reads loud and clear that there is no blanket rule to cover all companies when it comes to compliance training. An extreme example would be a company that manages construction work sites does not need to offer staff water safety training. Although that seems obvious, Becker's research reveals a lot of companies are unnecessarily spending money on compliance training that has no real relevance once a risk assessment is done.

The development of a compliance training program is a 3-part process:

1. Identify risks to be controlled
2. Establish training objectives and address them
   
3. Design and implement learning
   

Once you've established the risks specific to your environment and company (#1), Becker says these risks are then 'subject to a hierarchy of controls, with the higher controls being better than the lower ones at managing the risk.'

You then need to look at each risk and decide which control applies. Do you want to:

• avoid or eliminate the risk
  
• reduce the likelihood of it occurring, and minimize its impacts should it occur
  
• transfer the risk by outsourcing the activity or insuring against it
  
• retain the risk, in which case you budget for the risk being realized
  

With low risks where the chance of occurrence is high but the impact on the organization is low, something simple and cost-effective like an online training module with a basic assessment where results are recorded, transfers compliance responsibility to the employee. With a high risk that could potentially cause brand damage, a blended learning solution may be needed.

It goes without saying the depth of training implemented will vary according to other factors such as the 'organization’s commitment to good corporate citizenship, its environmental policies and its branding as an employer of choice'.

Finally, while compliance training is important for legal reasons, creating generic compliance training modules can become an additional source of revenue for a company, without much work involved. Think about product certification training, basic health and safety or industry-specific training modules you have developed - could they sell online? It's just one more way to think outside the box during this recession and maybe even emerge the hero who found a way to make the company money, in the toughest of times.

Microsoft's Toolshed and the 'New Economy'

This week we attended a Microsoft Panel Event to discuss what the ICT industry, Unions, Government and training partners are doing to help re-tool and upskill the public in this economic downturn. Microsoft were excited to announce the release of their Toolshed which has been developed to help people get their hands on the 'right tools for the job'. They have also extended the DreamSpark program to highschoolers which is cool, and are encouraging more start-up businesses to apply for the BizSpark program. Litmos was accepted in to Bizspark in 2008 and it has been beneficial in many ways, most importantly we have free access to all Microsoft development tools and many exposure opportunities through them.

I want to mention one particular panel member who spoke with optimism about the future, a very interesting woman Benedikte Jensen (Research Director, The New Zealand Institute) formerly Economic and Financial Adviser to the Prime Minister. Jensen explained, and I am paraphrasing her words here, that we are moving from the 'old economy' to the 'new economy'. She believes the economic recession should be seized as an opportunity to re-tool our workforce and increase computer literacy rates so that we can make the successful transition and come out guns blazing (my words). She believes those that will benefit the most from this 'new economy' will be digitally enabled companies. Whereas the 1980's up until now has been all about meaningful education, now we're seeing the importance of social capital and connecting to other communities.

I'll round-up with a few points Jensen made about the 'new economy':

• Companies that work on a hierarchical structure will be in trouble
• Opportunities will be seized by niche players
• Adaptable and nimble start-ups will thrive

She believes that New Zealanders are generally adaptable and nimble, but concedes that the successful roll-out of the Government's highspeed broadband plans are integral to our success.

Where Is Gen Y Hiding?

I'm on LinkedIn and in there I belong to a number of groups relevant to my interests, one of which is a group called "Generation Y". As far as I can tell it's the main group for this topic, and I joined up for some exciting insights and good debates.

Now, something I find baffling about this group is that nothing happens in there. Although there are over 200 members (which agreed, is pitiful in itself) no one posts articles, barely anyone starts discussions and very scarcely are any comments made. While other groups I belong to such as business networks / learning professionals /instructional designers have thousands of members with new discussion topics all the time, comments are plentiful and articles are posted non-stop.

To this end, I posted a discussion in the Gen Y group called "Is there another Gen Y Group on LinkedIn with more action?", because I really thought I was missing out. Funnily enough, this discussion topic has one of the highest number of comments (8), some echoing my thoughts - where are all the Gen Y's hiding, because they sure as hell aren't on LinkedIn joining a group called Gen Y!

So, I have come to loosely conclude, that since society created the tag of "Generation Y", it is only 'they' who continue to pigeon hole those in the decided age range in to being 'Gen Yers'. In reality, they're the only ones using this term! (Gen Y'ers will use it only when it works for them, almost as a kind of 'you named us, you gave us the characteristics, so deal with it' excuse.)

To really connect with this age group, the 'pigeon holing' must stop. Get on with talking to them and being their friends - not in a fake way - for real. Because these people (myself included) are not too different from the generations that have come before. So what if they don't respect the hierarchy of 'old business'. So what if they don't want to just be a cog in the wheel not knowing their part in the bigger picture. So what if they don't just sit down and do what they're told. The time for innovation is now, 'old business' is falling down around us, so what have you got to lose?

Embrace your younger colleagues, don't bemoan their attitudes, instead show them they are truly valued for their continual quest for knowledge, for their ethics and for their desire to be recognized as individuals. Invest in them, in their ideas and in their futures. The rewards that come with adopting this new attitude will see your company cross the line in to the 'new business' world and I believe that it is these adaptable, agile and edgy businesses that will survive the current crunch.

So, where is Gen Y hiding? Well they're all around us, and in 10 years time they'll be the majority of the workforce. So it's a good idea to get to know them now, while you have the chance.

Image courtesy of Steve Celestin

Litmos CEO Rich Chetwynd on Panel for Microsoft Event

Litmos CEO, Richard Chetwynd, will represent the online training industry on the Panel at an exclusive Microsoft event tomorrow in Auckland, New Zealand.

According to the session brief the event aims to 'provide a forum for business leaders, training representatives and key industry influencers to discuss the role of the ICT (Information & Communication Technology) industry in helping New Zealand out of the recession by exploring solutions for retraining and upskilling New Zealand’s workforce.'

Chetwynd sits on the panel of twelve alongside the likes of Scott Wylie (Director, Developer and Platform Strategy Group, Microsoft New Zealand), Benedikte Jensen (Director of Research, New Zealand Institute), Brett O'Riley (CEO, NZICT Group) and Helen Kelly (President, NZCTU) to name a few.

The event is covered by national media and it will be very interesting to hear the ideas that come out of this session, especially in light of the Government's recent decision to enact the nine- day fortnight initiative.

Positive Customer Feedback

It's always great to receive positive feedback from customers about your product and we received a fantastic email this morning from a relatively new client of ours - DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. Their head office is in Calgary, Canada and these guys are covering amazing ground offering powerful solutions to help sustain the environment, to clients across North America.

DIRTT (Doing It Right This Time) refers to creating responsive, sustainable, unique and economically viable workspaces, so incorporating an online training system was a natural progression in line with their environmental goals. Here's what they have to say about their Litmos experience so far:

"We are really getting going with our Litmos courses and so far the feedback from everyone is great, they really love the Litmos platform!"

Kimberley Meetsma

DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd

Thanks DIRTT and keep up the great work!