Interim LMS Solution (Click Here for Project Overview)

The need for this project became evident when IT informed the Learning and Development group that the recently approved purchase of an LMS would not be implemented for 3.5 years due to other corporate priorities.

The legacy systems were not capable of the type and volume of delivery and reporting that would be required by the global Learning and Development within 6 months.

Some of the key challenges handled by the proposal: * no common data set for employees * employee data existed in five electronic and 3 manual systems * employee data was in seven different languages * phase one project was needed in eleven languages * No enterprise-wide reporting standards existed * first implementation needed to reach all employees worldwide * current LMS and other systems were incapable of handling project * limited, non-budgeted funds were available.

A key goal of the project was that from the very beginning, every component would be developed as if it were for full and final implementation in the final LMS. By doing so, it would focus the process for the migration, allow for immediate implementation of programs once they were in the system, and when installed on the final LMS, they'd be ready to go on day one of go-live.

Key components of the interim systems included:

DATA CONVERSION AND AGGREGATION Because of the variety of legacy systems and multiple languages and cultures in which employee data lived, a common set of metadata would need to be established and, subsequently, a mapping protocol for each legacy system would need to be established. Relationships between employees and organizational structure would be detailed and tagged.

WORLDWIDE EMPLOYEE DATABASE The data conversion and aggregation would feed employee data into a unified employee database. Business rules and data sets would be established to ensure consistent and accurate information companywide. A unified employee relationship matrix would be established.

ASP HOSTING OF LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM To free IT from ongoing, day-to-day management and maintainence of an LMS, a ASP hosted strategy was the solution to coping with limited resources for the central repository and management system for the interim system. Tracking of training activity and reports regarding participation and compliance were of first priority.

MATERIALS DISTRIBUTION AND LOCALIZATION Utilizing a new CMS which the company had recently installed for electronic delivery where ever possible and outsourcing physical delivery where ever possible, the company was seeking to deliver content to all employees involved the same content no matter where in the world they were working. Localization by both language/culture and function would be handled with a combination of flexible materials design, global translation services, and local development of some material.

This project was launched in the summer of 2003 with a goal of implementation into the final locally hosted LMS and ancillary systems in 2007.