Learnnovators wins GOLD!
We are excited to announce that we have won Gold in the 2015 Brandon Hall Excellence Awards in the ‘Best Use of Performance Support’ category. This award is in recognition of a unique and innovative solution titled MPSS that we designed and developed for our client MTAB.
Congratulations to MTAB for the GOLD award. More importantly, congratulations to MTAB for believing in and having the vision to accept such a new and novel solution.
MPSS (or Mobile Performance Support System) is a mobile app-based performance support solution made up of byte-sized video tutorials and PDF-based Quick Reference Guides. It leverages the power of QR codes to provide support to users in their moment of need.
Here’s an overview of how this solution came into existence:
Customer Pain Points
MTAB, a manufacturer of CNC machines, had three key pain points related to their post-sale process:
- Once they had sold and shipped a machine, it took about 12 weeks for it to be installed and operational. MTAB’s customer, though technically qualified, would get stuck at some stage of the commissioning process, and then invariably, an engineer from MTAB ended up traveling to the customer’s location to help them commission the machine. This meant that MTAB could raise the final invoice only after 12 weeks of delivering the machine to the customer’s site.
- MTAB’s Service Center had frequent service requests related to the operation of the equipment. Over 50% of such calls were pertaining to the customer’s lack of understanding on how to run the machine. Though they were familiar with CNC programming, they were not well-versed with the details of operating the equipment.
- This was leading to a further third issue – of efficiency of the MTAB Service Center. Service Engineers were spending a lot of time traveling to customer sites, to resolve basic queries (queries that would not have arisen if the customer had been more familiar with the operation of the machine).
To address these issues, we came up with a comprehensive solution that could address both training and performance support requirements in one go.
Thus, MPSS (Mobile Performance Support System) was designed and developed for two flagship products of MTAB: XL MILL AND XL TURN.
The Solution
The solution incorporated the following strategies:
- Mobile learning
- Micro learning
- Video-based learning
- Performance support
- QR-code based learning
The content was segmented and packaged in a way that it could enable byte-sized learning.
One major consideration was language. Many of the customer’s staff were not comfortable with English; they could understand what was being conveyed, provided it was explained to them in the simplest and clearest possible manner. We did not want to consider localization due to the obvious cost implications.
Therefore, each part of the commissioning process (i.e., each learning byte) was captured as an individual video in which the process was explained in a lucid manner. The videos were then integrated together into a mobile app.
The videos are accessible through the app via QR codes, and the QR codes are available in two ways:
- Neatly laid out in the sequence followed at the time of commissioning, in a reference card that is sent along with the machine to the customer
- Placed, in the form of stickers, in strategic parts of the machine itself.
If users want to understand the entire commissioning process, they could scan all the QR codes provided in the reference card in sequence and do so.
On the other hand, if a user needs support with just one step of the commissioning process (such as fitting the lubrication pump), they could scan the QR code placed on the lubrication pump, and instantly watch the video that explains how to complete that process.
Delivery
Though the solution was designed and tested to work across a variety of devices including mobile phones and tablets, we felt that it would be appropriate to save users the hassle of downloading and installing the app and related components, including videos and PDFs. We envisaged that there could be several issues, some of them being non-availability of Internet connectivity even during the one-time process of installing the app, lack of space/capacity in the device, compatibility issues with some devices, etc.
To address the above possible constraints and to make the experience seamless for customers, each machine from MTAB gets shipped along with the following:
- A complimentary mobile phone pre-loaded with:
- The MPSS app for the appropriate product
- The videos and PDFs
- Apps for scanning QR codes, playing videos and viewing PDF files
- A reference card comprising the list of all QR codes, arranged in sequence
- QR code stickers pasted on appropriate locations on the machines
- Safety paraphernalia (such as gloves, goggles etc.) to promote best practices for installation
Once the machine reaches the customer’s location, it is ready to be commissioned right away, enabling smooth completion of the process.
Results
Three business metrics had been identified based on MTAB’s pain points. The results achieved by the program in the nine months since it was implemented are detailed below:
- Shortening of the billing cycle: MPSS brought about an 8-week reduction in the billing cycle (from 12 weeks down to 4 weeks)
- Reduction of support calls to MTAB: There was a 52% drop in the number of service calls (from 600 calls to 290 calls)
- Improvement in Service Center efficiency: There was a 56% improvement in efficiency (from 1800 person days to 785 person days)
Ultimately, MTAB realized savings of INR 17.5 Million as a result of this program.
A Sneak Peek Into the Solution
Watch a 2-minute video demonstration of the solution HERE.
A Few Words from the Customer
According to Ms. Sashi Sairaman, CEO – MTAB Engineers, “This has resulted in a qualitative improvement, where there’s been a feel-good factor in the company on productivity increase. The customer satisfaction rating has immensely increased. In terms of quantitative output, our cost of service has come down significantly, and our cost of training and monitoring has also come down.” Click HERE for the full testimonial.
A Few Words from the Brandon Hall Group
“The high quality of work and commitment to driving business results among our award winners never fails to amaze me,” said Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer of Brandon Hall Group and head of the awards program. “All of these winning programs deliver meaningful business results to their organizations.”
