HR Service Transformation: Learning and Development

We were commissioned to help transform a Learning and Development (L&D) function who was suffering from:

• Poor training record management with various gaps in records
• Multiple spreadsheets and templates, leading to inefficiencies and employee frustration
• Very manual reporting processes that were time consuming
• No baseline of current state with regards to training compliance
• Unclear standards for role-specific training requirements
• Inability to effectively plan and schedule training in advance resulting in a reactive approach
• No financial forecasting / budgeting in place
• Significant health and safety risks of employees delivering services without adequate and in-date training

We worked closely with subject matter experts across the business to develop a skills matrix detailing the training requirements for roles within the business. Once collated, a significant ‘house-keeping’ cleanse was carried out to consolidate all of the various training records (within different spreadsheets, folders and formats) into a single document which enabled consistent and automated reporting through customised dashboards that we developed for them.

An in-depth review was conducted with employees across multiple offices to capture gaps in data and understand unique requirements. Once this information was collated, a gap analysis was completed to determine the amount of training that needed to be undertaken to enable the business to meet their required standards, which provided the information needed to be able to forecast and prioritise training budgets for the business.

We conducted a detailed process review to understand where there were gaps or blockers within the process, and collated the findings and recommendations into a Continuous Improvement Plan for the team to drive forwards.

As part of phase 2 of the project, we investigated opportunities to automate the entire process through optimising the use of Oracle (Oracle Learn Module). We supported with the move to a digital solution and implemented new ways of working.

The benefits include:

• Identification of over 200 certificates that had been scanned into various folders but were not captured on any training records
• Identification of 326 expired certificates and established a sustainable mechanism for ongoing identification of expiry dates in advance
• Implementation of a single-source of the truth and automated reporting
• Process digitisation and automation resulting in improved efficiency
• Archived 23% training records that belonged to people no longer in the business and implemented a process for managing new starter / leaver records

Here’s what the L&D Coordinator administering this process had to say:

“This work establishes a framework for teams to build on in areas such as curriculum development and course validation for job levels. It has helped identify technical disciplines not currently covered in a planning matrix and will help drive operational review and excellence.”