The goals of the project were twofold. In the short term the company needed improvements to the customer experience and increased efficiency through systems integration and automation. In the long term they required a scalable training management platform and an ongoing partnership with the right software provider.
In six months Fluid integrated the existing TMS with Moodle, increased system stability by migrating the account to a new dedicated server, and merged the classroom and online courses into a single, unified customer journey.
Through the ‘System Spec and Select’ Fluid’s independent review identified not only the right system for their operations but the right software partnership for their ambitious future growth plans. This collaboration will support the training provider to continue enhancing their products and services, and increasing productivity and flexibility in one of the fastest growing technology areas.
“The key was having Fluid on our shoulder to support us. Having their technical knowledge to help us understand what was achievable allowed us to focus on what would make a difference in the right amount of time.”
Director, Vocational Training Provider
Here’s how Fluid did it.
Understanding business processes – the spec before select
In order to improve the customer experience the first priority was to address the existing management system and infrastructure. This was unable to respond to scheduling changes and transfers at the pace required and was slowing down customer service.
Fluid conducted a series of workshops, interviews and observations to analyse current business processes and elicit the issues in detail. The process confirmed the business required a new management system, and in the short term it was critical improvements were made.
Analysis showed which benefits could be delivered in the time frame:
- Improved customer service
The merging of class and web courses gave students much greater flexibility, and deployment of a transfer wizard allowed the quick and simple transfer of a delegate from one session to another.
- Increased speed and stability
Migrating the trade account to a new dedicated server increased operational speed and stability.
- Improved financial reporting with a reduction in manual overheads.
- Increased efficiency
Improvements to systems functionality saving the customer care team 4-6 hours a week.
Fluid delivered on these areas by providing project management, business analysis and supplier management services. The Fluid team managed the relationship with the existing supplier, advocating for their client.
“We’d asked a number of times if we could unify the classes and were told no. When Fluid got involved, we asked again and Fluid gave some technical reasons why they thought it could be possible. Lo and behold two months later we managed to get that live, all our classes into one screen. It made our lives so much easier.”
Director, vocational training provider
Fluid resolved the immediate issues with the existing system while capturing and refining requirements for the new system.
An independent shortlist of the best training management system suppliers
Fluid created a vendor pack, selecting suppliers to answer the list. They then put forward a shortlist to demo solutions for the client. The client was able to make a better informed decision on the right platform and software partnership to compete in the new environment brought about by the global pandemic.
Explosive growth in Education Technology (EdTech) in the UK
2020 saw sky-rocketing demand for online courses, virtual classrooms and flexibility in course delivery. In the same year the UK’s education technology sector grew by 71.5 per cent.
There are more than 1000 EdTech companies and start-ups in Britain, with the industry estimated at £3.4 billion by the Digital Economy Council.