Case Study

A Management Training App To Use Anytime, Anywhere

Case Study

A Management Training App To Use Anytime, Anywhere

Consulting, Learning, Mobile App, Technology

Salesforce logo

Background

Helping One Manager Be Better Than Two

Salesforce, the country’s top Customer Retention Management (CRM) platform, releases “patches” (updates) on their system. Managers oversee releases of patches they’ve worked on, which average once every 12 months.

Two managers (one QE and one Development manager) rotated this shared job. The company decided to create a new single position that would combine both duties: Engineering Manager Of The Patch (EMOTP).

A management training tool that addresses all responsibilities of the new position would have to be integrated into a regular course. We wanted to replace the cumbersome documentation-centric code release instructional module with an easy-to-use app, a first for Salesforce.

The app’s learning would have to be designed to be relevant to the individual user. Users could employ it as a performance-support tool during the weeks of prep and management. And it felt like the Salesforce culture — techy/nerdy/cool while embracing gender neutrality and racial diversity.

A management training tool that addresses all responsibilities of the new position would have to be integrated into a regular course. We wanted to replace the cumbersome documentation-centric code release instructional module with an easy-to-use app, a first for Salesforce.

The app’s learning would have to be designed to be relevant to the individual user. Users could employ it as a performance-support tool during the weeks of prep and management. And it felt like the Salesforce culture — techy/nerdy/cool while embracing gender neutrality and racial diversity.

THE CHALLENGE

Managers on first-time rotation as EMOTP, along with managers returning to the position after a 12-month gap, were in danger of forgetting steps and making errors.

Plus Salesforce employees resisted any training that resembled old-school corporate training in tone or delivery. And they were resistant to anything they couldn’t apply right now to their daily responsibilities.

simulated app on smartphone for Salesforce by corporate training agency Upper Diamond for custom learning solution

INSIGHTS

Our research indicated, for a successful app launch, the user experience needed to be:

EASY TO NAVIGATE and intuitive in its ability to help the EMOTP move seamlessly from one task to the next.

EASY TO UPDATE.

REFLECTIVE of its best management training practices and success criteria.

RELEVANT on Day One, providing EMOTP with immediate support and confidence.

TRUSTWORTHY, reinforcing Salesforce’s core values — reliability, durability — pertaining to customer experience

VISUAL, with animation and graphics reflecting Salesforce’s brand and culture.

Managers also needed to be able to bookmark pages for easy reference and recall. The app itself should collect immediate and ongoing feedback from its users.

DEVELOPING THE EMOTP APP

We designed an entirely embedded app within the Salesforce mobile and desktop environments,. The first training app to be delivered off the S1 Platform.

Embedded in the Salesforce mobile and desktop environments, the app was the first management training app from the S1 Platform.

Hip video production and animation helped users connect with the app and make associations with their current challenges. Senior user research and current managers added concept validation and usability testing.

Our solution also featured these key qualities:

EASY TO ACCESS

Users could access the app at any time and return to previous dates and tasks. In addition, we targeted specific user groups (EMOTP) in the larger organization so we could spot sign-ins.

“STICKY” CHECKMARKS

As the EMOTP executed daily duties, the app checked off what had been completed. Managers could log in and out at any time to review checkmarks, too.

A RATING & COMMENT SURVEY

We got feedback in real time from managers using the app.

breakdown of EMOTP app features for Salesforce by corporate training agency Upper Diamond for custom learning solution

RESULTS

TThe EMOTP manager training app dramatically reduces the amount of time 450+ tech managers must take out of their weekly schedules each year to manage patch releases. The app saves half a million dollars annually and increases managers’ productivity and efficiency, both in their regular positions and as EMOTPs.

Plus we won the Brandon Hall Gold award for Best Use of Performance Support.

2017 Brandon Hall Award
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