Case Studies

The Clorox Company

Challenge: In the midst of a large, multi-phase SAP implementation for the International business in Latin America, it was discovered that the lack of a critical business process was going to have severe negative impacts on the project. The Finance VP took up the challenge and quickly assembled an international, cross-functional team of subject matter experts to design and implement the process in time for the next SAP release, which was in four months.

Action: I was chosen to develop training for the new process. I flew to Santiago, Chile to meet with the team all day, every day for a week to document the new process as they designed it in real time. Upon my return to Oakland, I created a curriculum to address the training needs of the 15 different roles involved in the new process. Then I designed and developed all of the training materials, which included 5 courses, 11 job aids, and an exercise guide, all of which had to be translated into Spanish. I provided information for the role mapping to identify and enroll the participants in the courses through the Learning Management System and assisted with course scheduling and other logistics in the U.S. and Latin America. The courses were taught by professional trainers who were native Spanish speakers. 

 Result: The training was successfully delivered on schedule, the new process was implemented, and the SAP release was able to move forward on schedule without any negative impacts.  

Testimonial: “I have had the privilege of working with Nancy on a large project with multiple implementations and the challenges that come with each one. Nancy was assigned to several different aspects of this project, one right after the other. Basically, if there was a broken part of the project design relating to any type of training, Nancy was called in to fix it. And fix it she did! She has a way of seeing the big picture and helping others to see it as well. Nancy is a delight and I hope to work with her again on other projects!” 

Karen Perkins
Organizational Change Management Consultant, The Clorox Company

NetApp

Challenge: NetApp was relaunching its equipment leasing business and simultaneously upgrading its leasing system. The launch was two months away, the processes were still being decided, and there was no training or documentation. 

Action: I was hired to write a desktop procedure manual for the new, international processes developed for the relaunch, which was to include all the procedures for the new system. I attended meetings with the team in Colorado, London, and Germany and mapped the processes dynamically as the team worked through the steps. Upon returning to the US, the process maps and my notes provided the foundation for the desktop procedures. I fleshed out the process maps and descriptions, and integrated the system procedures. At the end of the engagement I developed training presentations for the sales managers and sales reps. 

Result: The team delivered the training to the salesforce and the desktop procedure manual was published in time for the very successful business relaunch.

Testimonial: “I cannot recommend Nancy highly enough if you need process or procedural documentation or tool training development. Not only does Nancy quickly become a subject matter expert in the content she is developing, she produces extremely high-quality deliverables while building excellent relationships with clients and subject matter experts. I have hired her twice, and would do it again in a minute.”

Jean Heller
Senior OD Consultant, NetApp

Bio-Rad Laboratories

Challenge: As part of a multi-year, international SAP rollout, Bio-Rad was implementing SAP Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) for the first time on an aggressive schedule. I was hired to design the PLM curriculum, and design and develop the training materials from scratch. 

Action: I collaborated with the PLM technical and business teams to design a comprehensive, role-based curriculum. I developed 14 web-based and instructor-led courses for the Engineering Change Management, Document Management, Product Labeling, and Specification and Recipe Development processes. I directed the development of 11 additional courses and over 100 transactional recordings. 

Result: In spite of aggressive deadlines and severe resource constraints, training was delivered on schedule with overwhelmingly positive reviews. 

Testimonial: “I thoroughly appreciated having Nancy as the Training Developer for the Bio-Rad SAP PLM team. She was truly a pleasure to work with. Nancy was very creative, professional, knowledgeable, and had the perfect temperament for working with our cross-functional team. She worked closely with the consultants and SMEs to provide deliverables that met, and often exceeded expectations. PLM Trainers often received feedback stating that the PLM materials were far and away more comprehensive and informative than other training they attended. For that, we thank Nancy; she was truly our MVP of Training!”

Julique Lewis
Quality Assurance, Bio-Rad Technologies

Levi Straus & Co.

Challenge: Levi’s was implementing a massive warehouse retrofit project that included installation of a new warehouse management system and new material handling equipment, in addition to organizational changes encompassing warehouse processes, job roles and responsibilities. 

Action: I led the training and documentation effort which involved the completion of the to-be process maps, curriculum design, development of the standard operating procedures and 15 instructor-led courses covering all aspects of warehouse operations, from Receiving to Shipping. I coordinated a cross-functional team of internal and external resources to define and stage system data for training exercises, arrange training logistics, and develop transactional work instructions for each department. 

Result: In spite of the fact that the project as a whole was running behind, training was successfully delivered on schedule.

Testimonial: “Nancy Hillan has proven herself to be a highly professional and excellent training developer. I have personally observed her over the course of a demanding, time-critical project. She approached the project with a well thought out, systematic method and then was able to pivot to seize opportunities and incorporate critical changes into the courses she developed. Nancy excels at working with subject matter experts, management, and line personnel to gain an understanding of the subject to be trained. Nancy further employed her experience to ensure all details of training development, instructor preparation, and course delivery were accomplished. I would gladly recommend her for a future project.”

Richard Littman
Program Administration / Project Management, Levi Strauss & Co.

Franklin Templeton Investments

 Challenge: At Franklin Templeton, a marketing group was about to go live with a new tool and workflow without any training or documentation. The change management consultant called me in a panic to see if I could help.  

Action: In two weeks, I created a process and role-based training course, which the team delivered to two separate audiences. I also developed multiple step-by-step work instructions to assist the users in performing their tasks with the new tool.

Result: The users were trained and had the procedures they needed to successfully use the new tool and workflow.

Testimonial: “I brought Nancy in to develop training materials at the "11th hour"; she literally saved the project from the impending training and go-live disaster. Several client team members complimented Nancy's work. Here is one of them: ‘I’m really impressed with how much Nancy has been able to provide in such a short period of time. Given that she’s only been here 2 weeks I’m really impressed there aren’t more corrections that need to be made. Thanks for bringing her on board.’”

Liz Steblay
Change Management Consultant, Franklin Templeton Investments