Online training gets Post Office stamp of approval

Citation

(2011), "Online training gets Post Office stamp of approval", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 43 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2011.03743gaa.005

Online training gets Post Office stamp of approval

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 43, Issue 7

Online training helped employees at more than 12,000 post offices across the UK to achieve a smooth and controlled switch to a new information-technology system.

Training company the Working Manager had worked with the Post Office since 2008 to power a virtual-learning center for 2,000 managers. But the demands of the information-technology switch, named Project Horizons, required the Working Manager to deploy the full flexibility of it learning environment and support the change in Post Office branches with a complete organizational-development approach.

CDs and workbooks supported the online offering, resulting in high levels of engagement by Post Office staff.

A total 96,395 scenario-based quizzes and 60,617 topic-based tests were completed, which helped to ensure a smooth transition to the Fujitsu Siemens IT software. Post Office staff said the scenario-based learning system was simple and easy to use.

“Having read through the workbooks before getting online, I thought I knew most things, but being ‘interactive’ on this site has given me a clearer and greater understanding,” commented one Post Office employee.

The strategic-partnerships director of the Working Manager, Duncan Norris, commented: “The initiative has succeeded in implementing real change, making real improvements in face-to-face interaction with customers. Transformational change has been delivered into a retail environment – a challenge faced by many major retail groups.”

The Working Manager is supporting the Post Office’s recently-updated corporate strategy and is looking to roll out the D2® virtual organizational-development environment to 7,500 managers this year.