RE: Harry Nimon - push training

["Nimon, Harry H SSI-GRCA" <hnimon@Shell.Com>]

>				David Wrote: All I heard so far was I and my
> team... I didn't hear a 'you' and 'your
>				problems', I didn't hear how other
>organizations were included in the development and had
>				input so their specific view was heard and
> responded to.

		Very good point and done for the specific reason of brevity.
However, I didn't not consider the confusion it would cause.  So, a little
history...
		We began the project two years ago with a study on SAP
implementations within our company and their current operational status from
the user's perspective.  This was accomplished via survey of the user
community at multiple levels.  We presented our findings to the steering
committee for our project (a group of management and the sponsor) as a list
of issues and concerns.  We next performed a SWOT analysis linked to a
series of 8 case studies both within and outside of our industry of
successes and failures in SAP implementations.  We turned this into a 'best
practices' document that was compared to similar studies by The Gartner
Group and the American Society for Quality.  This comparison led to the
specific objectives of my last submission.

		The team then had three possible directions: create an
in-house capability, totally outsource, or a hybrid mixture of the two.  We
opted for the latter based on guidance received from the steering committee
and our experiences in investigating the actual abilities and issues of
total outsourcing.  A business case was developed and forwarded to the
steering committee who approved the approach and directed the establishment
of partnership relationships with the identified vendors.  At this point,
the team dissolved and a Product Manager was assigned to finish the
development and begin marketing.

		A plan for marketing was established and we began to
identify the appropriate decision-makers within the global community.  These
people were often part of the original investigation target and had been
kept apprised of our progress (we assumed since that was part of the job of
the steering committee).  However, when approached, they had little
knowledge of and less interest in the solution.  They felt more comfortable
maintaining the status quo approach to training so as to not have to deal
with the problems associated with its interference with the design and
testing requirements (IT environment).

		As we started gaining access to and conducting
demonstrations and pilots of the product, interest at the user level has
grown.  They identified people further up the chain who had the 'buy'
decision authority...but this animal was Hydra...  We finally reached the
top of the food chain...only to learn that they were investigating another
approach separately from our project and without anyone else outside of this
group being aware of their actions.  Basically I have been running into a
heavy dose of both politics and an organization outside of ours that has a
lot of influence 'selling' THEIR solution set.

		I agree that we require a senior executive 'champion' and
have failed to get this person...mainly because all of these level people
work on the consensus theory.  The solution in competition is comfortable
because it is basically the 'conventional' approach with a few mirrors
attached to make it look better.  Technically, its approach is based upon
simulating the operating environment in a training environment with some
user interaction at specific points within a 'lesson' that is both
cumbersome and expensive to develop, field, maintain and has high bandwidth
within the network.  We performed a comparative 'pilot' that demonstrated
the differences and strengths of our solution to a major group, but cannot
gain visibility within the solutions group of senior executives as they 'do
not have time.'  Yet, the new implementations continue and the money being
spent on the old solution is being rededicated.

		As far as 'Pushing' the solution...what I really meant were
suggestions on how to surmount this problem.
		_____________________________________________________
		"The central task of education is to implant a will and
		a facility for learning; it should produce not learned but
learning people.
		In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the 
		learned find themselves equipped to deal with a world that 
		no longer exists." (Eric Hoffer)
		Harry I. Nimon PMP
		Project Manager
		Change Management Group
		Shell Services International
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