5 Examples of Collaborations in PLM eLearning Projects

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by Barb Nash

Many of our projects involve us (ASCENT, a division of Rand Worldwide) working with multiple teams within the overall PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) implementation project. ASCENT has instructional design, technical writing, project management, and PLM software proficiencies. The image below shows 5 overlapping areas, numbered 1 through 5, representing the collaboration and communication that we have experienced between teams within a typical PLM eLearning development project.

Examples of collaboration activities in these 5 overlapping areas are described below:

1. Collaboration between PLM Software Implementation and Client Core Teams

The collaboration between these teams involve software development activities such as requirements requests and analysis, feasibility studies, functionality demos, documentation of user stories, and user assessment testing.

2. Collaboration between PLM Software Implementation and PLM eLearning Development Teams

In this collaboration communication about the status of customizations and possible future changes that impact the eLearning modules takes place, including any schedule updates. The goal is to ensure that there is alignment in the eLearning modules with the customizations incorporated that suit the client’s custom workflows, and to minimize any rework.

3. Collaboration between PLM eLearning Development and Client Core Teams

The collaboration between these teams involve the development of the eLearning modules. The modules typically contain components such as interactive components, videos, text-to-speech audio, software simulations and quizzes. Besides obtaining feedback from the client core team about the requested components’ look and feel, the client’s responsibilities include reviewing the drafts of the deliverables and providing feedback. Some clients also wish to take on some of the development of the components depending on their resource availability, including language translations or recording human voice-over audio, if desired. Collaboration on project management tasks such as scheduling the client reviews also occurs between the teams to keep the project on track. Communication about how the training modules will be accessed in a client’s Learning Management System (LMS) are also discussed to ensure that specific export settings are used, and modules tested with these settings.

4. Collaboration between PLM Software Implementation, eLearning Development and Client Core Teams

In this collaboration, topics impacting all the teams are raised, discussed, statuses shared, and any issues regarding software, schedule, and resources, are resolved, like the pieces of a puzzle all coming together to achieve the client’s goals!

5. Collaboration between Client Core Team and End Users

The successful adoption of the new software is arguably the main goal of the implementation. Collaboration activities include obtaining end user buy-in and gathering software requirements. Also, project updates from the core team throughout the development are communicated and discussed with end user feedback received. Other collaboration activities for the End Users and Core Team can include: User Assessment Testing (UAT), instructor-led training, and orientation to the eLearning training modules.

I hope you can relate to these collaborations or find them helpful for possible future collaborations!