Institute of modern specialties (WebTutor)

1. Company Description

1.1. The industries in which the company works

Education

The main activities of Institute of Modern Specialties is advanced training of specialists and heads of the construction organizations. New technologies of distance learning are integrated into the educational system developed by Institute and undergone licensing. Thanks to this project specialists (in particular the remote regions of Russia) can gain necessary knowledge, complete professional development course and the corresponding certification.

1.2. Territorial Distribution

Physically the organization is in St. Petersburg, but at Institute specialists from any regions of Russia (and even the foreigners who are the staff of the Russian construction companies), regardless of their location are trained.

1.3. Number of Staff

The users who passed programs of advanced training through the system of distance learning are about 7,000 people now.

1.4. Staff Categories Who Use the System

• Builders
• Designers
• Heads and managers of construction companies
• Etc.

2. Solved Problems / Assigned Tasks

2.1. Business Requirements For Implementation

The main objective – to create conditions for a possibility of training and advanced training of specialists of the construction sphere (including without separation from the main work and for regions, remote from the central cities of Russia)

2.2. What business processes had to be automated (assessment, training, personnel recruitment, the expense accounting on training, etc.)

• Training
• Testing based on training
• The notification of users on the rate/test appointed by it and their logins and passwords for an input on the portal
• Creation of reports on results of training
• Creation of a digital library

2.3. Criteria of Successful Implementation at the Planning Stage

• Convenient and clear system interface
• Ease of use (administration of a system does not require special preparation in the field of IT)
• Connection of users to the Educational portal regardless of their location
• Unlimited number of users of the DO system
• Access control of users to the Educational portal
• Stable system operation

2.4. Project Planning (Requirements, Analysis of Business Processes).)

The plan of implementation of SDO formed as a part of the complex project on the organization of Institute. Contrastive analysis of functions of different software products, both paid, and free was made, the decision on acquisition of the WebTutor system was as a result made.

3. Project Parameters

3.1. Terms of Implementation and Milestones of the Project

The beginning of the project (the choice of a system) – August, 2010 Installation of a system – the end of 2010 Commercial use since February, 2011

3.2. Project Team on Customer Side (from IT and grom HR). Roles in the Team, How the Interaction Took Place

• The project manager (IT specialist) – 1 person
• The accountant officers participating in purpose of rates and tests and making reports according to the results of training/certification passing – part-time employment on the project (stated including offers on optimal adjustment of functions of a system)
• The 1C programmer - part-time employment

3.3. The Main Difficulties During the Project

Particular problems did not arise, all current questions were quickly resolved. The only note concerns logic of the organization of some functions in a system which not absolutely corresponded to business processes of the company, and completion of a system according to requirements of the customer cost rather much therefore it was necessary to look for alternative solutions of a problem.

3.4. Did the Time and Financial Costs Correspond to the Previously Planned:

In general, corresponded.

3.5. What restrictions of IT - infrastructure affected the project:

No significant restrictions existed since all necessary requirements to IT infrastructure were considered at a planning stage. However, unfortunately, in the current version of system (WT 2.7) the educational portal works correctly only in the Internet Exploer browser and the latests version of Mozilla Firefox, but the Institute is going to upgrade systems to the new version, and this problem will be solved since in WebTutor 3.0 the Educational portal works in all Internet browsers.

4. Project Development

4.1. Development plans (what automation of business processes is still planned)

Now the used functions and settings of a system completely correspond to business processes of the company therefore in the nearest future automation of new processes is not planned. Further development of a system will happen under the influence of new requests and customer needs – the construction organizations until such requests were not revealed.

4.2. Filling With Content - How to Solve the Problem

Training materials in the directions of programs of advanced training are developed and are regularly updated:

• Construction
• Design
• Engineering researches
• Carrying out power inspections for the purpose of increase in power efficiency and energy saving
• Industrial security
• Environmental safety
• Pricing and estimate business
• Quality management system
• Labor protection for specialists and heads of security services of work, other workers
• Fire safety

Tests to rates in all directions of advanced training are developed (on engineering researches, on preparation of the project documentation, on construction, reconstruction and major repair, etc.)

4.3. Team to Support and Develop the System:

The system administrator – 1 person

Accountant officers, teachers and experts – part-time employment on the project

5. Project Results

5.1. Results (Quantitative And Qualitative)

The Educational portal available to everyone is open to study More than 120 training courses are loaded into a system Remote form of education was very demanded in many construction organizations On the portal on-line the library available to all users which included manuals, methodical materials and the normative legal documentation is created (all materials are quickly updated and completely correspond to the current legislation) Sending notifications with the login and the password for access to the portal at appointment to users of a rate or the certification test is configured Submission of reports on results of training in a type, convenient for the company, is implemented

5.2. Economic Efficiency

Implementation of SDO became essential competitive advantage of Institute: while in many organizations also do not think of use of technologies of e-learning, the Institute of modern construction effectively implements them, and the new form of providing educational services was very demanded in the market.

Use of SDO allows with the minimum labor costs of forces and time to provide training and certification of a big flow of people, - so the efficiency is available.

5.3. The Most Significant Results Are Something Most Notable

Opening of the opportunity existing in a system to attach the file to the rate module that allowed to solve a problem with operational updating of rates. The matter is that many modules repeated in base in several rates at once, and earlier, for example, at change of the legislation, it was necessary to update each of the identical modules which are a part of different rates. Now just one file on which links from several different rates in this connection it is enough to update this file register is loaded into a system, and training materials in all rates will as a result be updated.

5.4. Reaction of Staff of the Company on System Implementation:

The new form of providing educational services was demanded in the market. Trainees like an opportunity to select time, convenient for training, and the place. And still quite recently they had to go somewhere specially, by certain time, and then still, perhaps, to sit in library. The new method of providing information, according to trainees, is not worse (and according to some, it is even better) than resident instruction since it is always possible to return to already passable material and once again to re-read it, at any time it is possible to take a break, and then to return to training, etc.

5.5. A feedback from heads (the company and divisions) according to the results of system implementation:

Heads of many companies already addressed to Institute of modern construction for the purpose of the organization of training and/or certification for the employees, and all of them were satisfied with quality and efficiency of the rendered services. Here, for example, one of responses: "Provided training of the employees in the "Implementation of Functions of the General Contractor" program at Institute. Very convenient remote form. Very benevolent managers! Thanks!"