Merlion (WebTutor)

1. Company Description

1.1. The industries in which the company works

MERLION company - the leading Russian distributor of computer component parts, digital equipment, the periphery, network and office equipment. MERLION is an official distributor of more than 120 world leading manufacturers of the computer equipment and component parts today. Being the conventional leader in the field of distribution, MERLION has also successful long-term experience of the organization of training and personel assessment. The competence center of MERLION is the project of MERLION company, and renders to partners of the company consulting services in training and personnel development in the following directions: distance learning, internal seminars and trainings, modular programs, testing, assessment, consulting.

1.2. Number of partners of the company

The reputation of the exact, fulfilling obligation of the partner allowed MERLION company to construct the strong relations with more than 4000 Russian computer companies across all Russia.

1.4. Staff Categories Who Use the System

Users of a system are more than 4000 companies and tens of thousands of specialists:

• Linear managers
• Middle managers
• Top managers and owners of the companies

2. Solved Problems / Assigned Tasks

2.1. Requirements to the system of assessment and formation of a talent pool

The main objectives – to organize uniform educational and information space for the partner companies of MERLION where each company will be able to create the management system for distance learning and testing of personnel and also to obtain up-to-date educational information from experts of Competence center of MERLION and vendors.

2.2. What business processes had to be automated

• Distance learning and testing of users
• Holding trainings in a format of webinars and interaktiv
• Administration of process of distance and resident instruction
• Analysis, planning and control of resident and distance learning by users of the portal
• Collecting and training needs analysis
• Collecting of requests for passing of training programs
• Ensuring operability of means of internal communication (blogs, polls, forums, chats, tenders, news, etc.)

2.3. Criteria of Successful Implementation at the Planning Stage

• The simplest, convenient and modern tool for training of the partner companies in all regions of Russia
• Unlimited number of users of the educational portal
• Stable system operation

2.4. As the project plan formed

Need to make the simplest and convenient tool for training which would allow to satisfy needs of all our business partners became the main reason of creation of the new portal: vendors and computer companies. For implementation of these purposes the portal solution based on the WebTutor system of our partner of WebSoft company was selected.

3. Project Parameters

3.1. Terms of Implementation and Milestones of the Project

Installation of a system: June, 2011.

Setup of a system: June - August, 2011.

Trial operation: September, 2011.

Opening of an educational and informational portal: October, 2011.

All necessary settings and completions of a system were conducted independently by specialists of Competence center. Specialists of WebSoft company rendered all necessary technical advices at the high professional grade.

Absolutely new design of the portal which completely corresponds to an image of a convenient functional and modern educational resource was in addition developed.

3.2. A project team from the customer

• The head of Competence center of MERLION - the curator of the project
• The manager of SDO, the training manager – project managers
• IT specialists – 2 persons
• Designer
• Developer methodologists – 2 persons
• Information security specialist

3.3. The Main Difficulties During the Project

As one of advantages of the portal of the Central Committee it is possible to select implementation of library of knowledge of vendors. In fact the library of knowledge is a set of subsections of the portal, each of which has the different design separate significantly, structure of the menu and content. For the user of the portal use of library of knowledge allows to receive a cut of information on specific vendor, structured and convenient for perception. Naturally, implementation of this difficult functionality demanded from developers in turn proportional to the received result of efforts. Let's hope that this service will not disappoint you.

4. Project Development

4.1. Development plans

• Holding webinars using technology of the Virtual class
• Automation of personel assessment of the partner companies
• Creation of a knowledge management system.

4.2. Filling by content

Today in library of Competence center MERLION more than 80 relevant educational rates and tests on the different fields of business:

• Electronic products rates (notebooks, personal computers, component parts, periphery and supplies, digital equipment, network equipment, software, audio-video and home appliances).
• Training in sales (a rate on the Law on protection of the rights of the consumer, a rate on technologies of sales in retail computer stores).
• Business skills rates (personnel management, time-management, entity and basic concepts of marketing, effective meetings, project management frameworks, effective authority delegation).

Practically all rates and tests are created by own forces of Competence center. The maintenance of rates is developed by methodologists of Competence center in the editor of CourseLab with involvement of consultants from vendors and experts of MERLION.

Also on the Portal news of the company, photoreports of actions, interview and article of experts are regularly published, surveys and actions from Competence center of MERLION and vendors are carried out.

Special attention wants to be paid to Libraries of knowledge of vendors which contain training courses, the presentations, video, instructions of the producer that is not present in one similar project.