Performance Centered Design (PCD) Competition 2000
SUBMISSION FORM

(Please replace italicized text with content specific to your entry.)

Entry Title Problem Solving and Communication Tools
Submitted by: Andersen Consulting Professional Performance Enablement
Contact Name: Daniel R. Bielenberg
Phone: 630-444-5559
E-mail: daniel.r.bielenberg@ac.com
Address: Andersen Consulting.
3755 E. Main Street
St. Charles, Illinois 60174
Logo:
Purpose: Andersen Consulting personnel use a set of problem solving and communication methods as part of their business consulting practice. While classroom and CD-ROM-based training is available to teach these methods, many consultants are looking for just-in-time support for using the tools. Often a consultant or manager needs to come up to speed very quickly on how to develop a particular deliverable or how to perform a specific tasks and formal training is impractical. Problem Solving and Communication Tools packages existing content in a form that is accessible, granular, with more relevant examples. The goal of the tool is to promote consistent and widespread use of the Problem Solving and Communication process and deliverables.
Solution: Problem Solving and Communication Tools is a toolbar that resides on the consultant's desktop, enabling them to create the deliverables from Word, or PowerPoint templates, and access performance support content. The toolbar provides easy access to templates and performance support information for all the standard problem solving and communication deliverables: Problem Definition, Issue Trees, Research Plans, Message Plans, Communication Pyramids, and Presentation Storyboards.

The tool bar provides an overview of the process along with each step broken down with a description of the context in which the step is performed, support on how to perform the step, questions to conduct a quality check of a populated template, examples and resources for more information.

Content updates will be made by a content management team who will harvest examples and practices from the field. The tool is also linked to an intranet site where additional information is available.

The design went through several iterations based on user testing with the target audience. The user testing process helped refine the design to reflect the preferences and variability of the target audience.

Detailed Description
The sections below show the specific tasks supported by the tool and how they are supported.


View Overall Process
The Overview gives consultants a view of the entire problems solving and communication process. During user testing we found that some users (though not all) preferred to navigate from an overall view of the process. Other users preferred to focus on a single deliverable and navigated from the toolbar. The interface provides full navigation from both places.

Create a deliverable
From the toolbar (or the process overview) consultants can immediately begin work on a deliverable, such as a Problem Definition Worksheet. Create New opens a document template in whatever application is appropriate (in this case, PowerPoint). These templates are firmwide standards, which will increase consistency.

View How To Information
The consultant has easy access to content on How To create the deliverable. This content is structured around an expert process for creating the deliverable. User testing helped determine the correct level of detail for this content.

Look at an Example
Virtually all of our audience wanted to learn from real examples of these deliverables. These examples not only show best practices, but also show a variety of applications and contexts for the deliverable, which goes further than the How To content. A content management team is charged with harvesting work examples from the field and updating the content in the tool.

 

Do a Quality Check
Some of our users have experience with the deliverables, but appreciate a checklist of quality criteria for reviewing their work. Also, supervisors use a quality checklist to review others' work. These criteria are based on common issues that experts have seen in work across the firm.

Resources for more information
The content in Problem Solving and Communication Tools is designed to be concise. For those who want more information, an expert to contact, or more extensive training, the resources section gives them pointers. As the existing multimedia training is converted to web-delivered, the Resources section will allow direct links to this training.

 

Criteria: 1. Supports performers through best practice processes. 
Each component of Problem Solving and Communication tools contains sections on How To, Quality Check, and Examples. Together, these sections present the performer with the best content Andersen has to offer. The How To section provides a step-by-step suggested approach based on experts within the Strategy practice. The Quality Check consists of a list of questions for reviewing work. These questions were created based on the experiences of Strategy professionals and the common issues they have seen when creating the particular deliverable. The Examples are taken from actual practice, and are maintained on a regular cycle by a content management team.

2. Establishes, or aids in establishing, goals.

The Overview and Context sections of the tool provide information on the purpose of each of the deliverables (What is it? Why is it critical?). This information helps consultants "begin with the end in mind" by focusing them on the outcome of the deliverable.

3. Minimizes terminology translation or interpretation.

One of the main business reasons for creating this tool is to encourage consistency of the deliverables and process. Thus, some "methodology terminology" is necessary. However, during user tests we determined the best language and level of detail for the content.

4. Provides access to supporting and learning resources.

The toolbar's primary purpose it to provide supporting content for creating actual deliverables. Through analysis of consultants' requests for information and through user testing, we determined what information was most valuable to them and at what level of detail. To gain a more in-depth knowledge of these deliverables and methods, professionals need to use the other resources available such as training and firm experts. Therefore, each deliverable in the toolbar contains a section on other resources. This area points professionals to books, training and professionals that can provide assistance.

5.  Focuses on task(s), processes, and the natural flow of work.

The deliverables on the toolbar are organized in the normal sequence of the standard Problem Solving and Communication process. The toolbar also provides random access to any content in any deliverable. The user interface and categories of content are designed to support the natural flow of creating one of these deliverables.


· User Interface - The toolbar and content window are designed to reside alongside the working application (Word or PowerPoint). Thus, the consultant can focus on creating the deliverable and access supporting content as needed. User testing showed that people varied in their user interface preferences. Some preferred to work with overlapping windows while others preferred to switch between full screen views of the application and performance support context. The interface design supports both of these work styles.


· Content categories (Create, Context, How To, Quality Check, Examples, Resources) - The categories were derived from an analysis of users' work flow and validated during user testing. An earlier version had combined How To with Quality Check content, but this did not support the real work flow. Users preferred to treat this as two separate steps and wanted separate content categories to support them.

6.  Stretches the PCD/EPSS paradigm.

When we began the project we examined the two established forms of performance support available to us: 1) a separate browser-based application and 2) the help systems of the various MS Office tools. Neither of these approaches provided the right combination task support and access to the full range of content and deliverables. We also noted that toolbar solutions are gaining use for internet portals (such as Yahoo Messenger and EntryPoint) and we saw this an innovation in performance support. The toolbar keeps the process and all the deliverables visible to the user, and allows one-click access to all the information. Deliverables from different MS Office applications can be launched from a common point of reference.

The combination of a toolbar-based interface, along with the categories of content offered in the design represented the most complete and accessible performance support tool for this kind of work. And by updating content and links to the firm Intranet site, Problem Solving and Communication Tools will remain relevant. The toolbar is also designed to be extensible. Future releases will allow users to add a set of Project Management and Business Case deliverables.

 
Prior State: Before the existence of this tool, Andersen Consulting professionals had to synthesize the problem solving and communication process on their own. They had to pull together advice contained in individual pieces of training and methodologies, they had to find their own best practice examples, they had to create their own deliverable templates. This tool pulls all these elements together to provide support when the deliverable is actually being created.
User Profile: The audience for this tool is consultants across Andersen Consulting ranging in experience from 2 to 10 years with the firm. These consultants will have had some exposure to the Problem Solving and Communication process and deliverables, and perhaps some prior training. They are highly motivated to produce quality work and want concise information and good examples. In practice, the Problem Solving and Communication process is tailored to each project and the deliverables may be created by individuals or by project teams.
Results: Two user tests showed strong demand for the Problem Solving and Communication Tools solution; all users interviewed said they would use the tool and recommend it to colleagues. Global rollout is planned to begin in August 2000.

NOTES AND REMINDERS

Fee: Please enclose your $100 entry fee in the form of a check made out to the “PSS Group”.
Permission to Publish Entering the competition constitutes permission to publish your submission on the web.  Please signify your understanding and acceptance of this requirement by signing the publication release form.
Submission Address:  Please submit your check, your signed publication release form, and  5 copies of your entry (either on 100 meg ZIP disks or CD-ROMs) in a format compatible with both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator to:

PCD Competition 2000
c/o Stanley E. Malcolm, Principal
Performance Vision
17 Caffyn Drive
Marlborough, CT 06447

Information: 

Contact Stan Malcolm at:

860-295-9711
Stan@Performance-Vision.com