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Nissan University Online Launch
Challenge:
Introduce a new online certification and enrollment system nationwide to dealerships and regional personnel
Here’s an unusual to-do list:
- Help Nissan replace a national online certification and training enrollment system for 1,300 dealerships and regional personnel.
- Train hundreds of people on the new processes.
- Communicate different messages to multiple audiences.
- Keep thousands informed and embracing (or at least not fearing) the change.
- Dovetail everything into the computer programming team’s schedule — a somewhat moving target.
- Shepherd the project for a year, from concept to final delivery, postage and all.
Nissan and Infiniti dealerships nationwide were using an established system for certification and enrollment. All of their records were in the existing system. Many of the users had minimal technical expertise. And most were not eager to learn a new computer system. (Who among us is?)
Such a change required a personalized communication approach and exceptional project management. The system served multiple audiences in the corporate offices, regional offices, and all of the dealerships. Each needed a series of communications addressed with a name and title.
Multiply these requirements by two divisions — Nissan and Infiniti — and the number of different e-mails, letters, brochures, job aids, and orientation training sessions soars to the height where headaches are born.
From the Nissan corporate offices to the dealership level, this part of their technical world was about to change. It was our job to help them understand it was for the better.
Solution:
Communicate, coordinate, facilitate
We began by working closely with project managers to establish schedules and communication plans. We wrote a series of e-mails and letters, which were distributed to the audiences over several months.
Our team wrote the brochure, job aids, handouts, and trainer materials. We coordinated the complex printing needs (which involved varying quantities of different letters to each dealership) and managed the mind-boggling fulfillment (e.g., “This person gets this letter and this job aid, and that person gets that letter and that brochure, not vice versa”).
As the migration neared, we provided expert facilitation for training at the regional level. Our delivery was directly tied to the programming team’s schedule, which meant constant communication was imperative.
The system goes dark. And then there was light.
When the migration date arrived, the former system went dark as scheduled. The programmers made the transition, and the new system was up.
It was seamless. Having been clearly informed for months and properly trained, the dealerships experienced no difficulties. The years of records were still there, and easy to access. The quick reference cards resolved the few questions people had. The new system was officially up, and the technical support Help Desk was happily quiet.
For this project, Crider Associates provided turnkey services, from phase-one communications to the final delivery. These included:
- E-mail communications to Nissan corporate and regional personnel
- Personalized letters to Nissan corporate and regional personnel
- Personalized letters to Infiniti corporate and regional personnel
- Personalized letters to Nissan dealerships, to multiple audiences, each with a different message
- Personalized letters to Infiniti dealerships, to multiple audiences, each with a different message
- NUO training brochure
- Quick reference cards
- Facilitator-led training at the regional level
- Trainer workbook
- Printing services, handling varying quantities of individual communications for 1,300 dealerships
- Fulfillment services, including packaging, postage, and shipping
    
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