Nissan and Infiniti Virtual Academy Administration

Challenge:
Manage content for two massive training sites

When Nissan North America created online resources for its Nissan and Infiniti brands, it brought one-stop convenience for dealerships — and non-stop challenges for us.

We were asked to deliver a wide range of content for the Nissan Virtual Academy and the Infiniti Virtual Academy. Our to-do list included converting a collection of print resources into new online formats, including articles for sales consultants, technical vehicle specifications, product reference manuals, information on competitors, and more. Nissan wanted to deliver more than just HTML, so we were asked to write scripts for live video and Flash e-learning modules.

But beyond the initial launch of the Web sites, we were tasked with ongoing content maintenance. If something changed in one area, it necessitated changes everywhere, including artwork, Flash modules, and video segments. We had to keep in mind that different audiences would access different areas and content. And we needed to provide ongoing schedules for adding new content, some of which would be produced by other companies, and all of which had to be coordinated with schedules for live training events unrelated to the Web sites.

The sites were no small feat. And since Nissan had not delivered information in this fashion before, the unknowns loomed large.

Solution:
Balance big picture thinking with minutiae madness

The nature of such a massive undertaking mandated that we keep things streamlined. Prior to delving in, we assessed and adjusted our production process and in-house quality control system. Then we got to work converting numerous print resources into their respective online formats — for each site.

Once the sites launched, Nissan planned to eliminate the printed resources. Ensuring everything was ready, organized, and accurate for such change took time, patience — and plenty of project management expertise.

When the good news is the bad news

Online delivery allows companies to make frequent, timely updates. This is the good news, but it can also create tricky situations. It means we must find ways to ensure the utmost in accuracy much more quickly. It also means that each time something changes, such as a technical specification, we need to update all affected areas of the site.

We implemented a strong quality assurance program. When changes are requested, we are ready to comb through every article, reference source, video, and Flash module in an organized and targeted fashion, using a combination of technological and manual approaches. Our team is vastly familiar with the content, and we incorporate layers of redundancy in our process to ensure the highest standards of accuracy at every stage.

Juggling parties

In addition to the content we produce, we coordinate schedules for content provided by other parties. Our project managers work constantly to keep each other informed of details big and small, and we are always looking ahead to spot potential challenges before they turn into obstacles.

The Virtual Academies — and Crider Associates — graduate with high marks

The Virtual Academies allow information to be distributed to the field faster than before — in some cases, months faster than used to be done in print — with greater control and accuracy. The content is timely and when changes occur, our process enables us to make them quickly and globally, creating a seamless experience for our client.

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