From Foundation to Advanced: Empowering Confident Configurators
The world of insurance technology is constantly evolving, and so is the way we train our clients to harness INSTANDA’s full potential. Since we last caught up with our Technical Training Manager, Kyle Cooke, all the Advanced Training courses are now live.
We catch up with Kyle and his colleague, Instructional Designer, Simon Pamely-Annan, to explore how enhancements to technical training continue to deepen client configurator knowledge.
Following the Success of Foundation Training
Reflecting on the evolution of INSTANDA's Technical Training, Kyle shares, "It’s been a massive journey. Two years ago, technical training was a two-day, virtual instructor-led program. Although it was comprehensive, it was a lot of information for new platform configurators to grasp and embed. We knew that a digital, self-paced approach was needed to enable learners to absorb and embed knowledge at their own pace." This shift has allowed configurators to engage with technical training material flexibly, accommodating different time zones and individual schedules for a true self-paced digital learning experience. The transition began with the launch of Foundation Technical Training in early 2023, which laid the groundwork for where technical training is today.
Advancing Knowledge with Deeper Learning
Following the successful introduction of Foundational Technical Training, Kyle and Simon, together with input from other teams across INSTANDA, introduced Advanced Technical Training to complete the insurance cycle. Kyle emphasises, "Given the training requirements, creating the Advanced Training was more complex than Foundation Training.” With Foundation Training, configurators do not have pre-existing knowledge of INSTANDA. They learn how to use INSTANDA in a separate training environment where they follow steps and build an example travel insurance product and site. Advanced Training required a different approach, considering prerequisites and existing knowledge. This led to the hiring of Simon Pamely-Annan, an experienced Instructional Designer, who has been working closely with Kyle on building a comprehensive learning plan.
Simon shares, "The Advanced Training is designed to deepen understanding of INSTANDA's advanced functionalities through examples and demonstrations. We use a simulated environment to provide hands-on experience, allowing learners to safely practise configuring a particular functionality without concerns about unintended consequences in a live environment."
Explaining how Advanced Training builds on Foundation Training, Kyle adds, “Advanced Training addresses complex topics like Out-of-Sequence MTAs, Auto-Renewals and Payment Methods, which were deliberately omitted from the Foundation Training to prevent overwhelming new configurators.”
While Foundation Training lays solid groundwork for using INSTANDA, it avoids intricate technical details to ensure configurators gain a holistic understanding of product building and site testing. Advanced Training fills these gaps by teaching necessary advanced calculations and functions, responding to configurators' needs and feedback gathered from INSTANDA’s platform support team.
Sequential Learning to Embed Knowledge
A key element in meeting client needs is introducing technical training in sequence. This step-by-step approach breaks down functionality into manageable learning topics. Simon emphasises, "Sequential training helps us devote time to fully explain topics, layering knowledge and building upon previous courses to deepen understanding."
Kyle adds, "Our approach prevents configurators becoming overwhelmed. After all, the entire learning pathway includes 40 bite-sized courses.”
Simon elaborates on the instructional design methodology, "We combine theory with practical experience to ensure configurators understand the 'why' behind their actions and learn at their own pace. This approach embeds knowledge and allows them to apply it to their own product builds effectively.”
Positive Reception and Unique Features
As with the Foundation Training, Advanced Training has been well received by clients. The average learner score rating for Technical Training now stands at 4.7 out of five stars. Kyle notes, "We've seen great uptake from those who’ve already completed Foundation Training. The demonstrations embedded within the Advanced Training provide specific guidance and tips at the exact moment they're needed, reinforcing learning, and crucially, lowering the number of platform support queries on those topics."
Building Technical Training to Meet Client Needs
INSTANDA's commitment to client-centric training is evident in the development of the technical training learning pathway. Kyle explains, "A core aspect of training is empowering clients to become self-sufficient, confident configurators.”
“To meet this expectation,” Kyle concludes, "we constantly listen to our clients to identify gaps and opportunities to enhance their knowledge and capability. Whether you're new to INSTANDA or seeking to deepen your platform expertise, our learning pathway is designed to enhance your technical capability.”
To learn more about accessing training or to suggest new learning content that could shape our technical training roadmap, please reach out to your INSTANDA Account Manager. We're here to support your growth and ensure you have the knowledge to excel with INSTANDA.
