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 circle back with Kyle and his team member, 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, there 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, laying the groundwork for where technical training is today.
Advancing Knowledge with Deeper Learning
Following the successful introduction of Foundational Training, Kyle and Simon, together with other team members across INSTANDA, introduced Advanced Technical Training to complete the insurance cycle. Kyle shares, "Given the training requirements, creating Advanced Training was more complex than Foundation Training.” With Foundation Training, configurators have no 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 Instructional Designer, who has been working closely with Kyle on building a comprehensive learning plan.
Simon shares, "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. This enables learners to safely practice 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
To embed training, technical training is delivered in sequence. This step-by-step approach breaks down functionality into manageable learning topics. Simon emphasizes, "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 from 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 each action so that they can effectively apply what they’ve learned to their own product builds.”
Positive Reception and Unique Features
Clients have found Advanced Training just as valuable as Foundation Training. The average learner score rating for technical training is 4.7 out of five stars. Kyle notes, "We've seen great uptake from those who’ve already completed Foundation Training. The demonstrations 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 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 enhances your technical capability.”
To learn more about accessing training or to suggest new learning content, please reach out to your Account Manager. We're here to support your growth and ensure you have the knowledge to excel with INSTANDA.
