Cory remembers his first visit to Pittsburgh, PA with his wife, Michelle. “One of my first memories of Five Star is when I came to visit Dave and Lou. It was my first trip to Pittsburgh. Michelle was with me, and we got a tour of the city. Dave showed me where our offices would be. Soon after, I remember climbing through the duct work running network cables. One of my first jobs was painting. It was an adventure.”

Cory joined Dave and Lou as a programmer. “My first project was the Visa Bankcard Business School. This was the first iteration of the School, which continues running today. This project was well-received and garnered a lot of respect for Five Star’s services and the continued engagement that we have with Visa today.” Cory’s first project involved putting together a week-long program where learners played the role of bank consultants, making decisions based on market conditions and various models. Cory’s role was developing the fun-themed multimedia components of the session. “At the time, we also put together a video for the final night that included clips of all the activities that took place during the week. We were editing into the wee hours of the night using Macromedia Director. We received really good feedback.” The Bankcard Management School continues to run annually in both the US and the UK and has evolved to provide real-time competition for the learners. “Today, we use servers that run throughout the event, saving data along the way. Since the first iteration, the end-users’ experiences are the same, but the technology has enhanced the ability to run the competition live and even change the conditions and models on the fly.”

“I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” –Carl Sandburg

Cory has come a long way since his early days of editing video in the middle of the night for the Bankcard Business School. Since then, Cory has worked hard to become a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD). Today, Cory is the Director of Research & Technology. In this position, Cory is responsible for the infrastructure used throughout the entire organization. Although he enjoys this role, he still likes to work on software development whenever he gets the chance. A true gamer at heart, Cory even influenced the company policy in which games can be played during lunch hour and after hours; and his favorite … Halo 3.

When he’s not overseeing Five Star’s infrastructure and enhancing their operability, Cory loves spending time with Michelle and his children. “I wouldn’t give up quality time with my family for anything. Collectively we have a lot of shared favorites; video and board games, puzzles, Lego creations, and cooking together to name a few.” Cory’s chocolate peppermint cookies have even become an all-time favorite at Five Star.

Although almost impossible to pick one, Cory’s favorite movie is The Matrix. Five Star employees can remember watching Neo face Smith in the final battle to decide the fate of mankind, in The Matrix Revolutions, with Cory on its opening day in November 2003. Thanks to Cory’s request, Dave and Lou closed the doors for a company-wide matinee.

As Cory looks toward the future, he is optimistic about the opportunities available, and would like to continue focusing his work on creating new, cutting edge applications. Through his hard work, his continuous professional development, and dedication to the Five Star and its clients, Cory has become “the” model employee at Five Star.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane and see what has changed, and what has stood the test of time.

Over the years, Five Star has evolved from a development company where “training and technology meet” to a performance consultancy who designs solutions to create high-performance organizations. As we evolved, so did technology, learning solutions, and the way we work. Back in 1997, the Internet was just beginning to integrate into the workplace. Cell phones were used only to make phone calls, and corporate web sites and learning sites were just being launched. Windows 95 dominated our desktops.

Today, IM and text messaging are required to seal deals and stay on top of your work. Cell phones are “smart,” much smaller, and used not only to make calls, but also to take pictures and videos, listen to your favorite tunes, and download the latest app to provide moment-of-need learning. We’re upgrading our desktops, laptops, and netbooks to Windows 7, and we’re carrying iPods, Kindles, laptops, and iPads. In 1997, we believed that in the future, work could be done at any time, from any place, and today we are in fact doing it!

From a training and performance perspective, computer-based training (CBT) was one of the buzzwords for 1997 and the newest delivery method for learning was CD-ROMs. Everyone was converting content to CBTs. Learners could take these courses by plopping a CD-ROM into a disk drive and dedicating 8 hours to train on-the-job. Developing these courses could take up to a year, from creating paper-based storyboards to final implementation. Applications were not as sophisticated as they are today, and developers spent a lot of time figuring out the code to program specific features, like simple tracking and roll-overs.

We’ve come a long way since then.

Since then, we’ve migrated to elearning, mlearning, performance support tools, learning through social media, and blending all of these delivery methods with the tried and true method of instructor-led training. We’ve learned that there is more to learning than just converting to a new delivery method. Training courses have gone from 4-8 hours to a maximum of one hour. Today, content is chunked in smaller segments, allowing learners to train in 10-15 minute increments. Content is even being Tweeted.

Since 1997, we’ve reduced the development process cycle-time on projects from 1 year to 1-2 months. The advancement in technology is a key contributor. Technology has enabled designers to build course assets during the scripting phase, eliminating paper-based storyboards and additional developer time. Moreover, it has enabled instructional designers, graphic designers, and developers to cross over the various functional areas to create training and performance support materials faster than ever.

Just as there have been many changes over the last 13 years, we’ve also seen some constants that have stood the test of time.

1. Know your audience and don’t forget the fundamentals of good learning.
   One enduring truth we have discovered is that no matter what the delivery method is, or how long it takes to develop a program, a quality program must follow adult learning principles and a sound instructional design methodology; one that begins with a goal and terminal objectives, and content, interactions, and evaluations are built based on the goal and objectives. The key is identifying what you want the learner to be able to do as a result of the training and performance support, and design it to reach that outcome.
2. Use technology effectively.
   From the technology side, having a breadth of knowledge of the existing tools and the ability to continue expanding skills as new tools become available has proven to be a constant for developers. Like the developers of 1997, developers of 2010 need to be resourceful, and use technology effectively.

Remember to Make it REAL!

Through 13 years of technology and learning solutions, we’ve certainly experienced many changes in the industry and look forward to drive what’s in store for the future. As technology focuses on the ability to seamlessly connect with other systems, we’ll see applications interacting with other services more and more. What does that mean from a learning perspective? It means that learners will be able to access information to help them do their jobs more easily, when they need it, and how they need; whether it’s from the palm of their hand or even from a virtual 3-D mentor standing next to them at a work site. Designers, like developers, need to continue to be flexible and creative in how they use future delivery methods, yet remember the “real” basics to ensure that learning is achievable through the use of these new technologies.

• Readiness: Adults learn when they see a reason to do so.
• Experience: Adults have prior knowledge.
• Autonomy: Adults want to be in control of their learning.
• Linkage: Adults want opportunities to make connections to what they learn to what they do on the job.

As future technologies could enable virtual mentors and simulated experiences to become more and more real, we are committed to designing instruction in a REAL way, making it learner-focused and performance-based. In addition, we are committed to helping our clients do the same through resources like the Make it REAL- Instructional Design for Improved Performance Workshop.

• A leader in the C-Store Industry experienced six future savings by launching an eLearning template system to enable rapid internal course development.
• A rapidly growing convenience food provider implemented a Shift Supervisor program to develop the leaders needed to enable its new store expansion strategy.
• One of the top ten largest healthcare systems successfully gains adoption from 4,000 clinicians for a new Patient Management System.
• A specialized insurance company re-designed its entry-level associate on-boarding program and increases effectiveness in developing its future talent pipeline.
• A C-Store leader integrated a Realistic Job Preview into its recruitment process and achieved a 500% ROI.
• A global medical product company provided its independent retailers and distributors with the tools and resources needed to better sell the company’s core products.

The complete listing of Five Star case studies can be found here.

In this blog post we will be sharing our recent interview with Lou Camerlengo.

Lou Camerlengo
President

What has ’09 taught you?
It has shown me that staff versatility and corporate agility continue to be important competencies.

What is the one big lesson that you learned this year?
The importance of continually communicating the status of business conditions with our team. Benchmarking our company’s progress on goals helps keep the team focused and motivated. You can never communicate too much.

What is your biggest personal accomplishment?
Getting settled and established in our new offices. It’s really helped our productivity and our ability to interact across all areas of the company.

What do you believe is Five Star’s biggest accomplishment this year?
Five Star’s marketing team did a really nice job of developing a comprehensive methodology and approach to external communications. We are consistently delivering value-added educational webinars, seminars, and newsletters as part of growing our brand as thought leaders.

How are you going to transfer what you learned in 2009 to 2010?
By focusing on professional development to enable our team to expand their skills within their discipline.

What do you hope to learn in 2010?
As a niche company, it’s vital to keep everyone engaged in new challenges and growth opportunities. I am going to focus on developing a more robust “leaders at every-level culture.”

Final thoughts
I am optimistic about 2010. I think we did a nice job this year of identifying and bringing on key new accounts and adding new levels of service to our existing clients.

In this blog post we will be sharing our recent interview with Cory Seaman.

Cory Seaman
Director, Research and Technology Services

What has ’09 taught you?
During the first half of the year we were not able to focus too heavily on what we’d hoped for the year—tackling technology challenges and developing new products for clients and for our own use. Recently I’ve spent a lot of time working with our development team on client projects because we’ve had some large, long-running projects and haven’t been able to take on new full-time resources. This has made me realize that you have to make the best of and remain fully engaged wherever circumstances take you.

What is the one big lesson that you learned this year?
Flexibility is one of the most difficult and one of the most critical attributes to demonstrate during times of economic difficulty. Adaptability has been exemplified by our staff; people have done a phenomenal job adjusting and making personal sacrifices where necessary They have reacted well to changing expectations when it’s been extremely hard to do so.

What is your biggest personal accomplishment?
Reaching the latest delivery milestones with the technology development team for a program launch. Since my role doesn’t frequently allow me to work full-time as a part of the development team, it was great to help out.

What do you believe is Five Star’s biggest accomplishment this year?
I think the fact that we’ve retained our footing and have come through some difficult choices in the face of adversity this year, combined with the fact that we continue to be one of Pennsylvania’s Best Places to Work is a testament to the excellence and perseverance of our company.

How are you going to transfer what you learned in 2009 to 2010?
There are a number of things I would like to improve within our network infrastructure, such as introducing Windows 7. I also learned a lot from a Microsoft Technology Conference that I would like to continue implementing in 2010, beginning with the consolidation of our web and application servers through virtualization. This will allow us to save energy, lower costs, and reduce our hardware footprint.

What do you hope to learn in 2010?
My hope has been to continue growing my research role and exposing Five Star to the new or existing technologies that we can best leverage as a company. I’m also anxious to find opportunities to create “shelf ready” projects and map out some new tools and technologies that we can offer to our clients.

Final thoughts
This is an interesting time because there are a lot of new tools available, but there are also a lot of tight belts in terms of budgets and financial resources that necessarily limit what we’re able to do. It’s also a challenge to balance client needs with our own at times. But with a better outlook on the horizon and a number of new avenues to pursue, it’s hard not to be excited about the year ahead.

In this blog post we will be sharing our recent interview with Angel Lehrian.

Angel Lehrian
Director, Human Resources

What has ’09 taught you?
There are ups and downs, but you have to persevere and move forward.

What is the one big lesson that you learned this year?
You have to take advantage of a down economy to build a connection with the talented people who are unemployed so that you can hire them when things pick up.

What is your biggest personal accomplishment?
Besides my two children, having Five Star recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Western PA and being involved with the Five Star Cares program.

What do you believe is Five Star’s biggest accomplishment this year?
In a period of an economic downturn, we were still able to attract new clients and keep our existing clients happy. An internal accomplishment is Five Star’s receipt of the Best Places to Work award.

How are you going to transfer what you learned in 2009 to 2010?
It is important to learn from the past. I plan to use lessons learned over the last year to explore new, innovative ways to attract and retain employees.

What do you hope to learn in 2010?
I hope to learn more about the health care reform bill and how it will affect our employees.

Final thoughts
Five Star Cares is an exciting program and brings value to our community.  One of my goals is to increase involvement in it in 2010.

The road to linking reality to end-user expectations begins with a systematic assessment of needs and the documentation of software requirements. In this blog post, we will discuss three techniques that we have employed to help our clients understand end-user needs and identify requirements:

• Exploration meetings with stakeholders and targeted end-users.
  Focused meetings to observe, ask questions, and listen to your key stakeholders about what they like or dislike about performing a task or process.
• Assessment of the intended deployment environment.
  Asking questions about how the software or technology will be used and where it will be hosted is critical to gaining a clear picture of future limitations and requirements. For example, ask questions like:
  • Who will help the user when they run into a usability issue?
  • What are the corporate standards and guidelines?
  • What is the culture of the target audience?
  • What applications have had successes with the target audience in the past?
  • What features do target users look for and like in other applications?
  • How will the software or application modify the process of executing work?
  • Are there bandwidth limitations?
  • Can custom programs be installed on user computers?
  • Is support for certain software platforms required or prohibited?
• Use Cases, mockups, and prototypes.
  • A Use Case is one of the most helpful methods of exposing functional requirements. But one word of caution: as you build them be sure to exclude technical jargon and the inner workings of the software.
  • A Mockup, or a rough visual layout of the user interface, enables end-users to experience the software or application before it is completely developed. By gathering feedback, it is possible to assess how the software is able to meet, or fail to meet, end-user expectations. Also, end-users can reveal their stylistic preferences that may be difficult to capture otherwise. Below is an example of a mock-up created by one of our developers using Microsoft’s newest tool, Expression Blend™.

• Lastly, Prototypes, either partially or fully functional, can be very helpful in determining usability. A prototype will give you an accurate depiction of how well end-users believe the program will meet their objectives. You can incorporate their feedback into future iterations of the software before the program is fully built.

These three techniques are some of the many that can be employed in order to best bridge the gap between the reality of what the software can/will do and end-user wants, needs, and expectations. By taking the time to listen and educate your stakeholders and end-users, the likelihood of a successful integration of new software or technology will greatly increase.