This edition of the K-12 Newsletter

Table of Contents

1. Filamentality

2. Distance Learning Saves Money

3. Best of Blue Web'n

4. Videoconferencing

5. GEAR UP

6. Grants information

7. Keystone Conference

8. Advocates in Action

SBC Distance Learning supports key communication needs in four areas:

1. training and learning
2. customer support
3. sales & marketing
4. employee communications.

In 2003, internal distance education tools saved the company millions. Savings can be measured in a number of ways: Lower expenditures for paper/binders/supplies, travel-related costs, employee time away from office (online training can be done anytime – early mornings, late in the day or evenings, customer holidays, days when employees are slowed down by colds or weekend injuries.)

Training and learning solutions.
SBC has four goals for its training and learning solutions. A top goal is to maximize employee productivity and budgets. Another goal is to deliver and learn “what I need, When I need it” access to information. A third goal is to ensure enterprise-wide consistency and competency. SBC training develops standard and continuous learning opportunities for employees.

SBC employees are offered or assigned online courses that will help them in their job, or get all employees in the same job title trained in the same set of skills or knowledge. Employees receive an e-mail notification of courses available for the upcoming quarter. Employees review offerings, including estimated length of course. At the employee’s convenience, an employee clicks on “enroll” and proceeds through the course. Most courses have quizzes throughout to check and reinforce knowledge. Each course has a final test, which can be re-taken until a passing score is achieved. Courses can also be retaken as a refresher at any time. Completed courses become a part of employee training history. Employee training and professional development is a quarterly goal for SBC management, so completed courses can be listed under “achievement results.”

SBC employees also have a set of annual “mandatory coverages” that are available as online tutorials. These important human resource, regulatory and legal compliance modules include topics such as EEO/Valuing Diversity, Safety in the Workplace, Ethics/Code of Business Conduct, Intellectual Property and Proprietary Information, and so on.

Customer support solutions.
SBC Distance Learning helps departments improve service, reduce call volumes and response time. It also creates easily accessible product descriptions and dramatically reduces training costs.

An example of this is online product descriptions, brochures, order forms, Q&A and other material that was once created in print version, inserted into inter-office envelopes, and sent through company mail. This printed material went to hundreds or thousands of employees – and often ignored or buried on desks. Printed material would also be sent in bulk shipments for display racks or conference exhibits. Much expensive, colorful handouts ended up in the trash because it couldn’t be updated. Now, all is available online for easy access and updating, while also being environmentally friendly.

SBC also has an extensive Intranet with online meeting room reservation systems, online forms, and enhanced employee “suggestion box” for revenue-generating and productivity/cost saving ideas.

Sales and marketing solutions.
SBC and most businesses seek to shorten the sales cycle, introduce new products in a timely fashion, equip sales teams with the information they need to successfully compete for business, and build a knowledge library.

SBC Marketing and Product Managers have regular “Open Mic” audio conference calls and webinars (web-based seminars) on new products or product enhancements. These are supplemented with web-based information for employees to provide to their customers.

Employee communications solutions.
Printed mail is rare at SBC, especially internally produced communications. Most internal communications are web-based, pushed to employees through e-mail. Employee communications goals are to reduce costs and improve employee productivity, create company and team unity, and to reach employees with high impact.

Inter-office envelopes are scarce. Inter-office mail in an employee mailbox is rare, with the exception of birthday or sympathy cards to sign and send on, or the occasional newsletter for employees to read and share with customers and consultants. An example is the SBC Update: Solutions for Success, which is also available online at http://www.sbc.com/cvsg

Increasingly, SBC internal communications include sound, animation, and interactivity. This gets employee attention about upcoming events or product launches. Many upcoming events include “registration” options for live or web-based viewing, reminder notices, requests for topics to be addressed, and feedback surveys. Most divisions, departments, and teams have their own internal website. These internal websites are increasingly SBC-branded, but vary in creativity and depth.