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HP StorageWorks ESL 712 Virtual Toolkit
Unique solutions to unique challenges
In spring of 2007 HP approached Smart MultiMedia to help discuss ways to help solve some specific problems related to the support of their Enterprise Series Tape Libraries (ESL). These machines are over six feet tall and weigh over 1,700 pounds when fully loaded. Customer service support is provided by overseas call centers. Because of the size of the machine, the call center service engineers have never physically seen one. As a result, customer service satisfaction ratings were low and no-fault found part returns were high.
Virtual Toolkit
The prior training material for call service center engineers on the ESL was a video and instruction manual. Although the content was all there, the delivery system was not right. Smart MultiMedia proposed creating a "virtual toolkit" that would address the top-five problem areas with the ESL; and with the ability to add additional tools in the future. These tools would include 3D interactive modeling of the machine, interactive lessons addressing the problem areas and learning checks. The toolkit would be housed on HP internal server from which employees would download and open on their PC or laptop.
Content Creation
Once HP agreed to the virtual toolkit concept, Smart MultiMedia met with the stateside service engineer to be introduced to the machine and to photograph it. Smart MultiMedia’s education department obtained the five different service manuals associated with the ESL and began to distill the relevant information into lesson plans and learning checks. Simultaneously, the companies production department began creating 3D interactive models of the unit.
Final Product
Once lesson plans were developed the two departments worked together to determine the most effective way to present the information to the defined audience. They decided to use a video of a live person to introduce the lesson, an opportunity for the user to then manipulate the 3D model of the ESL, a virtual tour of the unit based on the particular lesson and a series of learning checks in which the user was required to diagnose certain problems and identify different areas and/or parts on the ESL. Of the 76 HP online downloadable training materials available for this series, the ESL 712e Virtual Toolkit of the is the 3rd most utilized.
The HP 712 E–Series Virtual Toolkit earned an Award of Excellence from the Society for Technical Communications. Read More
Updated 11/24/08