Frequently
Asked Questions
WHAT WE DO...
HOW LONG WE'VE DONE IT...
SOME OF OUR CLIENTS...
SAMPLE CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS...
HOW MUCH eLEARNING...
LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT TRAINING...
CONCERNING IP RIGHTS...
EXPERIENCE WITH DISTANCE LEARNING...
TYPES OF TRAINING PROVIDED...
TYPES OF PROJECTS HANDLED...
CANNED OR CUSTOM TRAINING SOLUTIONS...
EMPLOYEES AT MAHER & MAHER...
RESOURCES AVAILABLE...
1. What
does Maher & Maher do?
Maher & Maher is a New Jersey-based human resource
consulting and organizational development company, that
offers specialized training and eLearning solutions for
the cable, broadband, wireless, call center and government
services sectors. (Back to top)
2. How
long have you been in business?
Founded in 1989, we have been in business 15 years. (Back
to top)
3. Who are some of Maher & Maher's
clients?
a. Broadband:
i. Cox Communications
ii. AOL/Time Warner
iii. Time Warner National Divisions
iv. Adelphia Communications
v. Convergys
vi. Yahoo!
vii. Insight Communications
viii. Comcast
ix. Northland Communications
b. Government:
i. US Department of Labor
ii. State of NJ—Department of Labor
iii. NASWA (National Association of Workforce Agencies)
iv. OSPIP
(Back to top)
4. What type of change management
projects has your firm worked on?
Case Study #1: E-Government Knowledge Site Gives
USDOL a “New Way to Learn”
The Challenge
The National Association of State Workforce Agencies
(NASWA) knew that it needed to train key personnel in
each state in support of the deployment of O*NET (The
Occupational Information Network) via eLearning. O*NET,
a new technology product developed by the U.S. Department
of Labor's Employment & Training Administration,
along with a consortium of states, working together with
NASWA, is a dynamic database of skills, knowledge, and
abilities covering the information age's world of work.
Populated by surveys of businesses in the US, O*NET's
database is designed as a “common language” for
the workforce development system (employers, educators,
employment services, and job seekers) to help foster
better planning and job placement to meet the demands
of the new economy.
When Maher & Maher began helping NASWA, the existing training model
was the same classroom-based model that was traditionally used for
USDOL initiatives-requiring NASWA to hire and send trainers to state
and local agencies to accomplish worker training. With tightening budgets,
and a new philosophy called “E-Government” designed to
breed better service and efficiency, we recommended that O*NET take
a leadership role in the deployment of an eLearning solution designed
to broaden their reach and achieve better budget efficiency in meeting
their training mission. In partnership with NASWA, Maher & Maher
provided the solution.
The Turn Point Solution
In late 2001, we deployed the first wide-scale eLearning
platform from USDOL – O*NET Academy. The site features
a mix of three different eLearning platforms:
- Live virtual classroom training “webinars” that
offer the opportunity for professionals to join peers “live” on
the Web for targeted training.
- Self-paced Web-based courses that feature interactive
content for individual learning 24x7.
- Just-in-time tutorials that teach staff how to use
O*NET in a variety of everyday tasks in short, step-by-step
animations.
To enhance the eLearning experience, the O*NET Knowledge
Site offers free downloads of classroom training materials,
current product updates, training calendars, and peer-to-peer
forums for knowledge sharing.
O*NET Academy – The NEW Way to Learn – was a featured training
session at USDOL's Workforce Innovation 2002 Conference held in Nashville.
The Conference is the premier event for workforce development professionals
from across the US, and is hosted by the United States Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
This Case Study can be found at the following link: http://www.mahernet.com/pages/onet_dol.html (NASWA).
Case Study #2: Online University Enables the Launch
of “Open Access”
The Challenge
When our client, a leading communications and entertainment
company, needed to successfully launch “open access” (multiple
ISP services over cable lines) in 20 local markets before
the end of 2001, they came to Maher & Maher for a
plan to achieve this compliance with a trained and work-ready
workforce.
The Turn Point Solution
We were retained in mid-summer of 2001, leaving less
than six months to meet the imposed deadline. In that
short timeframe training for literally tens of thousands
of staff had to be designed and delivered PRIOR to schedule
product deployment, without crippling existing work in
the client's core businesses. Moreover, Maher & Maher's
work to deploy open access to multiple Internet Service
Providers (ISPs) over the client's broadband cable plant
was the first of its kind in the US cable industry. Products
had to be defined, core business processes needed to
be mapped and documented, and Division-level management
needed to become stakeholders in the project's ultimate
success. Using our experience and knowledge of the industry
legacy systems and eLearning, Maher & Maher designed
and deployed a new learning portal on the Web and created
an entire supporting training curriculum in record time.
This custom-built, managed eLearning solution was hosted
by Maher & Maher, and supported with performance
reporting and help desk services. We used “best
practice” integration and training solutions to
achieve on-time and on-budget deployment. Over 17,000
professional staff were trained using a blended learning
approach and the industry's first integrated eLearning
solution. The client continues to use our online academy
for its new product training needs.
This Case Study can be found at the following link: http://www.mahernet.com/pages/online_university.html.
Case Study #3: eLearning Speeds Deployment of Broadband
Internet Service
The Challenge
Our client partnered with Maher & Maher and tasked
us to outsource change management and training services.
The first provider of high-speed Internet service deployed
via cable modem, our client had been averaging one system
launch per month. The challenge was to be able to support
up to 8 monthly system launches. The existing classroom-training
model required us to send multiple trainers to each site – averaging
17 man-days to support each launch on site.
The Turn Point Solution
In order to obtain faster levels of market penetration
and improved scalability, Maher & Maher recommended,
designed, and deployed the industry's first eLearning
solution. By blending online learning and performance
testing/reporting with much shorter “boot camp” classroom
sessions (where learners would demonstrate hands-on proficiency)
we successfully met the client's need to scale. On-site
time went down to 7 days per launch and the solution
paid for itself in saved travel costs alone within the
first 9 months following deployment.
Today, our client has made a full-scale commitment to eLearning. We
continue to host and develop courseware for their online academy, which
contains curriculum covering several new broadband services being deployed
throughout the US.
This Case Study can be found at the following link: http://www.mahernet.com/pages/rru.html.
Case Study #4: Best Practice Approach Breeds Broadband
Product Launch Success
The Challenge
Our client knew there was a gap between various operational
processes that were designed to support the launch of
new broadband services, and actual compliance with those
processes. They were faced with questions, but no answers:
- Why were some locations more successful than others?
- Why were percentages of service calls (truck rolls)
higher, and call center sales and support calls longer
in some locations than in others?
- Were there consistencies between certain operational
practices and success?
- What were the best practices that needed to be captured
and replicated?
- What pitfalls needed to be avoided?
- How could we capture and document this critical information
and modify business practices to leverage the learning?
The Solution
Maher & Maher designed a Post-Deployment Operations
Review (PDOR) performance improvement strategy that included
the following:
- A diverse team was formed, comprised of members of
Maher & Maher, as well as members of various client
groups, to represent critical components in new product
launches, including
- Data center operations
- Call center operations
- Field operations
- Sales
- Training
- Management
- Dispatch and scheduling
- Data-gathering forms were created to ensure consistent
areas/skills were measured across the organization.
- A process for conducting PDOR reviews was developed
and published.
- Team members were trained in the process.
- Online, confidential employee surveys were developed
for distribution prior to a physical site visit.
- Interview forms were developed for critical staff
interviews of various operational roles (both front
line and management).
- PDOR team members conducted call monitoring, ride-alongs,
interviews and surveys during the actual site visits.
- Forms were completed and data was gathered before
and during visits.
- Each PDOR team member was responsible to complete
a master report, along with individual observation
details.
- A Maher & Maher team leader compiled results
and prepared a detailed report.
Approximately one month following the visit, Maher & Maher
returned to each location with the client Regional Vice
President and performed a team debrief with personnel
in which candid observations were shared, as well as
recommendations for initiatives to improve operations.
Maher & Maher then led a discussion surrounding a measurable plan
for implementing suggestions, and documented that plan for implementation
following PDOR debrief. All results were provided to local management
and the Regional Vice President.
This initiative was wildly successful in capturing the “why” surrounding
the launch of new broadband products, and helped to define the connection
between “best practice” approaches and product launch success.
The PDOR approach, conceptualized and executed for 3 years running
by Maher & Maher, has proven to be one of our client's most critical
success factors.
This Case Study can be found at the following link: http://www.mahernet.com/pages/maher_pdor.html. (Back
to top)
5. How many hours of eLearning
has your firm created?
a. Maher & Maher has developed literally thousands
of hours of e-learning over the past 7 years. We built
the first elearning solution in the broadband industry,
as well as all the customized content that was housed
on an ASP solution Maher & Maher built and programmed.
We were pioneers in e-learning since its inception and
have remained on the bleeding edge of development technology
and content development. (Back to
top)
6. What level of management training
has your firm supported?
a. Maher & Maher develops and delivers all levels
of management training and development, from entry level
supervisory curriculum, to Executive-level strategic
planning, team building and development. (Back
to top)
7. If you create training for
my company, who gets the IP rights?
a. This question depends heavily upon the desire of
the customer. IP rights may be owned by Maher & Maher,
by the customer, or shared between Maher & Maher
and the customer. IP ownership depends upon the nature
of the material and the desire of the customer. Information
that is highly specialized and specific to a particular
customer is naturally owned by the client. If content
is generic and lends itself to re-usability, Maher & Maher
may negotiate with the customer to retain or mutually-own
IP rights to certain curriculum. (Back
to top)
8. What experience do you have
with Distance Learning?
a. Maher & Maher has a great deal of experience
with Distance Learning. We use several different methods
of distance learning:
i. Conventional elearning is
comprised of courses and curriculum that resides on
either an ASP solution or a learning management system.
This allows learners to access learning from their
desktops, or from training lab computers.
ii. Flash tutorials are
accessible through the Internet and can be accessed
to support call center personnel by providing just-in-time
answers in a live call center support situation.
iii. Webinars provide live
interaction with a facilitator and unite geographically-disbursed
team members in a virtual classroom environment. This
medium includes features like conferencing, video,
polling, desktop sharing, and much more. These sessions
can be recorded and viewed at a later time, creating
a library of content that can be re-used again and
again.
iv. Scripted PowerPoints ,
created via Breeze, provide low-level interaction with
the learner by recording relatively short training
topics for the learner to experience at their leisure. (Back
to top)
9. What type of training have
you provided for your other clients?
a. We have provided everything from soft skills, to
change management, to highly technical and network operations
training. Maher & Maher is also well known for their
ability to effectively facilitate and document business
processes for organizations that are launching a new
initiative, technology, or workforce innovation. Forms
of training include:
i. Classroom (instructor-led)
ii. Web-based training/e-learning
iii. Self-directed and instructor-led webinars
iv. Tutorials (Back to top)
10. What types
of projects have you handled?
a. Facilitation
b. Curriculum development
c. Change management
d. Management development
e. Just about anything associated with organizational
change (Back to top)
11. Do you
offer “canned” training solutions or is
it custom designed?
a. Both.
i. Canned:
• Maher & Maher partners with a variety
of training solution providers, such as Inscape Publishing
and Vital Learning for conventional organizational
topics such as Stress Management, Time Management,
Situational Leadership, Team Building, and many other
topics.
• Maher & Maher has developed awesome
curriculum around about 50 different topics. These
topics range from technical training, to soft skills,
to management development programs, to online Flash
tutorials. These programs are either turnkey, or can
be easily customized to fit your organization's needs.
ii. Customized:
• Maher & Maher is best known for its
ability to strategically and logically develop customized
training solutions. Our staff of Web Designers, Instructional
Designers, Programmers, Graphic Artists, Desk Top Publishers,
and Editors offer our customers a skill and experience
level that even major development firms are hard-pressed
to match. We combine a unique development process (that
is documented for our customers) with competent project
and program management to create a unique mix of high-quality
training that considers environment and operations. (Back
to top)
12. How many
people work at Maher & Maher?
a. Maher & Maher employs approximately 26 professionals
and augments our core team with a staff of highly-skilled
contract writers and consultants that allow Maher & Maher
to strategically staff for fluctuation in work flow. Executive
Biographies can be found at the following link: http://www.mahernet.com/pages/executivebios.html. (Back
to top)
13. What kind of resources will
you have available for my project?
a. Maher & Maher will align whatever resources are
necessary to ensure project success. These resources
will be clearly defined in advance, approved by the customer,
and measured throughout the project. Our unique project
management approach includes multiple customer interaction
points because we recognize the importance of consistent
and clear customer communication. Maher & Maher will
create a collaborative team that includes M & M members,
as well as customer members. (Back
to top)
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