"Well Cynthia, we have the answers to our problems right here at DAI. It is our people. We have so much knowledge here at DAI that we should be able to blow away any studio in the industry. Our real issue is how to manage our knowledge assets."

"First, I am going to outline what I discovered in my interviews-the needs of our organization. Next, I will outline the proposed solution. You were right, a performance support (PS) solution is in order, but not entirely electronic. I also think there may be more, I'll get to that in a second. Here's a copy of the Needs Assessment."

It has been reported by many organizations that 85-90% of a person's job knowledge is learned on the job and only 10-15% learned in formal training events. This initial needs assessment for DAI supports these findings. Specifically the needs assessment showed:

• Employees are not aware of the big picture of a project. They understand what will be the final outcome, however they do not understand the overall goal or objective of the project. Most employees are not included in the preliminary design discussions for a project and do not understand how the decisions made in those discussions may impact their work.

• Employees find little direct connection between formal training and the tasks they do on their job.

• Too much time elapses between the training on new software and when the software is actually used.

• There is no formal process to share knowledge between coworkers. Most learning comes from working on tasks on the job and from informally talking with coworkers who have had experience with specific components of the software. Tips and tricks are lost by employees who are not "standing by the water cooler."

• The software that employees are expected to use to do their job is complex and constantly changing, directly affecting productivity.

• The animators are divided into two groups with different performance strengths: those who are generally new to the industry with superior computer skills and those who have been in the field for a long time with superior visualization and art skills. There is a reluctance to interact between the two groups.

• The revision and feedback cycle is not effective. The cycle is very compartmentalized. Production time suffers when multiple, seemingly low-impact iterations must be done on a single piece of the animation.

• There are differing views of performance and quality that are held by the staff of DAI and by the staff of its parent company, Media World. Media World measures performance by the bottom line. A healthy return on investment is their primary measure of success. In contrast, the directors of DAI view success in terms of artistic merit. They argue that a poorly produced animation would be a failure at the box office, which would directly affect ROI. Still, management can point to statistics (the bane of artists) to prove that DAI is not an efficient operation.

"Our solution has two parts: a performance support piece and an overall business piece. I have outlined short-term recommendations where DAI could expect to see results within a nine-month time frame. I have also proposed long-term solutions. Some of the needs outlined confirm that DAI is an organization that would benefit from moving away from traditional methods of instruction for our employees to a more performance support approach. Here's a document describing my performance support recommendations."

Short-term Performance Support System Recommendations:

• Explore options on how DAI's Intranet can be better organized so that existing materials such as web sites and tips already created by the employees are easily accessible.

• Investigate and choose a method of providing performance support materials to animators via the Intranet. Options include a bulletin board system, forums, list services, and/or database tools (for example, Lotus Notes).

  As with already existing materials, the key will be to organize information in such a way that animators can easily access it on an as needed basis.

• Begin an assessment of the expertise of the staff in software products and processes (including designing web pages). This information should constantly be kept up-to-date so that as animators master new tasks that would benefit others, the information can be captured and made accessible to others for use when they need it.

• Significantly decrease the time that animators are spending prior to the start of a project in class. Instead, this time would be better spent if the animators worked with the Training Department to create resources that capture valuable, undocumented knowledge that they learned on previous project(s).

• Explore the availability of CBTs as an alternative to classroom training. While CBTs support learning and not performance, they are still more beneficial than traditional training because they provide a self-paced approach that learners can use on an "as needed" basis.

• Invest in maintenance contracts that include technical support for the software DAI is using.

Long-term Performance Support System Recommendations:

• Ideally, performance support should already be available as part of the animation software either intrinsically (inherent to the system itself) or extrinsically (integrated with the system but as a secondary interface). It should also aid in not just how to use the software but other issues critical to the success of the task, such as how to create visual images that are life-like and visually correct.

• The amount of built-in performance support must be a consideration when choosing software. The staff that makes these decisions needs training on how to identify and rate software's performance support features. With input from our employees we can create a tool such as a checklist that would assist the software-buying decision-makers when choosing software.

• Another issue to consider is the controlled purchasing of software. Additions or upgrades in software should be reviewed by our users to determine if it is necessary and beneficial.

• "I have also outlined some overall business recommendations that would allow the performance support solutions to work more efficiently and effectively. Here's a document outlining those recommendations."

Short-term Business Recommendations:

• Establish a partnering/mentoring program. The employees here at DAI have a variety of strengths in addition to their willingness to share their knowledge. We have employees who are stronger in the software side of designing while others are stronger in the visual aspects of designing. By partnering these two groups together, both will benefit. This program would also allow additional relationships to be built (that may have never had the opportunity) giving each individual an understanding of a specific project from a different perspective. A mentoring program would also benefit those employees interested in career advancement, by giving them an opportunity to experience the job skills that are required in other positions.

Long-term Business Recommendations:

• Establish a team approach to projects. Development should revolve around a circular team approach instead of the linear pipeline. Employees from all specialties: animation, lighting, effects, texture mapping, etc., would be represented on a team. This approach would enhance communication within a project. It would also help employees to understand the big picture of a project and take more ownership in a project. A team approach would cut down on revision iterations and improve production time.

• Create common work areas. To assist this team approach and facilitate communication, a common work area for all individuals working on a specific project should be created. This will yield increased productivity because individuals will be able to share information effectively and efficiently during the planning and production of the project. It will be used as a place to not only gather and share information, but also to brainstorm ideas, storyboard, sketch out projects, etc.

This recommendation may take time to implement. To make it successful, it requires input and approval/buy in from the entire organization. We will need to solicit assistance from all aspects of the organization.

"Team building here at DAI is very important. The hope is that if artists and engineers feel more connected throughout the entire project, rather than when it becomes "their turn" in the pipeline, the quality of the product will improve along with the rate at which it takes to complete the project. In addition, these team-building suggestions will really help the electronic portion of the solution. This document sums up what we are facing here at DAI."

"As I described, this plan includes an electronic performance support application along with recommendations for other key business areas. I wanted to share with you how Barry Raybould describes EPSSs: 'an electronic infrastructure that captures, stores, and distributes individual and corporate knowledge assets throughout an organization, to enable individuals to achieve required levels of performance in the fastest possible time with a minimum support from other people.' The DAI infrastructure I am recommending will need support from all parties involved, from the top down. Even Ellen Petersen."

"The solution I am recommending will work but it needs four things to succeed."

• "Support from all departments and sponsorship from upper management. Without this support from upper management, it won't happen. Upper management will help direct all the departments to work together. Without their help, our departments will take too long to get together or will never get together. We will be back where we started."

• "We must also get the support of the employees for the new team approach. We must emphasize cooperation and exchange of information. The "Pipeline" metaphor is not appropriate. A new name, way of thinking, will need to be developed.

• "The electronic portion of the solution cannot be compromised. System design is very important. We must solicit input from our employees on how the system will work best for them."

• "Finally, we must go into this project knowing that as new technologies emerge we will need to change and adapt with them. It is the nature of our business."

"Well, Jason, you have really put a lot of work in, in a very short time. Give me some time to go over your recommendations and make a presentation to upper management. I will get back to you with our comments. Great job, I knew you could do it!"