This report details a needs assessment, identifying the gap between existing and desired performance. Analysis is included to determine where we should provide the most support. Goals determined by the analysis are identified along with strategies for achieving these goals.

Data for the analysis was collected from review of company documentation and interviews with employees, including Glen Michener, Craig Salinas, Ellen Peterson, and a broad range of pipeline personnel.

Results of the analysis indicate the bulk of the identified issues are performance related, requiring performance solutions. The key issues are detailed below, with related goals, recommended strategies to meet those goals, and recommended next steps.

Key Issues

Provide employees not only training, but support, resources, and the feedback needed to operate at peak efficiency, with the intent of meeting the bottom line goal of increased production.

Strategies
Analysis of the issues reveals opportunities for meeting this goal, and DAI's mission, through implementation of a Performance Support System. Cindy indicated an EPSS (Electronic Performance Support System) makes sense for this department. We can take Cindy's idea one step farther, transforming the productivity of the entire organization by developing an Organizational Performance Support System (OPSS).

Why OPSS?
Literature review of successful companies with OPSS's, coupled with analysis of DAI's needs, reveals congruency in many areas. For example, DAI has:

• A dynamic business climate requiring the organization to be very responsive to change. DAI's mission statement reads, "DAI is committed to...a well-trained workforce, adaptive to changing industry demands."

• High productivity targets.
  One animator stated, "The CG Sups want us producing...their reputations rely on it."

• Frequent introduction of new products.
  DAI's mission statement specifies animations are "brought to life by state-of-the-art digital technology."

• More knowledge required to perform jobs than workers can absorb during training. Asked about training workshops, one animator stated, "I have some questions that don't arise until later, when I'm back on the job."

• The best job performers motivated and articulate enough to add knowledge to the system. Many animators said training pieces created by peers are very useful. One animator stated, "One of our guys created a Web-based tutorial...it was really superior to the vendors tutorial."

• Workers without quick access to information. An animator indicates, "It's easier to think standing on your feet...than to search the tutorials."

• Expertise residing in separate groups.
  DAI has animators with technical expertise and animators with artistic expertise who don't provide mutual support, "hanging around with those who have a similar background."

• Generalized training courses that do not meet the specific needs of the different audiences. Workshops are high level overviews of the software. One animator indicated, "they're not what we need."

• Workers who would benefit most from on-the-job training. Pipeline employees say they need training most while on-the-job. One animator stated, "We need more access to the experts when we're actually using the software." Another added, "we wish for these things (training) when we need them...during production."

1. EPSS Nucleus
   The heart of the OPSS should be an EPSS component using the existing Intranet to provide:
   • Let's Get Started! An overview describing the OPSS concepts, procedures, and components.
   • Can Do That! An employee skill inventories, so employees know where to turn for help.
   • Tips and Tricks! Created by animators enabling information access unique to this environment.
   • Tutorials: Employee and vendor created for accessibility when needed.
   • Software Support: Providing employees access to experts when needed.
   • Training Materials: DAI and vendor developed, allowing refresher training when needed.
   • Community: Newsgroups/Electronic Bulletin Board for the pipeline, enhancing communication between groups.
   • Management Communication: Up-to-date information about DAI financial status, goals, and productivity reports.
   • Feedback/Response Loop: Mechanisms providing incentive for contribution.
   • Process Map: Diagram showing flow of Pipeline Process.
   • Conceptual/Process Presentations: Describes key concepts and processes.
   • Practice Questions: Self-tests for employees to evaluate their knowledge of a subject.
   • Procedures: Step-by-step job-aids on how to complete major tasks.
   • Simulations: Using examples from previous productions, provide a safe environment to practice real world skills.
   • Example Database: Provide examples of how to perform tasks along with samples of completed work.
   • Field-Level Help: Provide answers to specific software questions.

2. Process Action Team
   Interviews indicate a PAT should be formed to examine the animation process. The process currently in place may not be a best practice, as indicated by many animators:

   "It takes so many people to create a single element...everything is so divided up that we don't always know from the left hand what the right hand does."

   "A related problem...is the gridlock...the work gets held up in one place."

   "It forms from the approval process...a lot of money is lost."

   "...the employees often work ten- to twelve-hour days."

   Members should represent each area of the process and each level affected by the process. Their charter should be to identify points in the process that can be improved, and based on data, recommend improvement strategies.

3. Pipeline Partnering Program
   Interviews with supervisors and animators indicate a partnering program can be successful. Glen Michener indicated the need to "create a community again...where there is a healthy exchange of ideas." Craig Salinas added, "they tend to learn a lot from each other."

   Partnering is customization of training at its highest level, encouraging learning at the precise time needed. It offers specific, one-on-one learning from an experienced and respected colleague insightful about the subtleties of the technology or the art of animation.

   Partnering must be closely linked to the mission, goals and priority strategies of DAI. This facilitates the pursuit of mastery performance. We should customize a partnering process encouraging clear communication, mutuality in teaching and learning, and process flexibility.

4. Training Department with Performance Improvement/Support Focus
   Conduct instructional design workshops for the training team adding to the already extensive team skill set. This training will allow the team to better assess performance needs, while giving them tools to design/implement internal and vendor training, and support/evaluate the OPSS.

   The key to successful implementation of the OPSS is buy-in, organization, accessibility, continual contribution, and education for employees on how to best use it to meet needs. Initially, most important of these is buy-in. Buy-in can be achieved through shared accountability, giving the pipeline input and ownership in the process. Interviews indicate employees may be open to it, since they are already contributing information and training in their spare time.

Production is in early stages and the 3D Animation tool update has not been installed. Determine if the update is actually needed. If not, delay installation until production is complete. This can impact production immediately, removing the obstacle of learning a new tool.

A training team member should attend dailies. Two purposes are served: >Animators will see Training making an attempt to understand their needs. Training can better identify animator needs.

Recruit an animator with technical expertise to be an assistant to Glen Michener. Glen identified, "a major part of this process is determining what technology can be used to create a shot and the best way to go about it with the tools." He admittedly "doesn't have time to attend training" and finds himself "working around the clock to stay abreast of the new software and hardware." Add animator feelings that "the visual effects supervisor ... often wants things...unnecessarily tweaked...it's just too easy to keep tweaking on the computer...sometimes the work at take 15 is little different than what you get at take 50." An assistant can provide the technical perspective Glen lacks, likely reducing the number of revisions. Glen mentioned, "apprenticeship is an effective method for training and development...working in both directions to keep ideas fresh...a healthy exchange of ideas." His buy-in is likely if approached from an apprenticeship perspective.

Recruit a diverse group for alpha testing of rendering management software updates. This will provide feedback not only from those with technical expertise, but more importantly from those having difficulty using the tool.

Setup a volunteer partnering program, where animators with technical expertise and animators with artistic expertise can support each other. The formalized partnering program should be developed for long-term impact. An impact on production could occur since this directly addresses challenges of both technical and artistic animators.

Evaluation
Evaluation should be an ongoing process, enabling Training to reassess needs and make necessary revisions at the end of each production. Surveys, interviews, and observations should be made continually, ensuring the most effective performance support through continual re-evaluation of the system. Evaluation will ensure the OPSS remains current, meeting the needs of the pipeline.