Trends and trend-setting learning solutions from Tata Interactive Systems

At this year’s Learning Technologies exhibition, being held at London’s Olympia 2 on 25th and 26th January, the global e-learning producer, Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), has on display its range of leading edge approaches to e-learning including:
• Simulations based on TIS’s award winning simulation based learning objects (SimBLs™) and story based learning objects (StoBLs™)
• Electronic performance support systems (EPSS), otherwise known as ‘workflow learning’
• Enterprise applications training (EAT) materials
• Specific sales training e-learning materials for learners

“All these solutions are being used – across a wide range of industries as well as the public sector – to meet business problems, including improving efficiency, effectiveness and, where appropriate, profitability,” commented Alan Samuel, head of TIS’s UK operations.

“With over 15 years experience and expertise in helping organisations in the corporate, public and education sectors – including British Airways, Royal Mail, Swiss Re, UNICEF and the University of Sheffield - TIS is providing practical solutions to help improve employee productivity and cost efficiency,” he added. “This is helping TIS clients operate more cost effectively and expand their markets through developing increasingly competent staff.”

TIS’s range of e-learning offerings includes programmes on:

 Functional or general activities, including personal development courses such as leadership training
 Regulatory/compliance training
 Soft skills training to improve managerial performance
 Recruitment and induction programmes
 IT application training programmes on CRM systems such as Siebel and custom applications

These have been developed for staff from all areas of an organisation including: customer-facing staff, administration, marketing, finance and HR employees.

Samuel added: “In particular, TIS’s EAT materials are wide-ranging, covering all systems applications. This makes them not only important in helping staff to operate these systems at their rollout but also as assets which can be reused as and when required by new staff or as top-up reference materials for existing staff.”

According to Sanjaya Sharma, CEO of TIS, globalisation; the growing use of ‘imagineering’ through simulations, stories and games as aids to learning, and outsourcing both HR activities and the production of training/learning materials are all growing trends in the world of learning today. Sharma believes that, to be successful when outsourcing, organisations should:
• Think long term: the cost and other benefits of outsourcing are only felt after the first few projects – both for the outsourcer and the company to which the work is outsourced.
• Keep in mind the real competences of the vendor and outsourcer.
• Both sides of the outsourcing relationship need to make investments in understanding each other.
• Both sides of the outsourcing relationship need to focus on their own processes.

Taking up the ‘imagineering’ theme, Manoj Kutty, TIS’s worldwide president of sales and marketing, commented: “The number of employees under the age of 29 is increasing – and these people have grown up with single and multi-player computer games. These people are comfortable learning through game and simulation related learning.

“At the other end of the spectrum, the ‘baby boomers’ are approaching retirement. What better way to capture their experiences to pass on to new recruits than through story-based learning?” he added.

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Notes for editors

About Tata Interactive Systems (TIS)

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) is a global pioneer in e-learning, with more than 15 years of experience in designing and developing innovative and cutting-edge e-learning solutions. TIS is a part of the $18 billion Tata Group – one of the largest and most trusted business conglomerates in India.

TIS employs a global team of over 900 multi-disciplinary specialists – a unique mix of project managers, software engineers, instructional designers, content developers, visual designers and animators. Its service bouquet includes Simulations, Systems Training, New Hire Training, Business Processes and Skills Training, Regulatory and Compliance Training, Sales
and Customer Service Training, Adaptive Assessments, Story-based Learning Objects, M-Learning and EPSS. Powered by creative talent, sound processes and technological excellence, TIS has developed e-learning solutions for more than 300 clients – including 50 Fortune 500 companies – across the US, the UK, Australia, Mainland Europe, Japan, UAE and India. Its client roster includes leading corporations, renowned educational institutions and government bodies such as American Airlines, British Airways, Citibank, Colgate-Palmolive, ExxonMobil, GE, GlaxoSmithKline, HP, McGraw-Hill, ntl, Orange, Pearson Education, Qantas, Qwest, Royal Mail, Swiss Re, UNICEF, University of Phoenix, University of Maryland and Vodafone.

Apart from holding ISO 9001 certification, TIS is the only e-learning organisation in the world to be assessed at Level 5 in both the SEI-CMM and P-CMM frameworks. TIS’s quest for excellence is reflected in numerous prestigious industry awards, including a Silver - Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Award 2005 and 2004, APEX 2005 Award of Excellence, BETT 2004 Best Product Award, and 2 Business World–NID Design Excellence awards.

For more information log on to www.tatainteractive.com

About the Tata Group

The Tata Group, established in 1904 by the great visionary Jamsetji Tata, is one of India’s largest and most trusted business houses. The group pioneered the industrial revolution in India by founding the first steel plant, power plant and chain of luxury hotels, to name a few.

The Group employs more than 220,000 people in 93 companies across diversified industry sectors including steel, automobiles, cement, telecom and IT. Generating revenues to the tune of $18 billion per year – 2.9 % of India’s total GDP – it is recognised as a leader in several industry segments such as such as steel, power, software exports and chemicals. It is also the parent company to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Asia’s largest software producer.

For more information, log on to www.tata.com

Further information from:
Alan Samuel, Tata Interactive Systems, 020 7905 0156, www.tatainteractive.com
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, 01727 860405, www.boblittlepr.com