Oracle Guided Learning (OGL) helped lift Providence—a comprehensive health organization—in implementing and moving forward in their Oracle journey. For scope, Providence employs 120,000 caregivers across 52 hospitals and 1,085 clinics. While Providence serves patients on-location in seven states, their employees are based in 48 states across the U.S. Everything Providence does—including when it comes to their Oracle journey—is grounded in their promise to: Know me, care for me, ease my way. Oracle Guided Learning has helped them to fulfill this promise.

Before Oracle Guided Learning

Previously, Providence faced the challenge of siloed systems and variable processes which were creating inefficiencies for their caregivers (employees) in HR, Finance, and Supply Chain. They made the decision to transition an integrated ERP platform through Oracle Cloud, a project which they named Genesis, to create a simplified, streamlined future.

Genesis Oracle Fusion Applications Footprint

The Genesis scope included several Oracle Cloud modules to support the back-office operations across HR, Payroll, Finance, and Supply Chain functions. Read more about Providence’s HR Transformation using Cloud HCM here.

As part of a comprehensive change management approach, OGL was used as a “just-in-time” resource for learning in order to prepare caregivers for the transition to Genesis. This involved the following:

• Learning
  • Instructor-led learning (virtual and in-person)
  • Web-based learning
  • On-the-job learning
• Communications
  • Newsletter updates
  • Videos
  • Caregiver SharePoint
  • Webcast
• Engagement
  • Core Leader meetings and town halls
  • Change agent network
  • Experience sessions (demos)
  • Go-Live toolkit

Since go-live, OGL has continued to be used for just-in-time learning and time-sensitive communications to assist users during their point of need in the system.

OGL Key Benefits

OGL was integrated into the broader change management approach, providing two key benefit areas.

First, Oracle Guided Learning is a multi-purpose solution. It enhances the user experience and reduces the need for support outside the system. The learning and new user onboarding capabilities deliver timely learning, reminders, and step-by-step guidance to reduce errors and enable productivity from day one. Communication capabilities support broad notification needs such as planned system maintenance windows.

Second, OGL equips Providence for efficient delivery. There’s ease of use in deploying content changes. Oracle manages and refreshes learning content updates for patch and release updates. Plus, Oracle continuously releases OGL functionality updates. All of this demands less time, effort, and costs than were previously necessary for learning development and maintenance. In short, OGL’s efficient delivery enables the organization to be agile in delivering the solution.

Initial Implementation Approach of OGL

The initial implementation consisted of partnering with an OGL Managed Services team to establish a high-level approach and align OGL efforts to support phases of the program. It looked like this:

1. Using base guide list, they identified the scope of the project (e.g., user base, expected usage, complexity).
2. Then, thy started with base guides to customize based on Providence’s specific needs.
3. Next, they implemented OGL for UAT to support business testers.
4. Finally, thy refined OGL through go-live based on feedback.

Providence enjoyed working with Managed Services for their guidance and support.

Critical components that required dedicated effort were in the areas of access—assigning relevant guides for specific users—and data—staging the right data for testing.

OGL Development Methodology

OGL is an interactive learning tool. Therefore, it relies on a learning methodology. To develop a methodology, Providence followed an Assess –> Design –> Develop –> Implement approach:

Once an Oracle guide is developed, it receives constant evaluation and feedback to give users what they need. Continued assessment and improvement is crucial.

The OGL content modification cadence is quarterly to align with application upgrades.

Oracle Release Testing performs release note review and regression testing of quarterly Oracle release inform potential OGL change needs.

OGL Product Updates include product enhancements which provide opportunities for advanced and improved user experiences.

OGL Usage Report uses OGL analytics to allow assessment of usage trends, feedback and more, for enhancement considerations.

Providence utilizes OGL’s analytics capabilities, as displayed below, to optimize the user experience.

There is an overwhelming amount of guide usage data per quarter. By using pivot tables which allow them to examine the top-performing and bottom-performing OGL modules, the team at Providence reads through this valuable feedback.

Data such as null search results gives the team insights into how they can meet caregiver needs without the caregiver requesting it. By doing so, the organization explores opportunities to improve.

For an example of applying learnings from data and feedback, Providence went to a 1-to-1 position management when they rolled out Oracle. This change was the biggest struggle for the core leaders. The leaders had a lot to say about it, and their feedback allowed the team to make adjustments for them. The team found that “HR speak” is not necessarily “Core Leader speak.” Therefore, they made textual changes based on misunderstandings or feedback.

Another example involved the team’s desire to link to a guide within the OGL module. Based on feedback, the team discovered that users didn’t want a separate guide. They wanted inside-the-application guidance.

For a demo of the analytics-driven solutions used at Providence, watch this video, beginning at timestamp 28:50. The demo shows how Providence implemented quick turnaround OGL components to both support change management and drive down help center tickets and calls. You’ll see how they embedded policy links, auto-launched messages and reminders, and delivered a persistent hover-over field for smart tips.

OGL Successes and Opportunities

One year after rolling out Oracle Guided Learning for Providence, the team has identified the following successes and opportunities:

Successes

• Strong buy-in and support from business/stakeholders
• Change request governance process
• Expanding OGL use for system stopgaps
• Early adoption participation in OGL UAT/customer connect

Opportunities

• Consolidation/branching of related guides
• Research and incorporation of user-experience best practices
• Enhancement of OGL awareness campaign
• Implementation of Automated Release Testing

Want More?

Providence shared their story at Quest’s digital event, Cloud HCM Week.  You can view the full session recording here:  How OGL became our biggest opportunity for continuous change management while implementing Oracle for 117,000 Caregivers.

For more content from this event, check out the Cloud HCM Week 2023 Event Hub.