From your experience, what do banks look for in an eLearning solution?

Laura Duta: "ING wanted to have an alternative solution to the traditional training program provided through its specialists and external training partners in regular classroom environment. We wanted an innovative eLearning solution that would offer the participants a complete program that will assist them in accumulating in full the necessary knowledge through easy learning techniques", explained Ela Banu, one of the ING trainers involved in the project.

In order to stay ahead of the competition in a dynamic business environment, banks need to focus on maintaining and developing their portfolio of customers. The quality of client service and the variety and adaptability of the products to the customers' needs are important factors that influence the company's strength and position on the market. A major role in ensuring excellence of service and customer satisfaction is played by the quality of the human resources. We believe that a well-defined eLearning strategy has a major impact on the organizational performance. eLearning is able to successfully address critical challenges in human-capital development: rapid induction of new employees, quick launch of new products, regular and consistent testing of employees, and a need for courses that are readily accessible for any employee regardless of the location.

If we consider, for example, the rapid induction of new employees, the Romanian banking sector is growing continuously, and growth means new employees, which places additional demands on the training department. This issue can be solved by using an eLearning platform to deliver the essential content to the new employees when they need it and assist them in getting up to speed quickly. Banks also look for an efficient application for testing the employees periodically, ensuring that standards are met and remedial actions can be taken in due time if necessary.

How can banks use eTraining to speed up the launch of new products?

Laura Duta: To better serve the customers, banks need to constantly improve their products. But having great products is not enough. Frontline officers need to be well informed about the characteristics and benefits of the products and have the competencies to sell them. In order to synchronize the marketing campaigns with the readiness of the sales force to offer the products, it is essential that information reaches sales people in time. Offering new product courses through an eLearning platform can achieve this goal.

Madalina Radulescu, HR Manager Retail Banking, think that "the launch of new products requires a fast learning process for the sales force. In order to achieve that, the eLearning solution will be used to deliver information and to test the knowledge acquired. This approach ensures that the new information reaches the sales force quickly and effectively and therefore it will be applied immediately".

How will Intuitext address the needs of ING?

Laura Duta: Having acquired and implemented the INTUITEXT eLearning modules eTraining and eAssessment, ING Bank Romania took a step further in addressing its training needs. The employees from the ING offices will be trained using a blend of traditional live training with eLearning. The eLearning component will enable them to take more advantage of the interaction with the trainer during the live sessions due to the opportunity to study the more knowledge-intensive courses online. As a benefit, the trainers will be able to focus on clarifying details, assisting trainees to practice abilities, and offering feedback in the live sessions. This will lead to an increase in the quality of the live training and the overall training efficiency.

Moreover, the employees from the ING Bank offices will use the INTUITEXT eAssessement module to have their knowledge evaluated and to receive results and feedback instantly. The managers will be supported in the decision-making process by having access to relevant information about the employees' performance on courses and tests.

"The Intuitext platform was customized to the ING needs for training and evaluation. As the workforce has grown and become more geographically dispersed, bringing employees to a common location for training has become an issue. Intuitext will help ING to deliver information efficiently and rapidly, regardless of the geographic location", states Madalina Radulescu, HR Manager Retail Banking.

Do you focus exclusively on the banking area?

Laura Duta: Our clients come from different areas of business such as banking and insurance, telecommunications, the army, and public administration. While we do not focus on certain industries exclusively, the projects we have carried out for the major players in the banking sector - such as ING - have enabled us to gain valuable expertise and insights into the challenges facing the financial institutions on the Romanian market. Nevertheless, we offer a comprehensive range of products and services that are suited for different learning scenarios and customized to the client's needs and preferences.