Just how did Elmfield Training process 20,000 NVQ\'s in four months......? innovation technology that\'s how........ intrigued

1. Speeding up vocational work-based qualifications
“The challenge was made achievable with the aid of the digital pen!” said
Trish Frettsome – Operations Director of Elmfield Training
The challenge: 20,000 NVQs in just four months
Established in 2002, Elmfield Training Ltd is the fastest growing vocational
training provider in the UK. They deliver learning programmes to more than
25,000 learners who work for some of the country’s largest organisations.
Helping to develop skills and capabilities through assessment, training and
accreditation, they create tailor-made work-based learning programmes that
are built around employers’ specific business requirements, their people, and
the key qualifications they need for success. The main benefit of vocational
training delivered in the workplace is that learners continue to earn while
achieving nationally accredited and recognised qualifications such as NVQs,
apprenticeships, advanced apprenticeships and technical certificates.
In July 2009 Elmfield were asked by one of their largest customers, one of the
country’s largest supermarket chains, to carry out a pilot programme with 350
learners across six stores – one in each region. This was a key part of their’
Skills Pledge commitment that 20,000 of their employees would achieve an
NVQ in retail by April 2010, and 100,000 by 2011. The pilot went well – but
the pressure was then on to scale up for the first wave of 20,000 learners due
to be enrolled in January 2010 and gain their accreditation by April.
As well as recruiting 100 new Elmfield assessors and additional programme
managers, it was clear that technology would need to play a major part in
achieving this ambitious timescale. It was also essential to speed up the
process of checking and validating the registration information sent in by
assessors from the field, and to get it onto the Maytas information and
tracking system at Elmfield HQ as accurately and rapidly as possible.
Historically, Elmfield had relied on manual paperwork systems - sending
forms by post or faxing, photocopying duplicates for distribution, emailing
documents and rekeying information onto the Maytas database. They looked
urgently for a more efficient method that would save time and avoid the risk of
lost information. They considered but rejected laptops because of their
practical drawbacks – the uncertainty of finding a suitable surface or reliable
Internet access, and the barrier of assessors having to look at a screen when
they want to be face to face with a learner.
The solution: digital pen technology ... and a lot of trust
As part of their research Elmfield talked to ITEC Training Solutions, one of the
largest independent training providers in Wales, and an established Destiny

2. user. ITEC’s successful experience and proven dramatic returns on
investment gave Elmfield the confidence they needed to choose Destiny
digital pen technology, even though there was no option to carry out live
testing, a pilot project or a phased rollout. January the fourth 2010 was around
the corner – the date for going live with the first wave of 20,000 learners, 100
new assessors and digital pens ... all at the same time. It called for a lot of
trust.
One of the first tasks for Destiny was to convert the existing individual learner
sign-up forms to digital format, making as much use as possible of tick boxes
to speed up their completion and avoid too much handwriting. The similar
forms already being used by ITEC provided useful inspiration. Destiny also
provided “train the trainer” support so that Elmfield administrators could easily
pass on to assessors the very simple instructions they needed to be able to
use the digital pens and transmit digital information back to base. Then, just
eight weeks after their first conversation with Destiny, Elmfield went live.
The early feedback was excellent. Over 90% of the assessors took to the new
technology very well and easily, and could immediately appreciate the time-
saving benefits it would bring to their working lives. To complete the sign-up
paperwork with a learner at one of the customers’ stores, they now write out
the form in the usual way but using a digital pen, and then tick a “send box” at
the bottom of the form. This simple action is all that’s needed to transmit the
data instantly from the pen via Bluetooth to their mobile device, and then on to
Destiny’s secure servers.
From here it’s processed, converted into image and text and sent on in less
than a minute to Destiny “Manage” which is a web based editing tool.
Elmfield’s administration team log in and view a pdf of the original handwritten
form and an editable version that has all of the required fields already
converted to computer editable text. If there are any queries the administrator
can contact the assessor immediately while they’re still with the learner, any
amendments can then be made there and then and at the click of a button
data is imported into Maytas.
In addition, administrators now have the facility to go online at any time to
Destiny’s hosted and password-protected “Manage” service. Here they can
review the information relating to any individual learner, including status such
as outstanding approvals or missing information. This enables them to
highlight and take necessary action much faster than before, rather than
waiting for reports that might previously have taken weeks to prepare.
The results: the benefits are growing all the time
“Through continued developments with Destiny, the digital pen has proved its
worth and continues to do so”, says Trish Frettsome, Operations Director for
Elmfield says “It’s fantastic to be able to get information back from the field
and into our head office system in just a few minutes, and to know that our

3. management information on where we are with each learner is always up-to-
date.
“Our assessors can complete the sign-up paperwork within the agreed
timescales, and we’ve successfully processed 38,500 NVQ qualifications
within 7 months – so using digital pen technology has definitely helped us to
meet the commitments we made to our customer.
“In any ambitious programme when you’re working at this scale and speed
there is bound to be a few teething problems – but Destiny have always been
very receptive to any issues, and have worked with us to come up with
solutions to our queries or issues.”
One key benefit to Elmfield is that by registering new learners on the Maytas
database the same day it means that we have up to date learner caseload
information, which is a key management tool. Another is that it’s now easier to
scale up for and confidently take on additional training contracts.
As of January 2011 we’re now onto phase three of the customers NVQ
programme with another 30,000 learners coming on board. And we’re
constantly finding and developing new applications – from leaver
documentation to changes of circumstances and awarding or funding
processes ... in fact anything auditable where doing it digitally saves time and
money, and avoids sending it by post. The benefits are growing all the time.”

4. About destiny
destiny® is the registered trademark for Destiny Wireless plc, a world leader
in the business market for the delivery of mobile workforce solutions. destiny
is a global Platinum Partner of Anoto Group AB, one of seven in the world.
destiny owns the IP rights of the Logitech io2 digital pen, making them one of
two digital pen manufacturers in the world.
destiny® enables organisations with mobile workforces to get fast returns
from high technology at low cost, with little or no training or change to working
practices and upfront capital. The destiny digital pen is based on Anoto Digital
Pen and Paper technology and replaces paperwork delays and expensive
journeys back to the office with an easy-to-use and energy efficient way of
collecting accurate, reliable data from the field and transmitting it back to base
in seconds.
destiny’s services include digital pens; digitised forms, mobile devices and
web-based tools for the efficient collection and management of data from the
field, effective job push and allocation, resource management, intelligent
scheduling and asset tracking. For more information please visit
www.destinyplc.com
destiny’s award accolades includes: Environmental Product of the Year 2010
with the destiny io2 digital pen; 2009 Outstanding development in information
technology award with client DSV Road; Docuware wins Best Private Sector
Project of the Year award 2009 with the destiny digital pen; 2007 Growing
Business Awards Technology in Business ; Microsoft’s People Moving
Business, Quality in Construction for Excellence in ICT and the Information
Age Effective IT Award. Edward Belgeonne, CEO and founder of destiny, is
the national winner of Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of The Year Award for
the Science and Technology, 2007. destiny was also nominated a finalist in
the BCS IT Industry awards for the Best Use of Green Technology Project
Award in conjunction with Advanced Peripheral Systems (APS).
About Anoto Group
Anoto Group is the company behind and world leading in the unique
technology for digital pen and paper, which enables fast and reliable
transmission of handwritten text into a digital format. Anoto operates through
a global partner network that focuses on user-friendly form solutions for
efficient capture, transmission and storage of data within different business
segments, e.g. healthcare, bank and finance, transport and logistics and
education. The Anoto Group has around 110 employees, offices in Lund
(head office), Boston and Tokyo. The Anoto share is listed on NASDAQ OMX
Nordic small cap list under the ticket ANOT. For more information:
www.anoto.com