ACS Uses Sterling's CoachWare for Navy Training; Application to Support 7,500 Active Duty Users of PeopleSoft.

Business Editors

PARAMUS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 30, 2001

ACS, a leading provider of commercial and government IT solutions, is using CoachWare(R), Sterling Resources proprietary electronic performance support system development tool, as part of its training program to support Navy personnel in their use of Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS), a customized version of PeopleSoft. The CoachWare application, which is called NSIPS Coach, is supporting 7,500 Active Duty human resource personnel.

"CoachWare is being used because it enhances the training experience," said John Hall, Director of Business Development, ACS Gulf States Operations. "CoachWare will provide the Navy with continued improvement in productivity and a significant reduction in error rates. CoachWare is unique in its ability to deliver effective knowledge, online, to enterprise systems users."

"Preparing people to effectively use large complex systems cannot be done through training alone," said Jack Fleming, President of Sterling Resources. "Most ERP and other systems have hundreds of screens, requiring the user to select various options and provide information. Users are confronted with many more combinations and permutations than they can ever learn. CoachWare was specifically designed to remove the burden of systems users having to remember all of this detail, thereby allowing employees to focus on their specialty. In this case, Navy personnel can focus on providing superior HR services to their clients."

To eliminate this burden, Sterling and ACS have created a database of step-by-step instructions and decision-support information for each task that can be completed in NSIPS. Since completion of many NSIPS tasks requires the action of more than one functional specialist, instructions and decision-support information are customized by specialty. Navy personnel can view each NSIPS task from any one of eight (8) perspectives, depending on the user's HR specialty.

Requested information is presented in a panel that is displayed on top of NSIPS. This allows NSIPS users to have both NSIPS and NSIPS Coach available at the same time. Navy personnel with varying degrees of knowledge and experience will use NSIPS. To ensure that novices receive adequate support and experts don't have to wade through unnecessary data, Sterling and ACS have layered the instructions and decision-support information. Users can obtain information that matches their knowledge and experience by drilling down to the level of detail needed to complete a particular task.

All CoachWare information is stored in a relational database that can be easily updated using CoachWare's authoring suite. CoachWare content can also be exported to HTML files. This feature will become important to the Navy when it upgrades to PeopleSoft Version 8.0 and implements a web based self-service strategy.

ACS provides technology solutions to commercial and government clients worldwide. ACS delivers e-solutions; consulting and systems integration services; and complete technology and business process outsourcing solutions to a diverse base of clients and industries.

Sterling Resources supports systems implementations with e-learning, customized instructor led training, and performance support products and services. Sterling leads the performance support industry with its award-winning suite of electronic performance support tools, CoachWare(R), CoachWare for the Web(TM) and eCommerce Coach(TM).