Less time training, more time learning

Anil Chhikara, Founder President, 24x7 Learning narrates to Katya Naidu, the importance of eLearning.

What is unique about the solutions offered by you?

24x7 Learning delivers its eLearning solutions employing a delivery model that maximises returns for our customers. Our solutions ensure predictability in processes, delivery and productivity. 24x7 Learning provides innovative, integrated learning and enterprise solutions that improve performance and enhance productivity. 24x7 Learning's methodology is results driven and focuses to deliver learning solutions that meet business objectives. The unique blends of 24x7 Learning's solutions are—its consultative approach, robust technology, implementation services which ensure that the solution is flexible and can ramp up as the organisations grow.

How can eLearning programme help pharma professionals?

The eLearning programme will be targeted at the employees of pharmaceutical companies, covering the entire workforce at all levels. eLearning helps in on-the-job-training; anytime, anywhere training and certification on compliance training such as GMP certification training, ISO auditor training and various training courses in sales and marketing and soft skills.

Less time is required for training and more time is spent on learning. The pace of learning can be tuned to the learner. Training can be tailored to personal needs and interests and made to fit more easily into busy and irregular schedules. The other benefits that eLearning would bring, apart from cost savings are staff retention, improving ways of internal knowledge capture and transfer, and speed to market in new product development.

What is the kind of learning that can be provided for pharma professionals?

The eLearning courses provided for pharma professionals include regulatory compliance (such as GMP, GLP, GCP, HIPPA, OSHA), protocol specific training for clinical trials personnel, disease status, product characteristics, competitive selling strategies, healthcare compliance, operational compliance, IT applications and operations, company policies and procedures and physician and patient education portals.

eLearning in clinical development helps in managing the geographically dispersed internal and external staff who must take their clinical development programmes. With the implementation of travel restrictions by many companies, eLearning offers a useful alternative to the traditional face-to-face meetings that commonly take place in the companies.

How can one ensure that the employees go through the entire regimen? What if employees stop going through the entire protocol?

This is done by LearnTrak - the proprietary learning management system developed by us. LearnTrak is an enterprise learning platform that manages formal, informal, offline and online learning to enhance organisational productivity, speed and competence and enhances knowledge retention. It is a high-level strategic solution for planning, delivering, and managing all learning events within an organisation. It simplifies global certification efforts, enables companies to align learning initiatives with strategic goals, and provides a viable means of enterprise-level skills management.

What are the training tools that you use for the regimen?

Various tools are used in the training modules to make it interactive and interesting to the learner. The training tools are very niche industry specific eLearning courseware, case studies, real life scenarios, job aids and so on, which are packaged with the eLearning course material. In addition, an instructor manual can also be a training tool. If there is a requirement of a blended learning program then eLearning courses along with an instructor manual is given. Simulation based eLearning courseware can be designed based on the requirement. Assessments could also be a part of the courseware. When proficiency level tests are designed they are considered as training tools. Our courses are designed in a highly interactive manner which provides real life learning scenario.

What are the skills that can be trained online?

Apart from professional skills required for the job, online training also provides courses in behavioural skills, communication skills, presentation skills, product management skills and so on. Simulation method of training is used in manufacturing plants and areas with toxic chemicals.