ADW Invoices

Overview

•  Audience:  Field technicians at ADW Plumbing

• Responsibilities:  Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Visual Design, Storyboarding, Action Mapping, Multimedia elements, Knowledge Assessments, and Prototyping

• Tools Used:  Articulate Storyline 360, Canva, YouTube, Powtoon, AWS

This portfolio piece is a real-world training course designed for ADW Plumbing to ensure technicians accurately complete invoices per company policy.  The course guides learners through the essential steps of invoice completion, emphasizing accuracy, clarity, and timely submission to maintain operational efficiency.  It is imagined that this course is part of a larger onboarding and professional development series for ADW Plumbing technicians.

In this course, learners engage with interactive elements, including a scenario-based knowledge check where they identify and correct common invoicing errors.  Upon completion, technicians can download a job aid that serves as a quick reference for field use, reinforcing best practices and reducing invoicing mistakes.

Client Problem

ADW Plumbing identified a recurring issue where technicians were submitting invoices with errors or incomplete information, leading to delays in processing, customer billing issues, and increased administrative workload.  While experienced staff understood the invoicing process, there was no standardized training to ensure new hires followed company policies consistently.  Additionally, inconsistencies in how field trainers explained the process resulted in knowledge gaps among technicians.

This course was developed to provide a structured and interactive solution, ensuring all technicians receive the same level of training on invoice accuracy.  The training includes real-world scenarios where learners identify and correct common errors, reinforcing best practices.  To support on-the-job accuracy, a downloadable job aid is provided, allowing technicians to reference key invoicing guidelines in the field.

Solution

To improve invoice accuracy and streamline administrative processes, ADW Plumbing has implemented standardized training through eLearning.  This ensures that all technicians receive consistent instruction on completing invoices correctly, reducing errors and processing delays.

Design Theory

The goal of this eLearning course is to standardize invoice completion skills among ADW Plumbing technicians.  To achieve this, emphasis is placed on a replicatable process, where learners engage in repeated application of invoicing procedures until mastery is reached.  Research indicates that structured practice, whether physical or digital, enhances procedural accuracy and retention, reducing errors in real-world application.

This course leverages scenario-based learning, allowing technicians to actively engage in identifying and correcting invoice errors.  Chunked information delivery minimizes cognitive overload, ensuring that technicians absorb key invoicing principles without feeling overwhelmed.  Additionally, motivating sound effects and instant feedback enhance engagement, encouraging learners to refine their skills through self-competition.

Examples of self-competition include:

• Learners challenging themselves to submit a perfect invoice on the first attempt.

• Learners actively referencing the job aid to ensure accuracy while completing the invoice.

• Learners striving to improve their completion time on knowledge check activities.

By incorporating these elements, the training fosters confidence and efficiency in invoice completion, ensuring that all technicians follow ADW Plumbing’s policies consistently.

Process

Research:

To ensure the training addressed real-world challenges, I collaborated with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), including experienced ADW Plumbing technicians and administrative staff responsible for processing invoices.  These SMEs provided insights into the most common errors in invoice submission, their impact on business operations, and the key elements required for an accurate invoice.  Through this research, I identified lack of standardized training as the primary issue, leading to inconsistent invoice completion, delayed processing, and increased administrative burden.  The company’s existing invoices were also analyzed to align training content with real-world documentation.

Visuals and Storyboarding:

After gathering research, I sketched a rough storyboard to outline the training structure, focusing on a logical progression from invoice fundamentals to interactive practice scenarios.  This provided a framework for slide layouts, navigation structure, and instructional flow.  The design followed ADW Plumbing’s branding and real-world documentation, ensuring familiarity for learners.

To create an engaging and structured learning experience, I used:

• Canva for designing visual elements, including job aids and instructional graphics.

• Powtoon to create short explainer animations illustrating key invoice concepts.

• YouTube to incorporate relevant instructional videos reinforcing best practices.

• Images of actual ADW invoices to ensure realistic, scenario-based learning.

Development:

The course was developed in Articulate Storyline, incorporating:

• Scenario-based interactions, where learners identify and correct invoice errors.

• Drag-and-drop activities, reinforcing key invoicing principles.

• Real-world invoice simulations, allowing learners to practice completing invoices with the support of a job aid.

• Immediate feedback and reinforcement loops, helping learners understand and correct mistakes in real-time.

By leveraging a mix of interactive learning strategies and real-world visuals, this training ensures that technicians can confidently and accurately complete invoices, reducing errors and improving overall efficiency for ADW Plumbing.

Features

Custom Visuals:

To ensure clarity and real-world application, I incorporated images of actual ADW Plumbing invoices throughout the course.  These visuals were used to create realistic invoice completion exercises and error-identification activities.  Additionally, Canva was utilized to design key instructional graphics, such as invoice breakdowns, step-by-step completion guides, and the downloadable job aid that technicians can reference in the field.

Scenario-Based Learning:

Rather than presenting information passively, the course includes real-world scenarios where learners interact with common invoice errors.  These scenarios challenge technicians to apply what they’ve learned, reinforcing accuracy and compliance with ADW Plumbing’s invoicing policies.

Interactive Knowledge Checks:

The training includes drag-and-drop exercises where learners categorize invoice fields correctly, as well as True/False assessments to reinforce key concepts.  These interactions help ensure that learners retain and apply their knowledge in a practical way.

Job Aid Integration:

To support on-the-job accuracy, a downloadable job aid was developed using Canva.  This aid provides a quick-reference guide for technicians, allowing them to cross-check their invoices for completeness and accuracy before submission.  The course encourages learners to actively use the job aid during training, reinforcing its value as a tool for success.

Multimedia Support:

To enhance engagement and comprehension, Powtoon animations were incorporated to visually explain key invoice concepts, making the training more dynamic.  Additionally, select YouTube videos were embedded to provide supplementary explanations of invoicing best practices.

By combining real-world examples, interactive learning strategies, and practical job aids, this course equips ADW Plumbing technicians with the skills needed to submit accurate, policy-compliant invoices efficiently.

Results and Takeaways

Participants of the training appreciated the clean and professional design, as well as the use of real ADW Plumbing invoices to reinforce real-world application.  Many learners commented that the step-by-step guidance and interactive elements helped clarify the invoicing process, making it easier to retain key details.  The inclusion of a downloadable job aid was especially well-received, with technicians noting that it would be a valuable reference when completing invoices in the field.

Potential Enhancements & Lessons Learned:

• Increase Realism in Error Identification:  Some SMEs suggested adding more complex invoice errors for learners to identify and correct.  While this would enhance critical thinking, I chose to maintain a balanced difficulty level to ensure that new hires could grasp the fundamentals without feeling overwhelmed.

• Test Mode for Advanced Learners:  A potential improvement would be to offer a "Test Mode" option, where experienced technicians could attempt invoice completion with minimal guidance, reinforcing their expertise while still following ADW Plumbing’s policies.

• Strengthening Field Application:  Future iterations could incorporate real technician-submitted invoices (with anonymized data) to bridge the gap between training and real-world application even further.

This project was a valuable learning experience in designing effective corporate training.  I was able to refine my instructional design process, integrate feedback from SMEs and field technicians, and ensure that the training aligned with business needs and operational efficiency goals.  By grounding the course in practical application and real-world scenarios, I created a learning experience that is not only engaging but also directly beneficial to ADW Plumbing’s daily operations.