Juniper Networks

Reducing costs and increasing margins and revenue by re-architecting the learning function

The Challenge: A Need to Do More for Less

Enterprise learning at Juniper used a distributed organizational model for training development and delivery that impaired its ability to run its Global Education business profitably. Challenges included parallel and non-integrated content development efforts, a lack of consistent processes, redundant roles and technologies (including multiple LMSs), and competing priorities. This resulted in inflated costs, insufficient content coverage, and courses that were out of synch—and at times significantly behind—the product release cycle.

The Solution: Enterprise Learning Transformation

VMG partnered with Juniper to unify and restructure their learning function. Specifically, Juniper was looking to significantly increase their ability to scale, while also significantly reducing their costs. Critical to this success was the need for a unified strategy, and an organizational structure aligned to that strategy.

To help define this strategy and structure, we identified two key mandates:

1. Simplify and consolidate processes, tools, and governance
2. Increase the focus and specialization of individuals and teams

From these mandates, specific recommendations emerged:

• Dedicate frontline teams to specifically focus on sales and channel enablement, and customer enablement.
• Create and use a shared services model for content development across both teams to eliminate redundancies, refine methods, and improve asset and personnel utilization.
• Introduce portfolio management, and design a unified product approach for each portfolio.
• Use a modular approach to development to significantly expand the scope of content coverage from basic release training, to more specialized training, to certification.
• Leverage partners and vendors for basic development and delivery, while retaining content experts and master trainers in-house.

To deliver on these recommendations, VMG provided Juniper with a detailed playbook on how to align their processes, budget, organizational structures, and workflows.

The Result: Improved Alignment, Lowered Costs, Greater Profitability

“The team at VMG helped Juniper Networks successfully consolidate, align, refine, and take to scale our approach to learning services markets and channels, as well as how we develop and deliver sales and technical sales training for both internal teams and the greater Juniper channel,” says Edwin Castillo, Senior Director of Global Customer and Field Enablement. In short, “VMG helped us do more with less, and helped us become a better and more successful organization.”