In business for more than 95 years, this leading insurance organization serves commercial, institutional and individual customers in more than 100 countries. With approximately 65,000 employees and $64.4 billion in revenue in 2014, IIO works with nearly every Fortune 500 company.

IIO wanted to streamline their onboarding process. They needed a program that would acclimate new hires to IIO's varied technology landscape that includes Cisco, Citrix, Microsoft, VMware and IBM products.

IIO uses IBM z/OS running on z Systems mainframes, as well as IBM's AIX operating system running on IBM Power Systems. Though the IBM systems handle different types of data—transactional versus customer—IIO wanted the program to bridge the gap between their mainframe and Power Systems personnel and to ensure that each group received the necessary training on the company's various systems that are part of its infrastructure.

Further, though mainframe experts are retiring, mainframe systems are not. In fact, these powerful and reliable systems underpin organizations like IIO. IIO needed a program that would not only provide mainframe training and expertise, but also engage and possibly entice some professionals to pursue further proficiency.

To get the new employees up to speed on Cisco, Citrix, Microsoft and VMware technologies, the Global Knowledge learning solutions team chose applicable courses from the vast Global Knowledge learning portfolio.

Satisfying the need for across-the-board IBM expertise was more challenging. Global Knowledge learning solutions experts worked closely with IIO's infrastructure experts and determined that the z/OS and AIX content they required spanned 25 courses in the IBM curriculum. That would mean three months of IBM training—a much longer time frame than IIO wanted. By extracting the critical content from those courses and then adding content from resources such as IBM Redbooks to fill in the gaps that our instructor identified, Global Knowledge learning solutions experts created a condensed, yet comprehensive three-week learning program.

Fifteen IIO employees piloted the tailored learning program, quickly ramping up their knowledge of IIO's infrastructure and mainframe systems.

With the pilot program a success, the official program is ready for launch. Two 20-person classes are scheduled, and more are on deck. IIO's enterprise server team plans to deliver the training program as part of the group's new hire onboarding and to a wider audience of IIO employees who may want to work in the enterprise server group.

By providing a comprehensive, tailored learning program with a short time frame, Global Knowledge learning experts delivered on IIO's vision for this project. The program not only provides infrastructure personnel the knowledge, skills and expertise needed to best maintain and support the specific applications and systems that they're responsible for, but it also enables them to have well-rounded foundational understanding of the environment of diverse systems.

IIO was so pleased with the proficiency of Global Knowledge's expert IBM instructors that the company used the instructors' experience level and expertise to set a gold standard benchmark for IBM infrastructure personnel knowledge within IIO.

As the program is implemented, employees will be able to become comfortable in their new roles faster and more efficiently, leading to a higher return on IIO's investment in its people, processes and technology.