Project Description:

1. Thorough analysis of Associate tasks results in a detailed and highly structured description of work processes and mental models.
2. Holistic approach to retail systems minimizes the need for training by providing just-in-time information to Associates.
3. Landmark design forever changes the way retailers conceptualize training and performance support.
4. Iterative design processes result in an intuitive user interface modeled after the actual working environment.
5. An intelligent on-screen agent provides support to Associates.
6. Adaptable design allows for multiple store brands, foreign languages and future growth.

Performance Support Award Winner!

The Payless RPSS was selected as a design winner at the Performance Support 2000 Conference. Read more about this award.

Payless ShoeSource is North America's largest family footwear retailer, selling more than 200 million pairs of shoes to nearly 150 million customers each year. Annual sales total nearly $3 billion. The company operates almost 5,000 stores in regional malls, shopping centers, central business districts and freestanding buildings throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Canada. With such a geographically and culturally diverse retail environment, Payless sought innovative methods to lessen training and, more importantly, to improve overall in-store processes.

Payless and Ariel created a strategic retail performance support system that reengineered the way work is done in its stores. The system utilizes a holistic approach that ensures Payless' business objectives are accomplished; a combination of "smart applications" drive business processes, reduce workloads and provide critical learning to promote the behaviors Payless believes increase sales and delight customers. The system has two primary goals:

• Enable "day-one" performance, therefore significantly reducing or eliminating the $3 million annual training budget, and
• Provide just-in-time support so that learning becomes an integral part of doing, supported and provided at the exact moment of need. This allows the system to extend Associate capabilities and increase Payless' competitive advantage.

The results are outstanding! With only part of the system deployed, Payless experienced a 5% increase in sales. Moreover, Payless expects to recover development within the first 12 months.