Alliant Systems Empowers Customers With Always-On Learning and Peer Support

Alliant Systems, the leading provider of automation software for the textile rental industry, faced significant challenges in educating a broad user base about its business management software. Their legacy training approach, reliant on annual conferences and inconsistent manual processes, was neither scalable nor efficient for addressing the diverse needs of users familiar with outdated practices. By adopting both customer community and customer education products from the Gainsight ecosystem, Alliant Systems transformed their customer education into a continuous, self-service experience that empowered users with anytime access to training and community support. This shift not only streamlined user onboarding and reduced the demand on support teams but also significantly enhanced customer engagement and operational efficiency. The integration of these Gainsight products has set Alliant Systems on a path to further innovate within their industry, continuously improving customer success outcomes.

Before integrating Gainsight’s community and education products, Alliant Systems grappled with significant hurdles in customer training and education engagement. While their software had developed over time, they had not focused on updating their training to effectively educate users on new features or efficient usage practices. Most users were accustomed to outdated methods and materials—with some systems dating back 40 years—relying on manual processes and physical data exchange. Customers were disconnected from the learning experience and other Alliant Systems customers. 

The lack of a digital educational platform meant that many users were unaware of potential efficiencies and modern functionalities within the software. Alliant Systems faced the daunting task of educating hundreds of users spread across various geographical locations, each with their distinct operational roles and technological adeptness. The existing annual training event, though valuable, was insufficient for continuous learning and did not cater to the day-to-day challenges faced by users.

Jhovanny Rodriguez, Vice President at Alliant Systems shared “We needed more efficient ways to educate our customers. It was too much of a heavy lift.”

Alliant Systems needed a robust solution that could deliver continuous, scalable, and interactive education and community support to their customers. They sought a single-source solution that could not only streamline the learning process but also foster an ongoing dialogue among users, thereby enhancing the community’s collective knowledge and reducing the reliance on Alliant Systems’ direct support.

Rodriguez continued “The challenge was, we have 200+ customers and thousands of users that need to be educated and we need a way that we can educate everybody at the same time.”

Empower Customers and Scale CS with Scalable Customer Education

Gainsight’s LMS allowed Alliant Systems to overhaul their customer education approach, establishing a structured and scalable framework that could adapt to the diverse needs of their users. Recognizing the challenge of educating a broad user base with varying levels of technical proficiency, Alliant Systems leveraged the platform to meticulously organize their educational content into distinct, manageable phases. This methodical structuring significantly reduced the manual effort required from customers and their onboarding team alike.

With the  robust capabilities of the external LMS, Alliant Systems was able to create standardized, self-guided learning modules that customers could complete on their terms. The automation of foundational training modules allowed for a consistent and efficient delivery of critical information. Rodriguez said, “We took our existing documents and published articles in our community which were immediately searchable as part of our digital learning offering…We launched with 100 articles, over 100 courses, and quite a few learning paths.” 

Now, instead of spending hours on repetitive introductory sessions, the Technical Service Representatives and Implementation Specialists could now focus on addressing more strategic issues and providing personalized support during live sessions. This shift not only optimized the training process but also greatly enhanced customer satisfaction, as users felt more empowered and adequately prepared to utilize the software effectively.

A majority of customers immediately adopted the online training, with engagement from both new and veteran users, resulting in customers finding efficient ways to run their operations.

Enhance Collaboration and Support Through Community Engagement

Alongside the LMS, Alliant Systems leveraged Gainsight’s customer community product to foster an interactive user community. This platform enabled customers to connect, share insights, and solve problems collectively, thus enhancing the user experience and creating a peer-support network that significantly decreased direct inquiries to support staff.

Alliant Systems was able to monitor the feedback on their educational content and community discussions to better meet the specific needs of their user base. This strategic use of technology facilitated an ecosystem where customers could not only learn independently but also feel a part of a larger community committed to mutual success.

Lisa Wacker, Director of Community at Alliant, highlighted: “Integrating these systems through the Alliant Community transformed how our customers interact with our platform and each other. It has created a centralized hub and dynamic environment where continuous learning and community support converge.”

Improved Time to Value

Introducing the customer education solution from Gainsight has significantly reduced the time required for implementation of new software features. Initially, the training that used to take place over two days is now more condensed and efficient, allowing for quicker adaptation to the software and its features. The content includes self-paced video courses and guided learning paths, which are all accessible through a single-login experience.

Rodriguez recounted that “it used to be a two-day training conducted by live implementation managers. We’ve reduced the support required from our team to less than three hours because they have access to a self-guided training course which means we only provide live assistance for software customization.”

On average, customers complete 14 courses each, giving them confidence and clarity as they adopt Alliant Systems’ software. By streamlining the onboarding process Gainsight’s technology has not only accelerated the learning curve but also enhanced user engagement and retention. 

Enhanced Community Interaction and Self-Support

With the launch of their community, Alliant Systems provided a platform where users could interact, share knowledge, and support each other. This peer-to-peer support mechanism has significantly reduced the number of basic support queries directed at the customer service team, allowing them to focus on more complex issues.

The Alliant Community has become the central access point for product updates, feature feedback, and customer ideas. Alliant Systems even requires customers to subscribe to product updates through the community, ensuring real-time visibility into changes and releases. Plus, by redirecting routine support queries to searchable community content, Alliant Systems’ support team gained back time to focus on complex issues while customers benefited from faster, peer-supported resolutions.

Alliant Systems plans to expand the capabilities of their training and community platforms significantly. They’ll enhance their educational offerings by integrating more role-based and industry-specific content, which will not only benefit existing users but also attract a broader audience within the industry.

They aim to become a full knowledge hub for the textile rental and commercial laundry industries by offering resources that extend beyond their software.

Additionally, they are exploring the integration of AI and other advanced technologies to further refine and target their training processes, ensuring that Alliant Systems remains at the forefront of innovation.

Alliant Systems also plans to expand community access to include prospective customers and industry partners, creating a broader and more inclusive network for ideation, updates, and learning.