AEON Credit Service (M) Berhad - Client Success Story
The Challenge
There were 3 main categories of issues:
The first was about preventing cheating, which included fake test takers, test-takers working together unfairly, copies of questions and answers being shared, etc. The question was, "How could we create an online test that could prevent any form of cheating which would lead to unfair test results and cause ACSM to promote the wrong people?"
The second was about the online test systems and communication systems breaking down when 2500 people take the online test at the same time. The question was, "How could we create an online test that can handle 2300 simultaneous test takers, generate accurate results, and allow a small team to monitor and manage support enquiries and troubleshooting?"
The third was about the test administration process which was actually a nightmare for the client. The question was, "With 2500 test-takers in remote locations across Malaysia, how could we communicate the test information and get everybody the right working equipment so that they are ready to take the online test?"
The Situation
It was 2021, and the Covid-19 pandemic was still causing the movement of people in Malaysia to be restricted and difficult.
In 2020, the annual Promotion Assessment for AEON Credit Service employees was cancelled, leading to hundreds of employees seeking promotion to be disappointed. The client, therefore, had a strong desire to restart the Promotion Assessment in 2021.
But with the Movement Control Order still in force, gathering over 2500 candidates in a few physical locations for a paper-based test was simple not possible or feasible. On the other hand, online testing at this scale would create many problems and pain points for the client, such as concerns over cheating, fake test takers, copies of questions and answers being shared, and systems breaking down when 2300 people take the online test at the same time.
I was asked by the client to figure out a workable online test solution that would not only address all their requirements but also make their test administration process easier and save them time. I set out to exceed their expectations and hopefully win the client for life.
The Solution
In order to address all the main issues and fulfill the client's requirements, I actively searched and tested out a number of online testing platforms. Finally, I settled on TestInvite.com, because they had high-level security and monitoring features out of the box that would prevent all forms of cheating; they had the scalable cloud infrastructure to handle up to 10,000 simultaneous tests; and they had live test support services that we could use to enable ACSM's small team to rest easy on test day. Importantly, their web-browser based testing platform meant that anyone could take the test on any device - even their mobile phone - so ACSM did not need to prepare any additional hardware to candidates, removing a big headache for the client.
However, the TestInvite software was only one part of the total solution that I delivered for the client. By working closely with the client, I was able to understand the kind of questions they wanted on the assessment, and create them accordingly. I coordinated a project team of 3 others to help create and quality check the questions before submitting them to client for approval.
In addition, I also designed the email and live support communications strategy, and created a demo test to allow candidates to practice before the actual assessment. On the actual assessment day, I helped the TestInvite team and ACSM to manage the support enquiries and monitor the live tests to make sure all issues were dealt with promptly. Finally I created a detailed scoring analysis and insights report for the client.
The Results
The client was delighted with the results and ultimately so relieved that we could pull off this new format of online assessments at such scale (2300 simultaneous tests), while maintaining a high-level of security to prevent cheating, and yet making the assessment highly accessible and convenient with all candidates able to use their mobile phone. It made the client's life so much easier, compared to having to coordinate the logistics of 2300 employees travelling to multiple physical testing locations for paper-based tests in previous years!
In 2021, there were 2209 Promotion Assessments completed simultaneously over a hectic 90mins, with 99.4% of candidates facing no issues to complete the test.
The most surprising thing about this digital transformation was that I was able to solve numerous pain points for the client that I wasn't even fully aware of. Pain points like the burden of scheduling a test for 2300 candidates who will have to leave their workplace to travel to the testing location, or the logistical nightmare of verifying the identities of all of those candidates with limited manpower.
In short, it was a game changer for the client and it was a huge relief to them that we could deliver a successful Promotion Assessment 100% online, while exceeding all of their expectations and then some. The outcomes were far beyond what they had imagined.
As a result of the 2021 Promotion Assessment, it has now become a new benchmark for the client and my company. Because of the strong outcomes, I was able to earn the clients trust and loyalty for subsequent Promotion Assessments in 2022 and 2023.
