Case study: Project management for blended learning implementation in a financial services organization

Challenge

A federally regulated financial services organization of over 1,800 employees embarked on a large-scale initiative to develop and implement two blended learning solutions: Practice Management for over 80 wealth-focused accredited financial planners and Advice Skills for 350 frontline member-facing advisors. The project required a dedicated project manager (PM) with a strong learning and development (L&D) background to coordinate efforts between the client and two external vendors specializing in financial services training.

Key challenges included:

  • Strict security and compliance requirements, including background checks, professional service agreements, and adherence to stringent IT and data security protocols.

  • Enterprise-level project management expectations, requiring PMBOK-aligned methodologies, Waterfall project management, and the use of Microsoft Project for detailed scheduling.

  • Managing two concurrent streams with different vendor teams, ensuring consistency across instructor-led training (ILT), virtual ILT (VILT), and elearning formats.

  • Stakeholder engagement and accountability, ensuring alignment between internal leadership, enterprise project management office (EPMO), and vendor teams.

  • Evolving project scope, requiring flexibility in resourcing and work hours while maintaining continuity and quality control.

Solution

Limestone Learning provided an experienced PM with expertise in both project management and L&D to lead the initiative. The engagement began with a discovery phase to establish project scope, milestones, and vendor coordination strategies. Key elements of the solution included:

  • Comprehensive project planning, including the creation of a detailed project schedule with Gantt charts, tracking key milestones and deliverables.

  • Stakeholder management and coordination, ensuring timely decision-making, alignment with organizational priorities, and clear communication between vendors and client leadership.

  • Security and compliance adherence, including completion of criminal record checks, VPN-based remote access, and full compliance with the client's IT security policies.

  • Structured execution methodology, leveraging PMBOK guidelines, enterprise templates, and Microsoft Project for tracking dependencies, schedules, and risk management.

  • Flexible resource planning, initially providing full-time PM support for the first three months, transitioning to part-time, and later returning to full-time as project needs evolved.

Results

The project achieved significant success, leading to an extended engagement beyond the initial scope:

  • Training leaders on Advice Skills was completed on time, and the broader rollout to the 350 frontline advisors was completed by the end of 2024.

  • Practice Management implementation for financial planners progressed as scheduled, with a standardized playbook and train-the-trainer framework in place.

  • Client confidence in Limestone Learning’s PM resource led to multiple contract extensions into 2025, with the PM taking on additional L&D responsibilities beyond the original project scope.

  • Seamless vendor coordination and stakeholder alignment resulted in efficient project execution, reduced operational friction, and positive feedback from internal teams.

  • The PM’s role expanded from strict project management to broader L&D support, demonstrating the added value of an experienced professional with both PM and instructional design expertise.

Limestone Learning’s tailored approach to project management enabled the successful execution of this complex, high-security training initiative. By combining strong PM fundamentals with deep L&D expertise, we helped the client achieve their learning objectives while adapting to evolving needs. The success of this engagement underscores the importance of strategic project management in large-scale learning implementations.

Limestone is a full-service learning solutions company, and we can help you implement large-scale learning programs for your banking or financial services workforce — and provide ongoing L&D support — to increase team member effectiveness and increase wallet share. Contact us here to explore how we can support your workforce development ambitions with one or more embedded L&D experts..

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