1. Granular Thinking
The Building Blocks for
Efficient, Reusable, and Sustainable LMS Content

2. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
Most likely, no one would think it
was a good idea to put all of
these topics into one “piece” of
e-learning content.

3. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
Instead, they would break up each of
these into a lesson. The idea being
that lessons that are common
between brands can be “plugged” in
to multiple programs.
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory

4. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
At first glance, we might think all but one of
these is a reusable lesson.
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory

5. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
If that was true, we might think we could plug in lessons
like this.
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
New OC
FOH-MIT Program
New GB
FOH-MIT Program
New RB
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory

6. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
Woohoo! It looks like we only need to make unique content for
lessons on GB and RB Business and Work Philosophies!
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
New OC
FOH-MIT Program
New GB
FOH-MIT Program
New RB
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory

7. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
New OC
FOH-MIT Program
New GB
FOH-MIT Program
New RB
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory

8. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
…but, first glances can be deceiving.
The principle of reusability in e-learning means that
one instance of content in the LMS can be used in
multiple places without any modifications at all.

9. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
So, we must think at a more granular level to be
sure that we have created truly reusable content.

10. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
If we look at the lesson on Managing Inventory at
a more granular level, we might see things a bit
differently.

11. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
Perhaps the Managing Inventory is
made up of all these parts.
• Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key Drops or Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inventory Levels
 Best Practices
 Approved Vendors

12. Existing OC
FOH-MIT Program
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
• 5 Critical Management Functions
• Hospitality Culture for Managers
• Responsible Alcohol Service
• Guest Relations
• Reducing Waste
• OC Business and Work Philosophies
• Safety & Risk Management
• Fundamentals of Managing People
• Managing Inventory
In terms of reusability, let’s say the first five
“pieces” of Managing Inventory can be
100% the same for all brands.
However, let’s say each brand has different
vendors. So, the last piece cannot be the
same for each brand.
• Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key Drops or Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inventory Levels
 Best Practices
 Approved Vendors

13. • Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key Drops or Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inventory Levels
 Best Practices
 Approved Vendors

14. • Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key Drops or Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inventory Levels
 Best Practices
 Approved Vendors
What to do then? Here is where many instructional
designers who are not thinking about their LMS
architecture make a mistake.

15. • Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key Drops or Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inventory Levels
 Best Practices
 Approved Vendors
Here is an ill-advised path that many IDs go down:
• Create an “OC Managing Inventory” course in their e-learning design software (like
Storyline) that includes all six parts
• Make a copy of that Storyline file and then modify the last part to fit GB
• Make another copy and then modify the last part to fit RB
New OC
FOH-MIT Program
New GB
FOH-MIT Program
New RB
FOH-MIT Program
• OC Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
 OC Vendors
• GB Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
 GB Vendors
• RB Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
 RB Vendors

16. • Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key Drops or Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inventory Levels
 Best Practices
 Approved Vendors
Why is that ill-advised?
• Even though each brand’s Managing Inventory lesson content is rough 85% the same,
we have put three separate copies of the matching content in the LMS.
• If anything changes or needs editing in the Placing an Order, Receiving an Order, Key
Drops or Dark Drops, Maintaining Inventory Levels, or Best Practices sections, we will
have to modify, republish, and upload three separate Storyline files to effect one change
in content across all brands’ MIT Programs.
• Each time we put duplicate copies of the same content into the LMS, we make long-term
LMS maintenance and administration less efficient. Thus, more resources go toward
LMS maintenance and take resources away from developing new content and training.
New OC
FOH-MIT Program
New GB
FOH-MIT Program
New RB
FOH-MIT Program
• OC Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
 OC Vendors
• GB Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
 GB Vendors
• RB Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
 RB Vendors

17. • Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key Drops or Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inventory Levels
 Best Practices
 Approved Vendors
New OC
FOH-MIT Program
New GB
FOH-MIT Program
New RB
FOH-MIT Program
• OC Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
 OC Vendors
• GB Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
 GB Vendors
• RB Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
 RB Vendors

18. • Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key Drops or Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inventory Levels
 Best Practices
 Approved Vendors
New OC
FOH-MIT Program
New GB
FOH-MIT Program
New RB
FOH-MIT Program
The better path for IDs to go down is this:
• Create one “Managing Inventory” file in Storyline that includes the first five parts that are the
same for all brands. Load that course into the Craftworks level of the LMS.
• Create three separate “Approved Vendor” Storyline files, one for each brand, and upload
them into the LMS in each brand’s appropriate campus.
• Order the content in the MIT Programs so that learners in all brands see the shared
“Managing Inventory” content first, and then each sees only the “Vendor” content for his/her
own brand.
• OC Approved Vendors • GB Approved Vendors • RB Approved Vendors
• CW Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices

19. • Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key Drops or Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inventory Levels
 Best Practices
 Approved Vendors
New OC
FOH-MIT Program
New GB
FOH-MIT Program
New RB
FOH-MIT Program
Why is this better?
• One edit, republish, and upload of the single “Managing Inventory” Storyline file updates the
shared content across all brands’ MIT content.
• This reduces the chances of missing information that needs an update. With each separate
instance of the same content/information in the LMS, we increase the likelihood that the
information that needs an update will be missed in one spot or another.
• OC Approved Vendors • GB Approved Vendors • RB Approved Vendors
• CW Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices

20. In e-learning jargon, we
call each one of these
individual pieces of content
a Learning Object (LO). • OC Approved Vendors • GB Approved Vendors • RB Approved Vendors
• CW Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
Learning Object
Learning Object Learning Object Learning Object

21. Principles of Reusable LO Design
• Each LO should be designed to BOTH teach a complete concept or skill on its own AND fit neatly
into multiple sequences of LOs that make up larger “lessons” or programs
• The goal is to design as many LOs as possible that work across as the maximum number of
brands and roles
• As much as possible, no two LOs for the same organization should have matching content.
Where there is much overlap, there is an opportunity for a shared LO
• OC Approved Vendors • GB Approved Vendors • RB Approved Vendors
• CW Managing Inventory
 Placing an Order
 Receiving an Order
 Key/Dark Drops
 Maintaining Inv
 Best Practices
Learning Object
Learning Object Learning Object Learning Object

22. Enemies of Effective Reusable LO Design
• Rushing into LO content development before analyzing which brands/roles
will need the same or similar content.
• It’s hard to design an LO that works for as many audiences as possible if you’re only
thinking about one audience when you write it.
• Make a list of all your organization’s planned learning programs. Use it to determine
where LOs will be shared and to inform the design of the shared content.
• Forgetting to leave out the small things (i.e. brand-specific or role-specific
images, word choices, or other design elements)
• Don’t put images of one brand’s logo in an LO that could be shared across brands
• Document design standards for Shared LOs and make sure everyone involved in
content development is using the standards

23. Granular Thinking
The Building Blocks for
Efficient, Reusable, and Sustainable LMS Content