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Mitch Labrador, Executive Vice PresidentIn an interview with CIO Applications, Mitch explained how their approach to a solutions-based, client-focused, delivery on the FlashPoint IQ platform enables CreativeSims to deliver engaging training solutions that both entertain and educate users… at significantly reduced costs.
Tell us about the challenges companies face today in the Gaming space or project management space, and how does your training exercise solve that challenge for them?
Our immersive training solutions were geared towards several sectors, but the majority of our work has been done in the medical field as well as the project management space. To this end, one of the significant challenges for immersive training simulations is getting them to run on any device that’s out there in the corporate networks. To overcome those obstacles, we have developed a framework that allows our simulations to run seamlessly on all mobile and desktop devices in a faster and much more efficient way.
Traditionally, the majority of users were not able to experience immersive training as it’s too resource intensive and platform specific. However, by leveraging our technology, we can democratize 2D and 3D training solutions; which provides the ability not just to create great immersive training solution experiences, but also to ensure that everybody can access them.
Could you elaborate more on the company’s core offering and some of its unique features and functionalities?
We primarily design, develop, and deliver custom education and immersive training solutions for our clients, but we also have a commercial product called FlashPoint IQ. FlashPoint IQ is a game-based learning management system that allows us to deliver and track user performance and experience within those simulations and across all platforms and devices. One primary challenge with Immersive Simulations is the significant quantity of user data points that are generated, and how that data is captured, parsed and then utilized to measure how, and if, learning objectives are being met. CreativeSims developed FlashPoint IQ to standardize and facilitate how all of the data generated during immersive simulation training is created, collected, stored, and accessed for learning remediation, as well as for the analytics. By leveraging this technology, clients are not just able to manage one or two simulations, but they can manage their entire portfolio of simulations in a standard way.
We can now build for our clients’ immersive training simulations that will eventually plug in and run on our system; most importantly, any simulation can be plugged-in to run, whether it’s web-delivered or client based.
We have created a system that standardizes how all the data is created, stored, and collected both for training management as well as for analytics
For instance, look at Steam, a digital distribution platform for purchasing and playing video games. In the same manner, we have created the distribution and management system for immersive training simulations. This allows us to add different plug-and-play elements seamlessly in desktops or mobile based environments, which ultimately provides flexibility to the clients using our platform.
Is there a process that you undertake to understand the client’s needs and then deliver the solutions accordingly?
To address this need, we have a vast pool of talented instructional designers that work collaboratively with our clients. These designers are an extension of our development teams and become the stewards of the instruction throughout the development and delivery of the simulation experience. This process ensures that the learning objectives remain front and center during the development phase and don’t get lost or overshadowed by the mechanics of gameplay.
In short, we have an enthusiastic team which consists of a diverse set of extremely talented people that include artists, game developers, and simulation designers that work seamlessly with our subject matter experts and ISD’s. Relevant and diverse expertise is critical in our industry, because when it comes to building 3D games for engaging and immersive simulations that support training, there are significant variables that must be accounted for.
Can you share with us a case study highlighting the benefits brought to one of your clients?
We have worked with a federal customer that had a non-effective e-learning type of instruction style to support the deployment of emergency medical personnel to natural disaster areas. We created a multiplayer MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) immersive simulation designed to train in multi-situational awareness related to potential incidents that might occur within temporary medical stations fielded in areas hit by a natural disaster. This new training modality took them from their traditional PowerPoint type of training to an immersive simulation training in a disaster area with other physicians from around the world, coming together in a real-time multiplayer scenario. We were able to transform their traditional boring instruction, with absolutely no learner engagement, into an engaging multi-player simulation dealing with real problems in real-time. This project was incredibly successful, and we had thousands of students go through the process to get certified. A good majority of those students were deployed to just about every major disaster that has occurred in the US over the last five years.
What is the factor that steers you ahead of the competition?
The differentiator for our company is our people and the unique creative team structures we build and nurture. We have veterans who have been in this industry for years who have experienced the advent of technology and the transformation of training. We also have talented people with masters level degrees in game design, as well as structural design. We blend these experiences and educations to make great simulations. Our training products are visually appealing and engaging, but at the same time, the content is meaningful and relevant… because at the end of the day, we are creating immersive training simulations designed to educate.
On the technical side, we have created the technology that allows us to build Immersive Sims that behave seamlessly across all devices and do so cost-effectively. There is nothing to install in your computer, it runs through your browser, and there is no need to have modern, robust gaming computers to run our Immersive Sims… they just work. We can recognize and blend the right skills with the right technology stack that sets us apart.
How will the next 8-12 months pan for CreativeSims?
Our main goal for the future is threefold. First and foremost, CreativeSims is planning to launch its latest version of our commercial product this year. This makes the development of future simulations even faster and more accessible in terms of the level of effort and resources.
Focusing on developing new simulations on our new development platform, CreativeSims has built a new process infrastructure. We have already engaged with clients for the next 18 months to create several simulations using this modern architecture, which is going to be something new and innovative within the industry.
Last but not least, on the people side, we will continue to grow our talented team as we look to build new simulations and deliver innovative products/services so that we can diversify and expand within the commercial industry training space. Additionally, we are focusing on creating off-the-shelf solutions for industrial training and development of content specific to the needs of the medical industry.
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