From Training to Readiness: How Andrew Sims at USAA Reinvented Frontline Training

How USAA’s Andrew Sims Reinvented Frontline Training

Traditional call center training often relies heavily on facilitator-led instruction and long lectures. But when employees need to build confidence before helping real customers, listening isn’t always enough.

That’s the challenge Andrew Sims, Senior Learning Performance Consultant at USAA, set out to solve.

Sims has spent much of his career thinking about how people learn. His experience in the United States Army—and later in learning and development roles at USAA after joining the company in 2013—shaped his belief that training should be immersive, hands-on, and learner-driven.

A self-described “super nerd,” Sims compares his ideal learning experience to a Dungeons & Dragons game where you can choose your path with the guidance of a DM (Dungeon Master).

“You have somebody who’s running your game. And then, depending on what they tell you and what they present to you, you can engage with that however you wish. And so, I would love for learners to be able to kind of pick what they feel like is going to be the path that they want to go through.”

For Sims, effective training isn’t rigid or linear. Like a role-playing game, it allows learners to explore, make decisions, and experience consequences in a safe environment before working with real customers.

That “choose your own adventure” mindset led Sims to redesign USAA’s frontline training using Articulate Storyline. Instead of relying primarily on lecture-style instruction, he created training that incorporated realistic scenarios, system simulations, and opportunities for learners to practice (and fail) safely.

“It made them feel like they had some power in what they were doing, and I think that’s super important. Even as adults, we like to have choices.”

By shifting away from the assumption that person-to-person instruction was the only effective way to train employees, Sims created a more interactive, practice-based learning experience that gave learners greater autonomy and flexibility. The result was training that improved effectiveness, reduced facilitator-led talk time by 50–60%, and accelerated employee readiness.

The redesigned experience also allowed learners to move at their own pace, revisit concepts when needed, and build confidence through realistic practice before handling live customer interactions.

Articulate’s Learning Luminaries webinar series showcases creators who are innovating to achieve training results. In the June webinar, Sims shares the strategies behind this transformation and explains how other organizations can apply similar approaches to frontline training.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Replace lecture-heavy training with hands-on, scenario-based practice
• Create safe environments where learners can make mistakes before working with real customers
• Use realistic system simulations to help learners practice clicks, workflows, and decisions
• Give learners more choice and flexibility in how they move through training
• Measure impact through outcomes like reduced errors, saved facilitator time, and improved readiness

Sims’ tips will help anyone who builds workplace learning uncover practical ways to make frontline programs more impactful, effective, and learner-driven.

Watch the webinar now to learn how learner-focused design and scenario-based approaches can create meaningful experiences, improve employee readiness, and drive measurable results for your teams.