Scaling Impact by Delivering Value to Members with AICPA+CIMA

Overview

A flexible and responsive digital learning experience helped the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants & the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts (AICPA & CIMA), a 500,000-member organization, scale a limited in-person training program to a cost-effective global solution. Now AICPA can expand their reach thanks to increased revenue, and more members can earn their professional designation faster.

• In-person to online digital transformation

• Varied learning pathways meet diverse learner needs

• Customizable goals keep learners on track

• 10,000+ learners served

• Positive learner feedback

The Organization

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants & the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts (AICPA & CIMA) is a nonprofit organization serving finance and accounting professionals. Their Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation is a management accounting credential that demonstrates a high level of competence and quality in management accounting.

• Over 500,000 members worldwide

• Over 100,000 CGMA designation-holders worldwide

• Over $300M USD in annual revenue, org-wide

The Challenge

The AICPA & CIMA wanted to bring the CGMA designation to the US market with a more effective and scalable format than textbooks or tutors. The challenge they faced was adapting to the rapidly changing role of finance and accounting in business. These changes demanded new educational pathways for CGMA candidates, involving more flexible and responsive training. The traditional approach, relying on independent tutors, trainers, and test centers, was time-consuming and not sufficiently aligned with evolving business needs. AICPA & CIMA envisioned an integrated digital experience to educate and assess candidates, catering to a diverse range of learners, from millennials to established professionals with varying levels of expertise.

The Digital Experience

Studion designed, built and implemented a digital experience for the CGMA Finance Leadership Program. To address specific challenges, Studion and AICPA adopted a three-pronged approach.

• Personalized Learning: Tailoring the learning pathway based on the learner's prior knowledge, speed, and employer’s priorities. This allowed for efficient progress towards the CGMA exam, especially important for working professionals.

• Learn-by-Doing Pedagogy: This method involved presenting new ideas and concepts followed by immediate application in real-world situations. Business simulations of increasing complexity were used to reinforce learning, focusing on integration and application of skills.

• Customized Platform: A sophisticated dashboard provided a user-friendly interface, showing learners their progress and what to focus on next. The platform supported various learning assets like videos, interactive activities, and assessments, offering a responsive and interactive user experience.

"As a professional qualification provider, we had unique needs. Studion brought their deep understanding of both technology and online learning best practices to the design and build of our platform. Our competency-based Finance Leadership Program has to date helped more than 10,000 professionals thrive as they advance their careers and work towards the CGMA qualification." Anders Rydberg, Senior Director, AICPA & CIMA

The Impact

The solution was effective because it provided a customizable and learner-centric experience, crucial in a field where expectations and required competencies vary significantly across organizations. The combination of personalized learning paths, practical application of skills, and a user-friendly platform made the learning process more engaging and relevant. As a result, the CGMA Finance Leadership Program has served 10,000+ learners across hundreds of employers. The feedback from both employers and individual learners has been overwhelmingly positive, proving the efficacy of the approach.