Case study · Learning operations
Two manual bottlenecks in learning operations, replaced with two automated workflows.
Exam scoring and follow-up depended on manual judgment calls, and historical training records were being moved into the LMS one learner profile at a time. I automated both: fairer multi-select scoring and pass/fail routing built on Microsoft Forms and Power Automate, and a records migration that moved thousands of records for hundreds of learners into the LMS in about two days.
Regulated multi-site healthcare/research environment
Every failed attempt now receives follow-up based on actual pedagogical merit, not just a pass/fail flag.
Previously, scoring, routing, and follow-up were handled manually, one submission at a time.
of failed attempts routed to follow-up based on pedagogical merit
of training records migrated, for hundreds of learners
to complete the migration, versus an estimated multiple weeks of profile-by-profile work
All three figures are from this project: the assessment-automation and records-migration halves of learning operations automation.
The problem
Two related bottlenecks, both slowing down learning operations.
The first was assessment. Exam questions used a multi-select format, but the scoring treated a partially correct answer the same as a fully wrong one, which was not a fair reflection of what a learner actually knew. Pass/fail decisions and follow-up were handled by hand, so what happened after a failed attempt depended on who reviewed it and when, not on a consistent standard tied to the learner’s actual gaps.
The second was historical records. Hundreds of learners had training records that needed to move into the LMS, and the default approach was to migrate them one profile at a time. At that pace, the estimated timeline ran to multiple weeks, which held up reporting and made the records unavailable as current, usable documentation for longer than the training program could afford.
Unfair scoring
Multi-select questions were graded all-or-nothing, which penalized partially correct answers and blurred the line between a small gap and a real one.
Inconsistent follow-up
Manual review meant follow-up after a failed attempt was uneven: not every learner who needed support after a failed attempt reliably got it.
Slow record migration
Moving historical training records into the LMS profile by profile was estimated to take multiple weeks for hundreds of learners.
The constraint
The records had to hold up as documentation, not just move faster.
Speed alone was not the goal. Training records function as evidence in a regulated environment, so the migration had to preserve accuracy for every learner while still moving at a pace that made the records usable again within days rather than weeks. On the assessment side, any automated scoring and routing logic had to be defensible: a learner needed to be able to see why a given answer earned the mark it did, and a failed attempt needed to route to follow-up that actually matched what they got wrong.
The tools available were the institution’s existing stack, not a dedicated development platform: Microsoft Forms for the exam interface, Power Automate to handle scoring, routing, and notifications, and Excel and Outlook for the records work and communication around it.
Both problems had the same real constraint: the output had to be trustworthy enough to stand as training documentation, not just fast.
What I built
Two automated workflows, built on tools the program already had.
For the exam side, I rebuilt the scoring logic in Microsoft Forms and Power Automate so multi-select questions score partial credit fairly instead of all-or-nothing. Power Automate then routes each result automatically: a pass triggers an auto-issued certificate, and a failed attempt is routed to follow-up matched to the specific gaps in that learner’s answers, not a generic retake notice.
For the records side, I used Power Automate and Excel to move historical training records into the LMS in bulk rather than profile by profile, with validation steps built in so the migrated records stayed accurate for every learner. What was estimated to take multiple weeks of manual entry ran in about two days.
- ScoringMulti-select exam questions in Microsoft Forms now score partial credit fairly instead of marking any imperfect answer fully wrong.
- RoutingPower Automate reads each result and routes it automatically: a pass issues a certificate, a fail routes to follow-up.
- Follow-upFollow-up after a failed attempt is matched to the learner’s actual gaps, and every failed attempt now receives it, 100% of the time.
- MigrationHistorical training records for hundreds of learners moved into the LMS in about two days using Power Automate and Excel, with validation built into the process.
Artifacts
From manual review to an automated routing path.
A learner submits the exam in Microsoft Forms. Power Automate scores multi-select answers with partial credit, then routes a pass to an automatic certificate and a fail to follow-up matched to that learner’s specific gaps.
Interactive course: teaching the workflow
I also built this workflow into a short interactive course, so the logic behind the automation could be taught and repeated by other trainers, not just used once. It walks through the trigger, scoring, and routing steps as hands-on interactions.
Built in Articulate Rise and Storyline, with Synthesia for the video walkthroughs and Claude assisting with the automation logic and course build. Open the course in a new tab → · Read about the course →
Results
Consistent follow-up, and records the program could use again in days.
Scoring now reflects partial understanding instead of penalizing it, and 100% of failed attempts receive follow-up matched to the learner’s actual gaps, not a generic retake notice.
Thousands of training records for hundreds of learners moved into the LMS in about two days, versus an estimated multiple weeks of profile-by-profile entry.
The migrated records now live in the LMS as the program’s controlled training documentation, current and available on the same audit-ready standard the rest of the program’s completion records meet.
Role fit
Where this work maps.
This project sits at the intersection of assessment design and learning operations: building fairer, defensible scoring, and making sure training records are accurate, current, and usable as documentation.
- Learning Operations Specialist
- Training Records Administrator
- Assessment & Compliance Coordinator
- Learning & Development Specialist
- Workflow Automation / Power Platform roles in L&D
Feedback
What a colleague said.
“I noticed the difference almost immediately. My mornings used to start with an inbox full of exam requests and results that I had to sort through, respond to, and enter manually. After Devon implemented the Power Automate solution, that became a quick review and quality check that only took a few minutes.”
Testimonials are drawn from feedback provided by project collaborators, subject matter experts, and reviewers. Names are withheld for privacy.