Team Captain User Guide

There are three customer roles within LCMT. Read below to learn about the distinct roles, responsibilities, and qualifications.

Team Captain Designated Admin (TCDA)

To hold this role, the TCDA must be a designated employee of the participating company (customer) and have received authorization from them to manage the Learning Credit account and review/approve/deny transactions. We require that there always be at least one assigned person in this role to ensure thorough review and approval of all transactions, as well as to safeguard against any fraudulent use of learning credits. Persons in this role must accept the Team Captain Affirmation and the Cisco Learning Credits Terms & Conditions on behalf of the customer to gain access to LCMT.

To qualify for the TCDA role, individuals must meet the following criteria:

• Be an employee of the participating company.
• Be authorized by the customer to act on the company’s behalf.
• Have an email aligned with the company’s email domain. If the email is not aligned with the company’s email domain, it will be necessary to update the email in the profile. Generic names, public email domains are not allowed.
• Be willing to agree to the Terms and Conditions and attest to the Team Captain Affirmation.

After signing the terms, the TCDA has the authority to request to assign additional TCDAs, a Team Captain Other (TCO) and/or a Team Player to help manage the Learning Credits account. Read on for more information on these optional roles.

Team Captain Other (TCO)

The TCO is an optional role that can be appointed by the Team Captain Designated Admin, once fully set up in LCMT and having accepted the Team Captain Affirmation and Cisco Terms & Conditions. This role can be filled by a third party (managed services) other than an employee of the customer but cannot be a Cisco employee, Cisco contractor, or Learning Partner. Like the TCDA, a TCO is expected to accept the Cisco Learning Credits Terms and Conditions. The TCO can then manage the learning credits account to review/approve/deny transactions, generate reports, and guard against fraudulent use of the credits.

To qualify for the TCO role, individuals must meet the following criteria:

• Be outside of the organization and assigned by the TCDA but cannot be a Cisco employee, contractor, or Learning Partner.​
• Be added only after the TCDA has been fully set up in LCMT and the Terms and Conditions have been accepted.
• Use their company email address that must be aligned to their business email address. If not aligned, user must update their email in their profile. Generic names and personal emails are not valid.
• Be willing to accept the Terms and Conditions and attest to the Team Captain Affirmation.

Team Player

The most important responsibility of a Team Captain is ensuring that the learning credits that your company has purchased are used before the expiration date. Given the abundance of training opportunities that are available, developing a comprehensive training plan can pose a challenge. To eliminate this concern, we provide a designated Cisco Business Development Manager (BDM) assigned to each Sales Order (SO) purchase. This dedicated individual is readily available to assist you in navigating the array of available training.

Your assigned Business Development Manager (BDM) plays a pivotal role in helping you to develop a tailored plan to maximize your learning credits, ensuring they are used prior to expiration. Your BDM possesses the expertise to identify training opportunities that align with our deployments, equipment, and individual development and certification initiatives.

To locate the BDM assigned to any of your Sales Orders, please access LCMT and use the BDM Lookup feature. Navigate to the BDM Lookup Section of this document for instructions.

Effective September 15, 2023, we implemented changes to our terms that impact the process for submitting reissue requests, their management procedures, and the criteria for reissue consideration. In line with our commitment to ensuring the learning credits are secure, a new Team Captain Affirmation (TCA) was introduced concurrently to promote professional and responsible management of your Cisco Learning Credit account.

Our policy expressly prohibits Cisco employees, Cisco contractors, and Learning Partners from assuming Team Captain roles. To enforce this, the TCA was created, requiring all individuals assigned to a Team Captain role to attest to the new TCA. It is imperative that individuals in these roles review and consent to both the Terms & Conditions and the Team Captain Affirmation before gaining full access to the LCMT.

1. To access LCMT, go to cisco.com/go/lcmt using one of the preferred browsers Firefox or Chrome. The cisco.com login window will display.
2. At the login window, enter your Cisco.com username and click Next.

3. Enter your Cisco.com password and click Log In.

4. The Terms and Conditions and Team Captain Affirmation window will display when required.

If you have not already, please review and confirm the Team Captain Affirmation and accept the Program Terms and Conditions. If you decline the program terms, you will not be able to access your account details.

5. You will be directed to your LCMT Dashboard where you will find Account Balance(s) information, Transactions, Expiration, and any applicable open Action Items.

1. To view your accounts, click Accounts from the left navigation. This tab lists all the accounts that you have access to.

2. To view the details of an account, click the Triangle icon to the left of the Account Name. Details will show the Sales Order(s), number of credits purchased, balance of credits, number of expired credits, date purchased, expiration date, number of days remaining to use before expiration, status of reissue requests, and BDM Details.

   You can also lookup the assigned BDM for an associated SO from this page. Refer to the BDM Lookup Feature section below for guidance on how to use this feature.

LCMT functionality is available to allow you to find the BDM assigned to help you develop a training plan for associated Sales Orders (SOs).

To find your assigned BDM:

1. Click Accounts along the left navigation pane. Navigate to the Account Name section. Expand your Company Name to display all associated SO Numbers.
2. Click Show BDM Details to display the BDM assigned for the SO Number.

If a BDM has been assigned, a window will populate with the BDM’s contact information.

To view a statement of account transactions, click the Transactions tab and choose Advanced Search.

Specify all transactions, a date range, or a transaction type, then click Search. You can choose to view the results online or have them downloaded to Microsoft Excel.

Status definitions

Tip: Prior to approval, denial, or placing on hold, you may also choose status Submitted if you only want to add notes to the request.

Dashboard:

Your LCMT Dashboard is the fastest way to locate transactions needing your attention.

Quickly locate the Submitted transactions pending your approval from the Dashboard’s Action Items section.

Transactions in Submitted status (needing review and approval) will display.

To approve debit transactions, follow the instructions below:

1. Click Transactions from the left task bar.
2. Click Approve Debits from the top.

3. The Transaction Search Results will display below.
4. Click Process next to the transaction you approve.

Or you can navigate to the Submitted transactions from the Transactions tab to approve.

1. Click Transactions.
2. Click Approve Debits. The quick access ribbon will display the status of all Learning Credits transactions in your account.
3. Click a segment of the ribbon to view only those transactions.

If instead, you prefer to search for specific transactions by training provider, transaction number, SO number, course acronym, request status, a date range for debits, or a date range for the start of a class, you can do so.

Requests that have been submitted, but have not yet been approved by the Team Captain, will display with the status 'Submitted.'

Follow the steps below to approve, deny, or place a debit request on hold:

1. Click the Process button to take action.
2. Review the request details. Approval status is displayed at the top of the screen.
3. To approve, deny, or place a debit request on hold, you must add a Note, providing any details you would like, in the Notes area at the lower right of the window.
4. Select an approval Status from the dropdown.
5. Click Process.

Adding a Note without Approving

You can leave the status as Submitted if you simply want to add notes to the request. When doing this, no action will be taken. For the CLCs to be authorized for use, you will need to approve the request.

How to change the approval status

To change the status of a request that is On Hold (only), follow the steps below:

1. Click Transactions from the left navigation.
2. From the Transactions screen, click Approve Debits.
3. Click On Hold from the status bar. Transactions that are on hold will display in the Transaction Search Results below.
4. Click Process to open the details of the request.

5. Enter a note and select an approval status for processing.

6. Click Process.

You may review a previously updated request that does not require action. Follow the steps below to view requests:

1. Click Transactions from the left navigation.
2. From the Transaction Search Results, click View under the Actions header to see details of the request.

This section explains our Legacy Reissue Policy that is for SOs purchased before October 1, 2023

Cisco Learning Credits (CLC) sales orders purchased prior to October 1, 2023, are subject to the previous terms and conditions which are referred to in this guide as the Legacy Reissue Policy. Cisco will allow Team Captains (either a Team Captain Designated Admin (TCDA) or Team Captain Other (TCO) to submit a request for a six-month reissue of Learning Credits that are about to expire, one time only.

If there are CLCs in your account that were purchased prior to October 1, 2023, that you will not be able to use before the expiration date, the Team Captain may submit a reissue request for approval by the Cisco Learning Credits Team.

A Cisco Business Development Manager (BDM) collaborating with the Team Captain can also create a reissue request on behalf of the customer, but the request will require team captain review and approval. Requests can be submitted via the Learning Credits Management Tool (LCMT) up to 60 days after the expiration date and must include a detailed training plan for using the expiring credits.

All requests are subject to the requirements below; there are no exceptions.

• Cisco Learning Credits converted from other programs which have already been assigned a 12-month Cisco Learning Credits lifespan are eligible for reissue.
• All requests must be submitted by the Team Captain (either TCDA or TCO) or created by the Business Development Manager (BDM) via the Learning Credits Management Tool (LCMT).
• Requests must be submitted any time after Cisco Learning Credits activation, up to 60 days after the expiration date.
• Unused credits can be reissued for a maximum of six months from the original expiration date, one time only.
• The reissue request must include a description of your training plan to use the credits.
• Reissue approval is not automatic and is at the sole discretion of Cisco.

Follow these steps to submit a request for reissue (extension) of unused Cisco Learning Credits:

1. Team captains should access the Learning Credits Management Tool (LCMT). 
2. Click the Accounts tab and view the list of your accounts. You can search for the account name if you have more accounts than are showing in the list.

3. Click the (>) icon to expand the account that is associated with the unused Learning Credits. If the account meets the eligibility requirements, a Reissue button appears in the applicable Sales Order (SO) number row.

4. Click the Reissue button. The Reissue Terms and Conditions message will appear.

5. Click Accept to proceed with the reissue request.

6. In the form that appears, enter the required information in the fields. A red asterisk denotes required fields.

7. Click Submit. A message confirming your request appears and the system sends a notification to the team captain and account manager with a reissue request ID.

You can update your request for reissue (extension) of unused Cisco Learning Credits if you need to add further information or change information. Follow these steps to update a request:

Team captains should access the Learning Credits Management Tool (LCMT) using one of our preferred browsers - Chrome or Firefox. The Team Captain should regularly check the Action Items section on the LCMT Dashboard for actions that are outstanding. If there are expired sales orders, the Team Captain will be able to review the status of submitted reissue requests.

Once submitted, you can manage your reissue requests from the Reissue screen in LCMT where you will be able to review and approve requests submitted on your behalf by your BDM.

1. Click Accounts from the left task bar. Then, click Reissue Request along the top.

The below screen will display.

1. Click the ‘UPDATE” button next to the request you would like to review and accept.
2. Under the Status dropdown you can either approve or decline.
   • Approval moves the reissue request to Submitted.
   • Declining does not preclude the request from being recreated by either the Team Captain or the BDM .
   • Add a Note (mandatory).
   • Click Submit to complete this action.

This section explains our Restricted Reissue Policy that is for SOs purchased on or after October 1, 2023.

Cisco Learning Credits sales orders purchased on or after October 1, 2023, are subject to the new Cisco Learning Credits Terms & Conditions and are referred to as the Restricted Reissue Policy. To stay in step with the industry, Cisco no longer has a 'grace period' for consideration of an extension on Cisco Learning Credits post its expiration date. Our Terms & Conditions indicate that CLCs are effective for one year, and reissues will be granted only at the discretion of Cisco. Under the restricted reissue policy, Team Captains will no longer be able to request reissues for learning credits that were issued on or after October 1, 2023. All reissue requests will be restricted for submission by a Cisco Business Development Manager (BDM). With this new policy, requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and reissues will only be granted for a limited number of circumstances that are beyond your control.

If it is determined that there is enough justification for the request, the assigned BDM will submit the reissue request on your behalf. Once submitted, the Team Captain will be notified and will be required to review and approve the submission in LCMT for the request to be considered.

In certain cases, your BDM may be able to help you identify other ways to redeem and use your learning credits before they expire. Email your BDM for help developing a plan to use your credits or for assistance requesting an extension or exception. If you don’t know who your assigned BDM is, you can perform a BDM Lookup in LCMT. Refer to the BDM Lookup Section for instruction. If you are unsuccessful in performing the lookup, reach out to the BDM Team via email by clicking here.

How to Manage Restricted Reissue Requests

Once a request has been submitted, the request will become visible in LCMT. To view reissue requests submitted on your behalf, follow the instructions below:

1. Click Accounts from the left navigation, then click Reissue Request from the top.

2. Click Search. A list of all reissue requests that have been submitted by both you, other Team Captains, and Cisco BDM will display. It will include the request number, associated Sales Order Number, request date, # of credits requested to be reissued, reissue status, expiration date, date updated, and action needed.

   Note: For requests that you have submitted, as well as those that have been submitted on your behalf, it is mandatory for you to access LCMT to review, approve, or deny the request.

3. In the Actions column, click View to see the request. Details of the request will display like below:

Note: You will need to work with your BDM if updates to the request are required.

4. Once you have thoroughly reviewed the request, utilize the down arrow key to mark the status as Approved or Denied.

An automated note will be timestamped with the date and time, providing a detailed record of the approval/denial decision.

To allow debit requests in some or all accounts to be approved automatically, follow the instructions below:

1. Click the Transactions tab along the left navigation, then Approve Debits at the top.
2. Click Auto Approve Debits on the right.

The Auto-Approve Debit Transactions screen will display with all accounts that you are assigned as Team Captain.

See below as an example:

1. Click the Enable button to either select or deselect all accounts you wish to auto-approve.
   • Checking a box means that the team captain takes no action when Cisco submits a debit request for that account. Reimbursement is automatic.
   • Unchecking all boxes means that the team captain manually processes every request.

The account MUST first have an active Team Captain Designated Admin (TCDA) on the account who has accepted the Team Captain Affirmation (TCA) and Cisco Learning Credit Terms & Conditions before any additional team captains or team players can be added. A TCDA who has accepted the Cisco Terms and Conditions MUST always remain on the account. An effort should be made to always maintain an active TCDA. When a TCDA is being replaced, it is important to remove the old TCDA and assign someone else to the role as soon as possible.

Accounts may have multiple Team Captains and Team Players. Role assignment changes can only be made by opening a support case with the Cisco Learning Credits Team. When requesting a customer role change, please note:

• Cisco employees, Cisco contractors or Learning Partners are not allowed to be assigned as the Team Captain nor as a Team Player.
• Cisco.com credentials cannot be shared.
• Each user must have a valid Cisco.com username and password.

When one TCDA is being added to replace one that is leaving, until the newly added TCDA accepts the Cisco Terms & Conditions, any existing Team Captain Other on the account will be blocked from viewing the account in LCMT.

If you would like to distribute and utilize learning credits within your organization without permanently combining accounts or assign CLCs to a specific branch/department within an existing account, Prime-Branch account linkage may be a viable solution. This allows Team Captains to initiate a one-way push of Cisco Learning Credits (CLCs) to be distributed and used across multiple Branch Accounts. You and/or your Cisco Account Manager can request that a Prime-Branch linkage be set up in LCMT. 

Please ensure that you understand that transfers are one-way and can only be initiated at the Prime level and that transfers cannot be made from the Branch Account to the Prime Account. All transfers are final, expiration date and reissue rules are unchanged, and the Branch Account Team Captain will be required to approve, or auto approve, all debit requests. 

Prime-Branch Account Linkage Qualifications:

To qualify for the Prime-Branch Account, each of the requirements listed below must be met: 

• You must request the account linkage 
• You must provide Branch Team Captain information 
• Learning credits must belong to the same legal entity and have the same GUID
• Sales orders from different Cisco entities cannot be combined

Account Setup

If all requirements have been met and you are interested in opening a Prime-Branch account, you can request that the linkage account be set up in LCMT.  Submit a request with the Learning Credits Team and provide the following information:

• Prime Account Name 
• Branch Account Name(s) 
• GUID information and relationship of the accounts 
• Sales order number(s)
• Team Captain details for both accounts with respective approval(s) 

Note: The account linkage is dependent on both Prime and Branch accounts having active TCDA assigned.

If you are setting up more than one Branch account, it is crucial to state this in the case. Also, if you already have a branch account and would like ANOTHER, please indicate this in the case as well. This ensures that the linkage is set up correctly.

Transferring CLCs from the Prime to Branch account

Upon account linkage, the Prime Account Team Captain will be able to enter the sales order they want to pass to the Branch Account(s).

1. Navigate to the Accounts tab to see which Prime account has been setup. Note the SO Number you wish to transfer to the Branch account.

2. Click the Transactions tab, then Transfer Credits. You will be prompted to enter the SO Number that you wish to transfer.

3. Enter the entire SO Number in the field. Click Submit.
4. To transfer credits to the Branch account, enter the number of learning credits (in whole units) to be transferred. Click Submit.

5. Click Submit.

6. Once successfully transferred, credits will be deducted from the Prime Account’s SO balance; a new SO Number will be created under the Branch Account with the transferred balance and visible only to the Branch Team Captain.

Note: All Branch Account Sales Orders will have a suffix appended to the end of the SO# (example: “12345678-BA1”) to denote that it is part of the Branch account. All expiration dates remain unchanged.

If you are a Branch Account Team Captain for a Branch Account, you will manage and approve your Learning Credits the same as previously demonstrated in this User Guide. Please note that transfers are final, expiration date and reissue rules are unchanged, and the Branch Account Team Captain must approve or auto-approve debit requests.

1. To pull reporting on your account transactions – go to the Transactions tab and select Search Transactions.
2. To the far left of the Search Results, click on the EXCEL icon.
3. The system will download an Excel report.

A team captain can opt in or opt out of receiving certain system notifications. The notification preferences can be set by logging into LCMT and clicking the “Bell” in the upper right corner next to the circle with your initials.

Here you will see a listing of all notifications sent to you and the date they were sent.

From this screen select User Preferences to update the notifications you chose to receive.