When selecting and implementing a new business software application, it is all too easy to focus on the functionality it delivers and assume it’s all ‘one and done’ once you hit the ‘Install Now’ button.
Companies have invested heavily in the user experience (UX), so a fantastic amount of business value is delivered ‘out of the box’ straightaway. This may cover systems integration, reporting, workflow and other capabilities that go to the heart of the value of a SaaS-based business application.
In this situation, it’s easy to dismiss end-user training as an afterthought, with managers assuming that people will learn ‘on the job’.
However, experience suggests that end-user training is the single factor determining whether a software application – and the critical business change it supports – is successfully delivered on time and within budget.
Let’s explore this in more detail and consider some practical training tips to help ensure your project succeeds.
How can end-user training be your secret sauce for success?
A pre-planned training programme will help any business accelerate the adoption of new technology in a way that the company needs.
‘Learning by using’ is a perfectly acceptable approach to training users. Still, we must recognise that people learn at different speeds and focus on those areas that interest them the most. While there will be a product take-up, it will be patchy, leading to a slower rollout and increased support and training costs. Most of the value of a product comes from its ‘network effects’, where people across the business can see an issue through the same prism, using the same data. If people use a product in different ways – or maybe not all – then its value is greatly diminished.
A well-thought-through training package helps everyone get up to speed quickly, at a similar pace, so the business can capture all the planned benefits and retire the legacy processes and associated costs.
Faster adoption drives accelerated value and a better project Return on Investment (ROI). For example, suppose your new business application helps improve your customer ordering and stock control processes. In that case, it can help you process customer orders more swiftly to provide better customer service, which can help you use your limited customer sales and marketing budget better. It can also help you make more valuable use of your capital by keeping stocks to a minimum and knowing the stock levels you need based on past and current sales volumes.
This only works if everyone is using the system in the same way at the same time. Having different levels of skills prevents companies from extracting all the value of their investment; at the very least, you will have managers closely monitoring individuals' progress and skills rather than finding new ways to take their business to the next level.
Software projects are typically implemented as part of a broader business transformation project designed with a specific objective. Successfully implementing a software project – by leveraging an effective training programme – can help ensure the wider business initiative is successfully de-risked and delivered on time.
Well-trained and productive employees are typically happier in their jobs than those constantly struggling with inadequate systems that could be easier to use. As you might expect, employees who are happier in their roles stay longer than those who are not. Motivated employees are always looking to enhance their skill sets with new technology; if you provide it, your employees are less likely to look elsewhere for their professional development.
So clearly, there is significant value in running a training programme. So, what’s the best way to capture it all? Let’s take a look.
The first step is to build awareness of the project and how your new software application will feature, whether it’s a core aspect of the project or something more peripheral. However, it fits in, people need to understand the nature of the broader project and how it will affect them. Think carefully about your internal launch programme that will build awareness, commitment and support. This might involve ‘Town Hall’ meetings, webinars, emails, team presentations, etc. While this may sound like marketing, you can also view it as a training opportunity so that when the time comes to schedule your training, people will have a reasonable idea of what to expect.
A critical success factor in delivering an effective training programme is performing a thorough needs analysis of the user base. Each situation will be different, but if you provide a ‘like-for-like’ replacement of an existing system or process, the training will hopefully be limited to pointing out how to perform the same job as before, but on the new platform. This may only need a couple of hours of training. More complex applications that provide users with more capabilities and responsibilities may need 2 or 3 training sessions to complete over days or weeks as the functionality gets rolled out.
Don’t forget the needs of system administration teams, who will be the technical ‘owners’ of the system once rolled out. They will need to learn how to troubleshoot issues, register and deregister users, etc.
Also, think about the needs of ’power users’ who will use the most potent elements of functionality, such as management reporting or designing and implementing new workflow processes.
A critical step in implementing the training portion of a business project is delivering the training package itself. Sometimes, a classroom-based option is the best approach so business can continue generally while the training is offered. Equally, video-based training might be the best way forward so people can work at their own pace to reach the end goal by a given date. It all depends on the complexity of the product you are using and the skill level of the staff involved.
Once the training has been completed, the next step should be to review the results regarding the number of attendees and their test scores, and how well people are utilising the new application in their day job. If necessary, organise additional training for those who seem to be struggling or who would welcome further support.
Of course, once your training programme has been delivered, it is not the end of your work. Think about how to bring on new starters. Again, depending on their role, they may only need a cut-down version of the training, as the system will now be widely used. Remember too, there will now be a cohort of well-trained and experienced staff ready to help bring newcomers up to speed.
Contact us to find out how our training services can help you implement your solution quickly.