Training users on you ERP system is a vital piece of the implementation process. Many customers ask how much training is needed or how long it takes. There is no simple answer to these questions. We have found several factors to impact ERP training length and effectiveness. The following guidelines can be used in planning your training program.
Assess Team Capabilities
When you are planning training for your ERP, assess each user and their learning capacities. Not everyone learns at the same rate or in the same way. You know your team better than your ERP provider, so it is important that you are involved in determining how your team will be trained. For example, can they sit in a classroom and learn for 7 hours in one day? Do they need on the job simulation? Many of your employees may not be used to sitting for any length of time because the nature of their job is the complete opposite. You may want to schedule on site training for those employees and maybe for only 2 hours at a time.
Train by User Group
In addition to assessing your team’s capabilities, you should divide your training into groups by user type. If you train the same user types together, your trainer can focus on what is important to that group. This will enable your team to be taught efficiently based upon the transactions and business activities that are critical for their roles.
Prioritize and Aid in Support
Ensure that you and your team are making training a priority. It is important that when all users come to training, they are ready to train. Often times users are having to worry about their day-to-day job activities in addition to training. This can be overwhelming for your team and distract their focus from the training. Phone calls and other employees dropping in to ask a question can also be a distraction from training. It is important to communicate to your team how vital the training process is to the success of your ERP. Set expectations ahead of time and confirm that there is a backup person for those in training. Putting this in place ahead of time will help put your team at ease so they can focus and retain what they are learning.
On-Going Training
One piece of your program that can be often overlooked, but is actually more important than organizations realize, is on-going training. Your team will, without a doubt, need additional training after going live with your software. New scenarios will come up, processes will be forgotten, new employees be hired. Offering on-going and follow up training to your users will greatly enhance their experience, reduce their frustration and diminish the likelihood of making mistakes.
You can do this by initiating a train-the-trainer approach from the start and allowing internal employees to facilitate training to other users as needed. You can also do this by requesting training from your ERP provider.
Here at Online Computing, you can always request additional training either at Online Computing, at your company, or online. We also offer videos for follow-up support that users can reference.