[FAQ] Training and the Bottom Line

[Use your browser's BACK button to return to the PRIME FAQ Page or click here if you came directly to this page.]

We wrote this FAQ to answer the many questions we receive on this topic from our clients and other inquiring minds in the many electronic communities we frequent.

Training and the Bottom Line

Q: Why does training at our firm always seem to be done as an afterthought?

A: Certain costs involved with technology automation can be easily calculated to the nth degree. Contact your vendors, price out the CPU, the monitor, a gig or two of storage, some RAM, factor in the wiring, toss in a network card, price your software suite of approved applications, and there you go! And because this part of the automation equation can be calculated with such precision, this is where most of the effort is spent when planning technology installations and upgrades. While it is an important piece of the puzzle it is not the most important one!

To justify the cost of automation to the company implementing computer technology one or more of the following has to occur.

The user of the technology must be able to accomplish more work than they did before in the same amount of time.
The work product generated by the user must be of a higher quality than was generated with the previous technology.
The user must be able to accomplish a task not possible without the new technology.

The User is King

As you can see, everything hinges on the user. You can put more expensive hardware on the desktop, a faster backbone on your network, more bells and whistles than one could ever hope for, but if the user does not effectively utilize the technology it has all been for naught. Zippo, nada, wasted trip, use that new Pentium for a boat anchor, Charlie, 'cause it's not gonna add to the bottom line.

The thing that gets left out of the equation most often is the user. Training; it's not often factored in and even when it is, it is seldom done well. What do we mean by that? Consider the following. Training falls into two basic types; feature set training and job specific training.

Two Types of Training

Feature set training demonstrates the features of a piece of software and how those features can be manipulated. It's generic and time-consuming because software applications jam more and more features into every release. It puts the burden of utilization solely on the shoulders of the user, i.e., the user has to take the generic feature set instruction and then figure out which features would be of use in completing their day-to-day work assignments, and how to best utilize those features in that context. This type of training is quick, relatively cheap, and uses off the shelf courseware.

Job-specific training is trickier but much more rewarding. Study the work tasks being processed by a given set of users. Distill out the features of a software product that best lend themselves to completing these tasks and build a training plan around these features. Examples would be built using real-world scenarios that the user would actually encounter in their job. This method takes more resources to implement as it involves a careful study of what work is being done, by whom, and how it is being accomplished. In other words it costs money up front and involves custom courseware being developed.

Know Thy Users

Not all users will have exactly the same training needs. Wherever possible (deucedly difficult in a small organization) the user population should be segregated first by job requirement (what software will they use and for what purpose) then by experience level. Nothing worse from a trainer's standpoint than a healthy mix of advanced and novice users in the same class.

Keep in mind that training is a bit like buying some really fresh ingredients for a gourmet supper. You either use them right away or run the risk that they'll spoil and become unusable altogether. A person will retain at best 80 percent of what they've learned for 24 hours after which their retention starts to deteriorate rapidly. Training on a Friday is a flat-out losing proposition unless everyone is working on Saturday (yikes!).

Don't expect much retention if the users are getting calls and interruptions during the days they are in training either. They need a clear head to tackle new ideas and information. And when they get back to their desks after training they need some time (and specific assignments) to begin to utilize their new skills. If you teach someone an entirely new piece of software and, upon returning to their desk they are told that such-and-such has to be done right way, they will resort to the old software to get the job done. That's practical human nature but undermines the effectiveness of the training just performed.

Let's go back to specific assignments for a moment. A user should have an assignment that is to be completed using the fruits of their training. This creates a tangible need for them to get as much out of the training as possible. Training becomes specific to a particular task and not just a theoretical exercise.

Conclusion

There you have just some of the principles we use in our approach to training. Usually training is the last thing considered and gets the remnants of the technology budget. Back in the days of the mainframe and mini-computer dinosaurs, when a computer could cost anywhere from several million to several hundred thousand dollars, training was more "respectable" and better budgeted. The cost of the hardware has dropped but the human factor is still what will make or break your investment in technology. Here are a few comments that PRIME Consulting Group trainers have received:

Kendall Tieck, VP Wells Fargo Bank — "The highlight of our Division's conversion to Windows 95 was the custom training developed and delivered by PRIME Consulting. From the training materials to the lively presentation of the hands-on sessions, PRIME Consulting met the challenge of bringing our staff of professionals from the dark ages of DOS to the latest in graphical interfaces."
Alan Slade, Anchor Packaging — "Two weeks has now passed, and I am still excited about all the tools and tricks you taught us. The benefits are tangible. Productivity of our office has increased enormously. We have incorporated many of the procedures covered in the sessions and they are now being used by everyone in our company."
Hugo Sanchez, Dresser-Rand — "Your product knowledge and presentation skills were paramount in achieving our excellent results. It has also been noted that your skills in being able to explain a complicated subject in a way that’s easy to understand has made students get excited and try development."

Training is important and has the best chance of positively impacting your firm's bottom line.

The Naked PC Subscribe to our free electronic newsletter. Get the latest on all things PC, updates to PRIME Freeware page, and more. Type your email name and click Subscribe.

Return to Top