| What’s Your Excuse? Dispelling the Myths about | | | | less-effective; it also decreases productivity. |
| End-User Training | | | | Users don’t need training to e-mail. |
| In 1999, Intraware, a growing online source for IT and | | | | When you were sold on GroupWise, chances are it |
| software solutions, decided to implement a new sales | | | | wasn’t its capacity to manage e-mail that |
| force automation application. The implementation failed. | | | | impressed you. If that was the only feature you |
| One of the major reasons for the failure was | | | | needed, you would probably buy a lesser program. |
| Intraware’s failure to provide end-user training. | | | | Similarly, if you want users to get as excited as you |
| “We trashed the whole thing and seriously thought | | | | are about GroupWise and if you want GroupWise to |
| about walking away at that point,” said Shaun Fenn, | | | | deliver on the promise of making your office more |
| director of sales information systems for Intraware in | | | | productive, you should provide a way for your users to |
| Emeryville, California. | | | | learn about its other features. |
| Once Intraware provided customized outsourced | | | | Collaboration software is used more often and by |
| training for their end users, the software worked well | | | | more people in your organization than any other |
| for the company and they finally felt like the migration | | | | desktop application. Therefore, end-user training for this |
| was worth it. | | | | software will be the most useful and increase |
| Unfortunately, Intraware’s story is common. When | | | | productivity the most. As mentioned above, studies |
| most companies purchase new software, the | | | | have shownthat employees use an average of only 13 |
| purchasing decision is made based on the | | | | percent of the features in their desktop software tools. |
| software’s features and its potential to increase | | | | When the most powerful features in the remaining 87 |
| productivity. Rarely do decision makers consider that | | | | percent go unused, your company essentially wastes |
| employees must know how to use the software for it | | | | the money spent on those features. |
| to deliver what it promises. | | | | Plus, the goal of a reputable training company isn’t |
| To keep your company from making the costly | | | | to make all your users advanced, it is to teach them to |
| mistake Intraware did, we at BrainStorm, Inc., the Novell | | | | use software tools and get them to an intermediate |
| Authorized End-User Training Partner, have addressed | | | | level, therefore making their software use productive, |
| the most-common excuses for not training end users. | | | | not just functional. (See Training Curves, above.) When |
| So whether you’re upgrading or migrating to | | | | employees know how to use their software to be |
| GroupWise 7, read below to find out why you | | | | productive, the company saves money. |
| shouldn’t skimp on end-user training. | | | | Training can’t help my users accept the new |
| Our employees are too busy to train. | | | | program |
| Your users may complain that they don’t have | | | | Often one of the biggest obstacles to migrating or |
| time for a half day of on-site training, but they’ll end | | | | upgrading is the level of user acceptance. If users |
| up spending time learning the new software with or | | | | have preconceived negative notions of what the |
| without training. The only difference is the amount of | | | | upgrade or migration will mean for them (loss of time, |
| time they’ll spend. | | | | increased frustration, loss of productivity), they will be |
| According to a July 2000 Gartner Group study, | | | | less likely to use and accept the program. |
| “twelve hours of formal training equates to 72 | | | | A study published in 2000 in Information Systems |
| hours of self-paced training.” So, users will spend | | | | Research, concluded that there were at least six |
| six times as long figuring out the program on their own | | | | factors associated with helping reluctant employees |
| as it will take to train them to use it. | | | | accept a program: (1) users’confidence about their |
| Formal training won’t only save your users the time | | | | ability to learn and use new technology, (2) an |
| it would have taken to figure it out on their own; it will | | | | IT-supported workenvironment, (3) how much users |
| also give them extra hours of productive time. An end | | | | actually use computers for enjoyment, (4) the level of |
| user survey conducted by Novell and BrainStorm in | | | | general computer anxiety, (5) how much computers |
| 2002 found that 90 percent of end users saved at | | | | actually contribute to job ability, and (6) how much |
| least an hour per week as a result of the training they | | | | satisfaction users gain from simply using a new |
| received, and the majority of those users saved three | | | | system. Hands-on training from a motivated, |
| or more hours. With the time employees can save and | | | | experienced trainer solves at least four of these |
| gain by being trained, they actually can’t afford not | | | | factors. |
| to invest the time to attend a training course. | | | | Training can’t change some of the attitude factors |
| End-user training costs too much. | | | | like how much employees use technology out of the |
| With all the costs associated with a software | | | | office for fun. Training, however, can help with the |
| migration, or even an upgrade, you may think your | | | | other factors: increasing confidence in learning ability, |
| budget can’t justify training. The fact is your | | | | having a supported environment, decreasing the level |
| migration will end up costing more if you don’t train | | | | of computer anxiety, increasing how much an |
| your end users. | | | | application actually contributes to job function, and |
| A July 2000 Gartner Group study found that | | | | increasing the level of perceived enjoyment. |
| “wasted end-user time, due to a lack of training, | | | | Not all types of training can accomplish these goals. |
| accounted for the biggest piece of the software | | | | First, trainers must be experts on thesoftware. This |
| spending pie.” | | | | expertise makes users feel like they are in a |
| Not only does the wasted time contribute to higher | | | | supported environment. Whentrainers are experts, it |
| software cost, but when your employees don’t use | | | | also makes it easier for them to make using the |
| all the features included in the software, you end up | | | | program look easy,decreasing the level of computer |
| paying for features your company doesn’t use. A | | | | anxiety in the trainees. Second, when trainers use |
| September 2001 IDC study found that without training, | | | | real-world, hands-on examples, they increase how |
| employees use an average of only 13 percent of the | | | | much trainees actually use the software for real job |
| features in their desktop software tools. That means | | | | functions. And third, when trainers are motivated and |
| the other 87 percent of features you purchased are a | | | | excited about the software, they increase the level of |
| wasted investment without spending some money on | | | | enjoyment for their trainees simply because trainees |
| training. | | | | pick up on their excitement. |
| Further, the return on investment for end-user training | | | | At the same time, when users accept a program |
| shows that without training, you won’t capture the | | | | quickly after effective training, they also retain more |
| productivity gains you were planning on when you | | | | information about the software, and start using it |
| bought the software. If you use the results from the | | | | immediately. This makes their program use stick. When |
| above mentioned BrainStorm and Novell study and | | | | users know how to use the software from the |
| say that conservatively, each trained employee saves | | | | beginning, they’re happy to use it for as long as is |
| at least one hour per week, then training one | | | | required. |
| employee making $40,000 a year will save the | | | | Because we’re upgrading, users can figure out the |
| company about $1,000 in the first year. Further, for | | | | new features. |
| every 100 trained employees that make $100,000 your | | | | Although it’s true that most features of an |
| company will save $250,000 a year. (See chart.) | | | | application stay the same in an upgrade, enough new |
| That’s saving ten to twenty-five times more than a | | | | features are introduced and enough of the user |
| half-day instructor-led training course costs, which may | | | | interface changes to merit end-user training. |
| be more justifiable than even your original software | | | | If untrained users use an average of only 13 percent |
| purchase. | | | | of the program they’re currently using and don’t |
| We can train our users in-house. | | | | know about many of the advanced features in the |
| When justifying the total cost associated with an | | | | current program, chances are they won’t know |
| upgrade or migration, you may be tempted to think you | | | | about the new features in the upgrade and also |
| can decrease the software budget by taking care of | | | | won’t know how to use them. It’s hard to justify |
| training in-house. After all, you have a budget to hire | | | | the cost of an upgrade if your employees don’t |
| extra help, but your training budget is spent. When you | | | | use the new features you’re paying for. |
| look at the total cost of developing training courses | | | | Also, for most users, just switching a few buttons on |
| and materials, however, in-house training doesn’t | | | | the interface in an upgrade can be confusing, let alone |
| have as many benefits. | | | | changing the entire interface. It may be true that your |
| Although a professional training company like | | | | users won’t need as much training for an upgrade, |
| BrainStorm can spread out the cost of developing | | | | but they still need to be trained to make the upgrade |
| training courses and materials among several clients, | | | | investment worth the cost. |
| when you develop and implement in-house training, | | | | We’ve had bad experiences with outsourced |
| your company absorbs all the associated time and | | | | training before. |
| cost. Plus, because in-house trainers usually lack | | | | Poor training experiences can definitely cure a |
| training expertise and experience with the software | | | | company of paying for end user training again. When |
| itself, in-house training quality is usually quite poor. | | | | training isn’t effective, it’s hard to justify its |
| According to a 1997 Gartner Group study, the | | | | necessity. But, training methods and the quality of |
| following are costs associated with poor training: | | | | trainers differ significantly among training companies. |
| dissatisfied employees, lower productivity, poor | | | | For instance, the job description for a prominent training |
| customer service, the need for extensive follow-up | | | | company’s instructor position reveals a lot about |
| training and support resources, decreased efficiency, | | | | what kind of trainers they hire. The company says the |
| less efficient business processes, and increased | | | | trainer position is entry level and the instructor will |
| administrative expense. | | | | teach several software applications. Previous |
| Companies like BrainStorm that cater specifically to | | | | knowledge of the applications is not required, nor is |
| end-user software training, and even more specifically | | | | previous education or training experience. When you |
| to GroupWise training, can help eliminate most of the | | | | hire this company, therefore, you can expect to get a |
| costs of poor in-house training. Having trainers with | | | | trainer that has minimal knowledge about the |
| more than 1000 hours of experience teaching a | | | | application he is training on and may or may not know |
| program, and solid research to back their training | | | | how to manage a classroom. The trainer may feign |
| methods, reputable training companies know how to | | | | excitement about a memorized lesson from a |
| help users get excited about software, increase their | | | | workbook, but he won't know how to answer the |
| productivity by using it, and retain what they learn. | | | | toughest questions because he isn't an expert. |
| In-house trainers cramming to learn a program that | | | | A study published in the Journal of End User |
| don’t have training experience can’t provide | | | | Computing in 2002, found that trainer behavior had |
| that quality of training. | | | | much to do with how effective end user software |
| Additionally, reputable outsourced training companies | | | | training was. In fact, the study identified 53 |
| like BrainStorm, will provide follow-up training and a | | | | characteristics effective trainers should have. The |
| variety of training materials to make sure new hires | | | | characteristics were summarized as follows: |
| are trained and employees have resources to which | | | | “Effective end user software trainers [should be] |
| they can turn. | | | | able to design and manage a course in such a way as |
| Users can learn from the help files | | | | to communicate [their] knowledge to a group of |
| From the volume of “how to” help calls your IT | | | | trainees, in an atmosphere that is sympathetic to their |
| department gets, you probably know that help files | | | | needs and feelings, using appropriate training |
| aren’t enough to help your users. | | | | techniques.” |
| Several studies, including a June 2003 study published | | | | In addition, a company’s training techniques should |
| in Information Systems Research show that | | | | be designed to get the maximum amount of learning |
| “behavior modeling yields better training outcomes | | | | and retention in the least amount of time for the most |
| than other methods, such as lecture-based instruction, | | | | people. As the above mentioned study in the |
| computer-aided instruction, and self-study.” This | | | | Information Technology, Learning and Performance |
| behavior modeling training method, which is watching | | | | Journal found, this best method is behavior modeling. |
| an instructor perform a behavior and then attempting | | | | The behavior modeling style of training, the one |
| to reenact it, is also the best method to use for all | | | | BrainStorm uses, is a method in which trainers show |
| learning styles. | | | | trainees how to perform real-world examples and then |
| A study in the Spring 2000 Information Technology, | | | | ask trainees to mimic their actions. This hands-on, |
| Learning, and Performance Journal showed that | | | | real-world experience helps users retain what they |
| trainees taught with a behavior modeling approach | | | | learn and use their newly acquired skills. |
| “were not influenced by learning style and . . . had | | | | There’s no excuse for not training your end users. |
| the highest levels of satisfaction and computer | | | | With all the myths about end-user training dispelled, |
| use.” This behavior modeling method is the one that | | | | your company no longer has an excuse not to train |
| independent training companies, like BrainStorm, use to | | | | your end users. The cost is justifiable after you look at |
| help employees learn and then retain what they learn. | | | | the return on investment. The time to train is minimal |
| These studies also show that hands-on training that | | | | when compared to the time your employees will save, |
| mimics everyday tasks is more effective than | | | | and inhouse training can’t compare to outsourcing |
| abstract training. Help files are abstract and are not | | | | when you consider training effectiveness. Because |
| designed to help users accept all e-mails from their | | | | you can’t assume all your users are on the same |
| bosses, schedule constant office meetings, or create | | | | level as an IT professional, you must assume they |
| unique work schedules, for instance. To effectively use | | | | need training. As Intraware learned in 1999 and |
| help files, employees must first determine what | | | | countless other companies have learned the hard way, |
| language the software uses to define the task. Only | | | | there’s no excuse for skimping on end-user training. |
| then can they search for the help file. This is not only | | | | |