"If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got”
Many companies make large investments in software, but have a habit of overlooking the aspect of investing in training for the users on how to utilise the expensive software purchased.
The saying above, which has an element of truth in it, defies the logic of investing good money in better, more efficient software and then not investing in the training to take advantage of this. By not taking training the software purchase effectively becomes a liability as companies continue working the way they did previously with the old software and therefore do not get any return on the investment made. By taking out training, companies effectively turn their investment from a liability into an asset because they get a return on the investment made through more efficient working and better productivity.
Also by not investing in training companies not only are not getting the best out of the software, but often there is a prolonged negative impact on the companies business whilst users fight to get to grips with the new interfaces, new commands and the replaced commands of the new software. This can also have a large demotivating effect on staff who are struggling with these issues.
Is the cost justifiable?
An average person works 240 days per annum at an average of 7.5 hours per day, if he is a permanent CAD user this is a total of 1,800 hours per annum.
Assuming a person has a cost of £30.00 per hour and that training per day is £150.00, all a training delegate has to become is 5 hours a year more efficient to justify the cost of the training course and another 7.5 hours a year more efficient to justify his / her time out of the office – a total of 12.5 hours or 0.7% more efficient a year to fully justify the cost of each individual days training.
Naturally as a training supplier, our aim is to ensure users return with efficiencies that will deliver better returns than 0.7%. Our target, depending upon course and users is to train on features that will make users between 10 and 20% more efficient, sometimes though just through simple commands productivity gains of 30% or more can be achieved.
Once these new skills have been learnt, they are of a permanent benefit and will provide efficiencies to the company for as long as that member of staff is with the organisation.
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What's the impact of training?
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What productivity benefits can be gained from receiving training when upgrading your CAD software? |
Cambashi, an independent consulting firm, compared architects using AutoCAD 2008
against those using AutoCAD 2005 for a typical design documentation exercise.
To download the report, click here.
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What are the key benefits?
Develop a more effective workforce: Individuals and teams can continue to enhance the core skills they need to share ideas and tackle problems thereby improving efficiency and increasing competitiveness.
Keep up with new technologies: A positive learning environment creates a culture of continuous improvement in your organisation.
Get an edge: 'Learning companies' are recognised as being more competitive and efficient.
Motivate and empower your staff: Training can help your employees develop a more positive attitude towards work and help them become more committed self-starters.
Increase staff retention: Investing in your staff is a clear sign that you recognise and value their contribution which in turn encourages staff loyalty.
Specialist knowledge: By choosing Excitech as your preferred training provider you will be gaining access a wide range of professional industry-specific expertise. |
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