by David
October 7, 2009
With technology advancing and new options and approaches available, many organizations are holding fast to their "old and true" traditional stand-up or lecture training without considering advantages that technology can offer. The following list is compiled to provide forward-thinking management assistance in developing a business case for implementing technology solutions into an organization's training and development functions.
Each of the following concerns lead to undesirable situations. Determining the time, cost, and lost resources for the situations below can be used as the foundation of the return-on-investment within your business case.
- Training delivery is compressed due to time constraints or an over dependency on classroom space and instructor availability resulting in poorer quality instruction or missed topics.
- Training occurs when a training group can accommodate the Learners instead of when business needs direct the requirement.
- Business demands force postponing or even cancelling training sessions.
- The training content and methodology are based on an academic model instead of a business model.
- Instructors use methods directed to help and teach to the slowest learner restricting those that could become competent faster.
- Training durations are determined by the speed of the Instructor and how long it takes to cover the content, not how long it takes to internalize the content to become competent.
- New hire training is restricted to specific dates/times, a certain duration, or a quantity of Learners to match a schedule instead of actual demand.
- The time to acquire skills or knowledge takes longer to complete than the pace at which change is occurring.
- Trainees drop out of the training program in large quantities due to the length and the content of the training programs.
- Trainees are more technologically skilled than instructors and are being trained to use technological applications on the job.
- Insufficient instructors or facilities are available to meet the demand.
- Training is updated and provided many months after the need and is never quite up to date.
The above list illustrates challenges, circumstances, and conditions when training can be a burden to the business. Technology can provide solutions to the above challenges. A future blog will explain some of these technology solutions that are provided by DMLGroup.
