Training employees on a freshly implemented enterprise resource planning solution (ERP) is a key aspect of rollout. Businesses need a plan for employee adoption and training as part of the rollout, since any backend system is only as good as the employees who use it.
That’s why we at Navigator Business Solutions place great stress on the employee training component as part of our implementation support. Training must be considered and planned from the very beginning, not as an afterthought.
Over the years, we’ve developed several tactics that help an organization’s employees embrace the new business processes and ERP system for completing their work. These are proven tactics that have eased ERP adoption for thousands of workers over the years.
We’ve discovered that an internal employee is better at incorporating the organization’s existing processes with new ERP processes. Training also typically carries more weight when it comes from an internal resource instead of an external consultant. So we take a train-the-trainer approach where we onboard a key user from each area of the business, and they then train the rest of the employees in their department.
By training key stakeholders and having them onboard their colleagues, there’s stronger buy-in and organizational support for the new system and its processes.
When training employees on a new system, it is important that the training is tailored to the actual needs of the user. Each job function will engage differently with the system, so we customize the training for each role instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach. This makes training more concrete and relevant.
We also use the organization’s actual business processes during training, not generic hypothetical scenarios. By training with the actual workflows an employee will use, engagement is increased, and users are more likely to remember what they have learned.
People learn in different ways, so we incorporate various learning modalities into the training.
For visual learners, we provide learning aids such as flowcharts and step-by-step instructions. To encourage kinesthetic learning, we guide but let the learner do the “driving” in the system so they are performing tasks instead of us.
We also provide both remote and in-person learning options so a business can choose the training format that is best for its situation.
Employees need practical, hands-on training with the nuts and bolts of the system. But it is also important that they understand how these actions fit into the larger picture related to the ERP system. So we relate role-specific activities back to the big picture.
We start by mapping out the big picture before diving into the details of how to execute specific tasks, and we emphasize how the individual tasks associated with their job function fit into the organization’s overall processes and goals. As part of this, we also help a user understand the activities that come before and after their involvement, so they see how these earlier processes impact their job function and where their activities impact others downstream.
We help an organization start educating employees even before a new ERP solution is ready for use. This starts by introducing employees to the ERP and key concepts prior to user training, which improves learning comprehension later. Multiple enablement activities based on the system also are rolled out during the course of implementation, preparing employees for what is to come.
After implementation and user training, we also help the business provide tools and reminders for ongoing system practice and repetition. Our consultant is available for ongoing support when a user gets stuck, too, of course.
The ultimate success or failure of an ERP solution is employees using the system. Even with process control, buy-in and competency on the system is crucial or employees will avoid it and create shadow processes for completing their work.
Sally in payroll needs to understand why her processes have changed, and how this makes her life better. She also must feel empowered on these new processes or she ultimately will go around them.
So as you plan your ERP implementation, user adoption is as important as technological and process considerations. Existing internal processes must be understood during the planning phase of implementation, and there should be clear communication about the changes throughout the implementation project. Once the system goes live, organizations then must educate employees and give them what they need for adopting the new ways of working.
This training process can’t be one and done. Rather, it must be an ongoing point of emphasis that onboards employees at the beginning and then reinforces the new processes on an ongoing basis. Only then does a shiny new ERP solution reach its full potential as a business driver.
Navigator offers comprehensive support and training for making your new system a success. For businesses that use SAP Cloud ERP, we also can fully manage your system as part of our Cloud Application Management Services (AMS).
For more on the training component of ERP implementation or how we can help, contact one of our experienced consultants by calling us at (801) 642-0123 or writing info@nbs-us.com.