Train the trainer: Create long-term sustainability and scalability

Technology investment has peaked in the last decade, and capital program owners are not far behind. With increased investment in infrastructure projects, technology investments are inevitable. Businesses understand the value of data-driven insights and how technology can significantly increase project performance gains. However, despite heavy investments, research has shown that these investments have not always resulted in improved performance, and the necessary cost reduction has not always been the result. While there are many reasons why technology implementations do not deliver the desired results, one of the major reasons for their failure is user adoption.

My experience of over two decades in capital program management suggests that a significant part of poor user adoption is rooted in flawed training programs or the lack of a training program altogether.

Organizations need to put as much care and effort into training their employees to use technology as they do in their purchasing decisions. Studies report that 58% of employees say that their employer uses advanced digital tools but does not offer the training required to use them.

Owners of public infrastructure projects, who are investing millions of tax dollars in software, know that one of the key measures of a successful software implementation is that their employees use the software. Employees need to feel comfortable, whether entering data, taking decisions or running reports, so that they can perform their day-to-day duties with confidence.

A good training program ensures users are engaged early on, provides the right training at the right time, and gives continued access to resources. When designing training programs, the organization size, specifically the number of users using the software solution, plays a big role in determining the training approach. While smaller organizations with up to 50 users can be easily trained by the software vendor, the game plan changes when 500 users need to be trained. Having the vendor train, all the users may extend the project schedule and add costs to the overall implementation.

A tried and tested approach to achieve scale is the Train the Trainer (TTT) program. With this approach, organizations train a small group of senior users who will go on to train the remaining users. In such instances, having in-house Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) as trainers is always more prudent as they continue to be the support system for existing users and are readily available to onboard new users.

The benefits of a TTT program go well beyond cost savings and are difficult to ignore:

• Long-term sustainability: TTT helps build an in-house pool of enablers for long-term sustainability. Training knowledge, content, and other related materials become reusable assets, accessible at any time. In-house SMEs with a combination of business and training knowledge make invaluable trainers for long-term sustainability.  
  
  
• Easy scalability: Organizations can train a large number of employees effectively in a short period of time by running multiple sessions simultaneously. Scaling training programs with quick turnaround times helps speed up the return on the technology investment. Organizations can leverage SMEs from multiple departments or business units to quickly train the entire user base.  
  
  
• Easy customization: Having in-house SMEs as trainers may bring a wealth of business knowledge as well as context. They can tailor content to be department or process-specific when they teach. Employees quickly learn the new system when training focuses on practical, business-specific use, ensuring a higher return on investment.  
  
  
• Easy accessibility: Learners have easier access to on-site trainers for questions and issues. Continuous training, such as refresher, re-training, one-on-one coaching, and onboarding of new staff, becomes more efficient with access to in-house trainers.  
  
  
• Peer-to-peer learning: Employees may learn more easily from peers than from a vendor with no established relationships. Experienced peers instinctively know the day-to-day problems that need to be solved and are better suited to coach and drive usage. 

There is no denying the advantages of a TTT program for large organizations. So, here are the top five tips for the successful roll-out of TTT programs: 

1. Pick the right trainers – Identify SMEs who are passionate about teaching and who connect with people. Look for champions in the organization who can influence and promote software adoption.  
   
   
2. Incentivize the TTT program – Show the selected group of potential trainers the growth opportunities, from a management perspective, that result from the training.  
   
   
3. Engage the trainers – Start early and engage the trainers throughout by ensuring their participation in project implementation activities, any vendor demonstrations, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) sessions, so they are fairly acquainted with the system prior to the TTT program. 
   
   
4. Ensure quality training – Ensure the training is comprehensive and addresses all the business processes and different learner groups. 
   
   
5. Supply effective training resources – Provide continued access to training resources in the form of printed material, online help, and, most importantly, support staff.

If you have invested millions in software and are struggling to get the required outcomes, then examine your training program. Not only will a well-thought-out training program reduce your time to go live, but you will also maximize software adoption. Furthermore, you will notice that employees use more features and functions when they are better trained. And, perhaps, you will also see your employees looking happier.