Best Practices in Training Procurement, Part II - Learning What's Out There

Learn What’s Out There
As we discussed earlier, there’s no shortage of training vendors that want your business. So how do we narrow them down? Well, it depends on the scope of the need. Keep in mind, not every vendor can meet every training need.
In the case of John Smith and his pivot tables, a public course will probably do the job. In fact, chances are you already have a go-to vendor for this type of thing, and it’s a matter of selecting the scheduled course or e-learning module that meets John’s need.
For the IT department adopting a new methodology, it’s a little more in depth. A need this comprehensive deserves a little research. You may already have a go-to vendor, but that doesn’t mean they are the most qualified. Do your homework - get the curriculum, and set up interviews with instructors, if possible. Your ultimate goal here is to narrow down the field to three vendors with whom you’ll set up a final selection process.
In our third scenario, your process is quite a bit different. You probably won’t be working off of standard curriculum; you’ll more likely need to develop a unique curriculum for the custom upgrade. In this case, there may not be a slew of vendors for you to interview; you may be talking with one or two specialized firms, or the training department for the software manufacturer (for which you will likely pay a lot more). References are critical here, as well as samples of previous work. The vendor will be getting deep into your business processes. If your company requires a background check in order for a contractor to touch your systems, identify the people and perform the background check before they start.
In Part III of this series, "Matching the Product", we'll discuss pairing the correct product for your need, and whether or not an RFP is the appropriate procurement method.