Best Practices in Training Procurement, Part IV - Final Thoughts

Company Culture & Change Management



I heard a very sad story from a colleague a few years back. He was in talks with an auto manufacturer (one of the Big Three) about a large training purchase that involved a mix of instructor-led public and private training, as well as some e-learning. However, the client was concerned about e-learning, because they had purchased a huge package (over $5 million) from an e-learning vendor the year before, but they only had 5% utilization. The company essentially flushed away 4.75 million dollars with absolutely nothing to show for it.


It turns out the company did several things wrong. The first is that the company didn’t consider whether e-learning was a good fit for their culture. Another is that the end-user population had never had e-learning before, and didn’t receive a proper introduction. Finally, there was no change management plan to set expectations for usage.


Change Management MUST accompany any large cultural shift, whether it is a new training methodology, or a customized upgrade described in our scenario above.


The Value of Your Time


Training managers are pulled in many different directions. In a smaller organization, training is probably an additional duty, and your primary role may be in HR, IT, etc. In a larger organization, you may be part of a training team, but the company is always looking for ways to do more with less. (Do either of these situations sound familiar?) Either way, your time is precious. Following a methodology will save you time and frustration. Lean on your vendors as well. If you need information you don’t have, make sure you get it.


Several online tools exist that can simplify your research process. TrainingIntelligence.com is a fantastic search engine for instructor-led courses. Bersin and Associates has a number of comprehensive studies on a large variety of training topics.


The Importance of Feedback


You should be getting regular feedback on the progress of training. Feedback is important for a number of reasons, depending on the depth of your training need.


In the case of John Smith and his pivot tables, detailed feedback may lead you to qualify or disqualify a vendor from future opportunities.


For our Project Management scenario, regular feedback will allow you to tweak the curriculum for future courses to improve the experience for other courses.


And in the case of our custom upgrade, ongoing feedback will ensure that the curriculum is being developed to your specifications, and ensure that the trainers are delivering a quality experience for your organization’s end users.


Summary


In today’s complex environment of various training delivery methods, a procurement methodology will help ensure that your dollars, as well as your time, are spent as effectively as possible. By defining your need, researching available delivery methods, and matching your need to the correct product for your company and corporate culture, you can meet your company’s training needs head-on, with the right solutions in place.