Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) suite of applications, which support such functions as finance, materials management, purchasing, human resources, and other critical processes, are continuing to replace in-house applications that date back more than two decades. The increasingly popularity of ERP applications has created an enormous demand for training.
Companies working with ERP implementations acquire training directly from their vendor along with purchasing additional training services from consulting firms specializing in project management, instructor-led training, elearning, and blended learning. These companies continue to increase their ERP training efforts because ERP packages are not just another software application. ERP implementations are complex multi-faceted projects. The ERP package becomes the foundation for the business operations. Given this level of importance, training managers have an obligation to get involved in their companies implementation at the onset of the project. With the scope and impact to all business areas of a company, training is critical to the success of the ERP project. An inadequate training budget for such a project can result in costly delays, abandoned projects, skyrocketing budgets, and employee dissatisfaction.
Early adopters of an ERP implementation have discovered that most failures in the ERP world are due to companies underestimating the training of its people and the entire scope of educating their staffs.
One of the key steps to ensuring ERP success is to budget adequate dollars to the training efforts of the project. For example, a lead ERP vendor recommends that companies allocate 15 to 20 percent of the overall project budget to training trainers and end users to achieve success. It is also critical to have dedication from top management for an extensive training program; that is, dedication that is reflected in the budget.
Consider the following training tips to help ensure success when implementing ERP in your organization:
1. Make the internal training staff an integral part of the ERP team from the onset of the project. It cannot be an afterthought. It is difficult for end users to learn ERP applications let alone expect the trainers to learn it in a pinch.
2. Partner with your consultants for knowledge transfer. It is critical for the corporate training staff to work with the consultants as a natural transition throughout the project. It is impossible to expect the in-house training staff to learn the experiences and knowledge of the consultants’ project efforts in two weeks when realistically it may have evolved over a two year cycle.
3. Provide hands-on experience to the end users. Test them on their newly acquired skills to ensure transfer of knowledge to their jobs.
4. Communicate, communicate, communicate! It is critical to keep your employees continually updated on the ERP project and impact of change on their roles within your organization. Use newsletters, videos, and meeting formats to help with the change management process.
Keep in mind that your employees need to learn how ERP is changing their current processes, not just how to apply ERP to their jobs. The mindset of “we’ve always done it this way” definitely changes with the scope of an ERP implementation project. With ERP your employees are not just learning new keystrokes, they need to learn and understand how ERP “thinks” when they use it and how it impacts and changes the way they perform their job processes.
When planning your ERP project, the one constant factor you can always count on is change. New releases and major enhancements with ERP applications become a way of life and your training team needs to be prepared to handle the training needs of the end users. It’s the ongoing challenge of ERP implementations.
To learn how Total Training Solutions can help you with your next ERP implementation, contact us at 630.585.1168.