Campus Financial Systems for the Future

Conducting training for all users

For the previous generation of mostly terminal-accessed, mainframe-based systems, technical training was often not an issue. Perhaps the users had accessed other terminal-based systems and so the interface was already familiar. Microcomputer and networked environments bring an entirely new dimension. If users are not already familiar with graphical user interfaces such as Macintosh or Windows, then the training challenges will extend beyond the functional areas related to the system. Separate sessions may be necessary just to train people on how to work in a mouse-driven environment. Some institutions have gone so far as to mandate that users attend training before they will be given access privileges to the system.

The functional training is also going to be more complex with networked technology, because the nature of the applications is different, using event-driven systems. In particular, navigating the myriad screens of a client/server system can be daunting unless the users have been adequately trained.

Some suggestions for effective training include:

Try to set up a semipermanent training facility, well equipped with the necessary hardware and software. This may seem like an expensive proposition when the proposal for the latter is presented, but the consequences of bad training on the user base will far outstrip such setup costs. For example, while Indiana University invested in a training facility and conducted exhaustive training for the users, a post-implementation appraisal revealed a widely held view that there had not been enough training! Further analysis disclosed that the relative complexity of the client/server style transactions presented a very steep learning curve to the users. In retrospect, the University felt it should have had an even larger training site, or even multiple sites. This was despite an acknowledgment from the users that there had never been a system implementation with such comprehensive training plans.
Parenthetically, there are very few wasted resources associated with these kinds of training facilities. After implementation, the space can be returned to the institution, and much of the equipment may end up being used for other purposes, so the cost is not a complete write-off.
As recommended earlier, appoint a full-time training team leader. Personnel from the prospective customer service organization are good candidates for training duties since they will inherit the post-implementation burdens of help-desk operation. They may draw on "faculty" from diverse areas to do the actual training sessions, but having customer service coordinating the effort may be a worthwhile investment.
Provide clear and concise written material. Much is to be gained if individuals can answer some of their own questions, thereby saving the time of the trainers as much as possible. The class attendees will not retain a very large portion of the class content and will need to be able to refer to very good documentation days and weeks after the training event(s). It is important to have both electronic and printed copy of materials. The new users will perhaps need the latter during the initial training, but keeping documentation updated as versions change, new functionality is added, and so forth will prove almost impossible. Fortunately a number of attractive alternatives are available for most institutions today. The campuswide information system -- especially if it is based on the World Wide Web -- is a natural location for publishing and maintaining such materials. The hypertext-link features offer a functionality that never existed before.
Conduct just-in-time (JIT) training, or the retention of trainees will be almost zero. Even a few weeks between training and actual operation may be too much for some users. Attendees should be able to go back to their offices from training and be able to access the system. (At Indiana University, the actual period while staff were at training coincided in some cases with the activation of their systems for its use. Technical staff configured their workstations while they were away at training for half a day.) Of course, support resource constraints may affect these decisions, but the goal needs to be JIT training!
To facilitate users being able to apply what they have learned in class, have a practice version of the system available during a short period after the class work, but also before the actual graduation to production. Obviously class members cannot practice on the live production files, nor can they be expected to do very much with unrealistic test data. One approach is to replicate the system in a second server and refresh the data in it periodically so that they are a good approximation of the real thing. It goes without saying that the versions of the system in both practice and production servers should be the same.
Consider getting professional help in setting up the training itself. Most financial accounting personnel are neither natural trainers nor creators of training materials. At Indiana, the campus training staff were engaged to develop the sessions and a professional writer was hired to do the training material production and system documentation. It proved to be a very worthwhile investment in that the writing quality was superior to what the regular finance staff could have done, and there was a continuity of style that proved helpful to the users. Wellesley College also hired a professional writer to do all of the documentation for its new systems. While a smaller institution might not immediately think of taking such an approach, it is even more important to seriously consider doing this. At a small college, it is likely that the same few "players" are already on multiple project teams. Getting some professional help for a task easily outsourced can be a very wise strategy to save staff from being stretched too thin.
Consider the concept of a distributed support model across the institution. "Train the trainers" is a typical process in this case, where a champion of the system is selected from each departmental unit and given intensive support and training by the central finance unit. They then become the first line of support for their individual unit. If the resource issues associated with such a plan can be overcome, the benefits derived from increased local expertise will be dramatic. Lost time alone, waiting for an answer from a central unit help desk, will be virtually eliminated. In the first years of operation of a new system, that can add up to significant productivity savings.
Evaluate general workforce skills, which will have a huge bearing on implementation. If the system features a graphical user interface and the workforce are all largely using character-based devices, there will be an additional training effort that is not directly associated with the system. In that case the central information technology organization may offer classes in various workstation-related skills that can be leveraged. It may even be appropriate to require such "prerequisites" before attending the actual functional training.
In addition, the advent of client/server systems places a premium on local technical support skills. Make sure that the technical coordinator who will install and support the system in the unit is well trained. It may even be advisable to have a separate "users group" for such staff where only technical issues are addressed.

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