Boost employee productivity through continuous ERP training

You choose an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for your organization and go through the entire implementation process. There’s initial training for your employees on how to use the application, then you get to work and see the value from your software investment. Months or years go by and all the users still know how to use the ERP and are up-to-date with periodic system upgrades. Sounds ideal, but this leaves out a key component: continuous training.

We’ve discovered that over time some users can forget how to perform certain functions in an ERP, especially if used less frequently. We’ve also found that users might not understand or utilize new features when the ERP releases updates. Continuous training can solve these roadblocks by ensuring users are familiar with best practices, take advantage of new features, and new employees are trained with the most up-to-date documentation. After all, the success of a software solution depends on how employees adapt and use it in their various roles.

Below are our quick tips on how and why ongoing training can boost productivity and help your business realize the greatest ROI from your systems.

When making the investment to start using an ERP solution or switching to a different one, it’s easy to forget about training when building the monthly or annual budget. There will be initial training prior to go-live for all users to ensure they know how to complete certain functions and understand the system, but training is not a one and done task. Your organization needs to build training into the budget long-term, so there isn’t hesitation, in the form of cost, to make the ongoing investment in your employees’ skills.

After an implementation, you’ll receive documentation and reference guides on how to use the ERP and how it integrates with your other systems. These materials are essential to ensuring all users can find the information they need easily and are by no means static, unchanging documents. Employees will come and go, which means your organization needs to be prepared for guiding new users through the ERP. Updating training and documentation is essential to smooth onboarding of new team members and ensuring they have the tools for success. Documentation also needs to be edited when new software updates are released or new functionality is added. Some software providers, including Microsoft, release two waves of new features each year.

Regularly checking and updating training materials saves time and money in the long run. New and seasoned employees alike can quickly reference these guides to complete the task at hand in the ERP.

Periodic refreshers and specialized tutorials should be part of your ongoing training, keeping users equipped with the information they need to carry out their responsibilities efficiently and effectively. Develop training specific for each ERP user and their unique tasks within the ERP. Employees don’t want to sit through training that isn’t applicable to their role. Schedule training far in advance and regularly.

When proper training and support is provided, employees are able to solve issues on their own. They understand the application and its full potential, and thus, are able to utilize it. They also don’t need to consult the documentation to remember every single function. All of this together contributes to higher employee productivity.

Regular training and development are key to increasing employees’ knowledge and empowering them to progress as professionals. At Rand Group, we give each of our own team members a development plan that is tailored to their specific job and career path with up to 80 hours of annual training. We believe training for our clients on their ERP systems is also important. Contact Rand Group to schedule custom training or support for your team to ensure you’re getting the maximum use out of your systems.