Digital transformation projects put powerful new capabilities in users’ hands, but executive sponsors sometimes underestimate one of the most crucial factors in maximizing the usefulness and value of these technology investments: end-user training. And though the tactical considerations of training programs often fall to other project stakeholders, senior leaders should understand the role learning plays in making modernization efforts successful.
1 – Resistance to change and worries about diminished roles.
Workers may fear that introducing new technologies could shrink their responsibilities or make their jobs obsolete. These concerns can cause employees to delay training on the latest systems, particularly when a platform shift disrupts or drastically changes their daily workflows. If training isn’t prioritized, adoption rates could suffer and users may continue to use legacy tech rather than switching to the new solution.
2 – Time and other resource constraints.
Regular operations don’t stop for technology implementations, and even users who are eager to learn how to use a new system may find it difficult to balance their daily duties with training requirements. If other workloads are heavy or include strategically important activities, these competing priorities could cause workers to deprioritize new technology training. Limited availability of subject matter experts might also complicate training delivery, leading to some employees missing out on education opportunities.
3 – Steep learning curves and wide skills gaps.
The workforce often encompasses varying levels of technical proficiency. Some employees may have deep knowledge of the latest technology tools, while others have had little or no exposure to newer systems. This can muddle efforts to plan training programs that span the full breadth of technology acumen without overwhelming some users and boring others. When implementation projects involve complex technologies, the scope of training and time needed for it will be more extensive. Employees facing a prolonged learning phase may worry about a loss of productivity, which can cause them to push back on training.
4 – Engagement and communication barriers.
If the project team hasn’t delivered clear and compelling messages about the benefits of the new technology, users might not see a need to participate in training at all. In addition, insufficient buy-in and support from middle management can further quell employees’ desire to commit time to learning the new system. For some worker segments, there may be cultural resistance to digital transformation initiatives or concerns about being seen as supportive of a project that’s unpopular with their peers.
5 – Ineffective training options and retention issues.
It can be difficult to target a learning program to the user audience, with the right level of flexibility, detail, and hands-on opportunities to provide users with the knowledge they need to be proficient and confident in their abilities. One-size-fits-all training approaches often fail to meet diverse learning needs, and education that doesn’t include an opportunity for practical application—sometimes difficult to do before a system goes live in a production environment—can lead to poor information retention. Some executives also struggle to measure training effectiveness and ROI when technology implementations affect a broad user base and change, replace, or remove a multitude of workflows.
6 – Integration and system support challenges.
Most digital transformation projects require a wide array of new integrations with adjacent platforms both inside and outside the enterprise. Issues with any one of these integrations can hinder training efforts, as users try to find workarounds for missing or malfunctioning connections. Inadequate technical support during the training period can also create challenges if the right expertise isn’t available to answer workers’ questions about functionality, process changes, or system behaviors that may be due to misconfigurations or other bugs related to the cutover.
PMAlliance, Inc uses a team of highly experienced and certified professionals to provide project management consulting, project management training and project portfolio management.