How do you ensure adequate and timely training and support for your ERP end-users and administrators?

To effectively train and support ERP users and admins, regularly update and customize training materials, and ensure easy access to expert assistance.

Create a customized training plan based on your end-user roles & responsiilities. Create a user-friendly training manual, documents, pictorial flow charts, short videos etc. Collect feedback for refining the training process and conduct post implementation review session to understand the effectiveness of the implementation.

To ensure effective training and support for ERP, designate clear roles for end users, power users and administrators. Implement a phased training approach, covering standard ERP training to familiarize internal implementation team with the ERP package, master data examination, Conference Room Pilot preparation, and end-user training. Assess location and facility needs, opting for online or on-site sessions. Involve key users in designing and continually improve training based on user feedback. Include Go-Live shadowing for a smooth transition and establish ongoing support for day-to-day operations. Maintain detailed documentation of the end2end business process, and customization for reference, ensuring sustainability and aiding new hires.

First assess the training objectives and categorize the targeted groups and look for the approach to deliver it. 1. Training Objectives * To make sure the end user knows to use the new ERP system for successfully perform their job 2. Categorize targeted group * Level 1 - ERP overview only to selected employees. * Level 2 - Module wise functional Training & ERP best practice to the core team members * Level 3 - Technical Training to the core team members for the configuration and system administration * Level 4 - End User Training with train the trainer approach and assistance to the core team in all aspects and documentation. 3. Delivery Model * Documentation * On-the-Job Training * Informal Workshop Trainings * Normal Trainings.

The success of an ERP implementation depends on providing administrators and end users with sufficient and timely training and support. Here's a whole strategy: Needs Evaluation: Get it evaluated, Tailored Training Schedules: Some other important factors are also there: Training Formats, Early Involvement, Train-the-Trainer Programs, User Documentation, Continuous Learning Opportunities,

> Create a thorough ERP training curriculum by combining techniques and resources. > Conduct instructor-led, hands-on learning sessions in-person or virtually. > Create video lessons, documents, and interactive online learning modules for self-paced training. > Create a knowledge base or FAQ website for easy access. > Provide regular updates, webinars, and workshops to keep users informed about system improvements. > Use forums and collaborative tools to facilitate user discussions and problem solving. > Establish specialized support channels, such as ticketing systems and help desks.

Choosing training methods and tools for an ERP project is crucial. Conduct a needs assessment to tailor methods to end-users and administrators, considering factors like location and accessibility. Use a mix of approaches, including instructor-led, sessions and virtual environments by power users, catering to diverse learning styles. Collaborate with internal key users and continuously improve based on feedback, ensuring the workforce is well-equipped for a smooth ERP implementation. Considering the shadowing period which considered as on-the-job training. Finally, documentation for end2end business processes, and detailed functional training for end users to aid them in carrying on day-to-day operations.

Break down training materials into bite-sized, easily digestible modules known as microlearning. These short, focused lessons allow users to absorb information quickly and efficiently, making learning more manageable and accessible.

UAT, or User Acceptance Testing, is an important tool in ERP implementation projects. As well as ensuring that the system meets the end user's requirements before being implemented in production, it can also be used as a practical training tool for both end users and the project team.

1. Conduct a comprehensive analysis of end-users and administrators' skill levels and knowledge gaps. 2. Identify specific functionalities and processes within the ERP system that require attention. 3. Gather feedback from users to understand their preferences and challenges.

Timely delivery of training is paramount for ERP implementation success. It's important to align the training sessions with key project milestones to ensure relevance and retention. Training should be strategically scheduled after system customisation, allowing users to practise on a platform that mirrors their operational environment. This approach, combined with the vendor's understanding of the implementation, ensures that users are proficient by the time the system goes live, fostering a smoother transition and immediate productivity gains.

The timing of your training delivery is crucial for the success of your ERP project. You need to align your training schedule with the project milestones and the readiness of the system and the learners. You also need to consider the optimal learning sequence and frequency, and avoid overwhelming or boring your learners with too much or too little information. For example, in one of my projects, I delivered the training in four phases: pre-implementation (interesting story behind this), during implementation prior to UAT, during implementation after UAT and post go-live, which ensured that the users received training and support at critical periods throughout the project lifecycle.

Timely training is critical for ERP implementation success. Align sessions with project milestones, starting with foundational training early and progressing as the project evolves. Coordinate with the project manager to sync training with the overall timeline. Encourage immediate practice post-training to reinforce learning and boost user confidence, ensuring a seamless integration of the ERP system into daily operations. In my own experience, end-users training should be in different waves using their data to mimic daily operations where errors are accepted, then training for the parallel run and finally the training right before the Go-Live, then the on-the-job training with the shadowing.

Timing is everything when it comes to delivering ERP training. If conducted too early, users may forget the information before they have a chance to apply it. If done too late, it can lead to a lack of preparedness and confidence among users at go-live. In my experience, starting with foundational training to build a basic understanding of the ERP system, followed by more detailed, role-specific training as the go-live date approaches, ensures that information is fresh and immediately applicable. Additionally, offering refresher courses and just-in-time training post-go-live can help address any gaps in knowledge and adapt to changes in the system or business processes.

As per my experience timing is paramount when it comes to ERP training. It's about hitting the sweet spot—not too early, not too late—to ensure optimal retention and application. Aligning training with your implementation timeline is key, below points can be taken into account while designing the training timelines. 1. phased sessions - Conducting training in different phases 2. pre-, during, and post-implementation training. Leveraging a train-the-trainer model empowers internal experts to cascade knowledge effectively.

The fourth step is to measure and evaluate the impact and outcomes of your training program. You need to define the criteria and indicators that reflect the learning objectives and the business goals of your ERP project. You also need to collect and analyze the feedback and data from your learners and stakeholders, through surveys, quizzes, tests, interviews and observing end to end processes in the new ERP system.

Delivering effective ERP training is crucial for a successful ERP implementation. A noteworthy example involves a client who implemented a proactive training plan for end-users from the onset of their project. The approach included simulated ERP transactions, accessible for practice alongside guiding materials. To encourage engagement, financial incentives were provided for quick and proficient learners. The top performers were then selected for the core team. This strategy financially rewarded end-users and ensured they were thoroughly familiar with ERP before implementation. The result was a highly successful ERP implementation, driven by well-informed and prepared users who actively contributed to the process.

In order to train properly you must test, test and test. The best way to find areas of risk is involvement, especially using a diverse set of users each with different practical use cases. Only then can you increase likelihood that different use case scenarios are tested adequately. Once you have adaquate users and use case scenarios, enabling a real feedback loop to listen and genuinely hear the feedback is key. It can’t be surface level testing - it must be real with the intent to listen, learn and improve based on the feedback. Users will quickly recognize when their input is valued and become even more valuable with their feedback.

Such feedback based on surveys are not correct. We can have surveys with hypothetical questions which will always be win for trainer. Actual feedback has to be collected from customer. Post training how well professional are able to work with client and manage their business , solve their issues and based on that a feedback has to be taken which resonates with actual output to understand the productivity of the training.

Evaluating the effectiveness of your ERP training is crucial to ensuring that your end-users and administrators are adequately supported. This evaluation should not only measure how well participants have learned the material but also assess how effectively they can apply it within the context of their job roles. Furthermore, soliciting feedback from participants about the training experience can provide insights into areas for improvement. This continuous improvement cycle allows organisations to refine their training programs over time, adapting to new needs and challenges as they arise, thereby ensuring ongoing support for their ERP system users.

You need to establish and maintain a help desk, a knowledge base with SOPs and foster an internal peer-to-peer ERP support community. The goal is to ensure timely answers to the questions and issues that your users encounter in their daily work. You also need to refresh your training content and materials regularly, to reflect the changes and updates in the ERP system and/or the business processes. For example, in one of my projects, I created an internal knowledge base that contained the latest information and tips on how to use the ERP system, and encouraged the learners to contribute and share their knowledge and experience with each other.

Consider using a proactive approach to ensure continuous learning and efficient problem resolution. i.e. - Maintain an issue registry: a space where users can submit any queries or requests. - Establish a plan where an internal ERP resource oversees and addresses escalated issues, while key users (super users) handle common problems. - Regularly update a wiki or reference guide with frequent queries. In certain cases, some critical issues would necessitate refresher training. - Encourage peer-to-peer learning forums.

In short, providing ongoing support and resources in an ERP implementation project is key to ensuring long-term success. And it's not just about solving problems, but also empowering users to get the most out of the system, promoting effective and efficient use over time.

A KEDB should be designed to help them with changes and updates on the topic with different version of ERP, so that they can always refer to that to be updated.

Sustaining Long-Term Success in ERP Implementation: Continuous Support and Resources: Continuous provision of support and resources is pivotal for the enduring success of an ERP implementation project. Empowering Users for Optimal Utilization: It extends beyond issue resolution; it involves empowering users to maximize the system's benefits, fostering effective and efficient utilization over time.

In my experience, ERP implementation requires rigorous planning, stakeholder involvement, effective change management, continuous evaluation and post-implementation support. Take a balanced approach, mainly avoiding excessive customization, ensuring regulatory compliance and maintaining a continuous improvement mindset to achieve long-term success.

Consider companies that do training professionally. So every employee has some sort of strong foundation of the program and sees the whole thing not just the part that he is working on it.

Professional and satisfactory training can be the difference between success and failure in the work and implementation of the software. ERP is a very significant system that affects the profitability and success of the company, therefore it is worth investing in the training and learning of everyone who works with the software

It is very important to provide user-friendly resources such as manuals and tutorials, keeping regular communication channels open for feedback and updates, customizing training to users' roles, facilitating hands-on practice, establishing a support network for prompt issue resolution, and securing management support to prioritize training initiatives within the organization are all necessary to ensure that ERP end-users receive adequate and timely training and support.