Helping learners find their way: from reading offline roadmaps to live navigation in the area of transactional system training

On system implementation projects, all involved parties focus on a common dot at the horizon: the Go Live date. The day when the new system needs to run perfectly; the day when all data needs to be migrated successfully, and the day when all users need to be able to start working in the new system.

 For us as learning experts, this usually means busy days upfront. An extended training period that is fully packed with different learning occasions for future users of the system: instructor-led training, handy step-by-step documentations and/or detailed system simulations that are often embedded in web-based trainings. On the day of Go Live itself, our job is often done, and users start well-prepared in the new system. However, a lot of questions just arise once users perform their daily to-dos in the new system, and questions like “Where can I find the training material again” or “Could you please show me the required steps a second time?” are of frequent nature. When providing answers to those questions, I am often asking myself: why do we put all our energy in enabling users on transactional activities prior to the Go Live? Isn’t this like showing them on a roadmap where to drive and afterward let them find their own way based solely on the previously seen roadmap? It somehow actually is and has been a proven approach for ages, but I am truly convinced that it is time for a change – and switch to real-time navigation instead. Digital Adoption Platforms (DAP) like EnableNow, WalkMe, WhatFix or Userlane need to become the first choice when defining an employee’s learning journey for a new system implementation. Why? There are at least three valid reasons to innovate classic system trainings going forward:

• Providing the required information in the right moment of need. DAP flattens the oblivion curve of our learners as users will receive the required information in the right moment of need and not only weeks in advance. Thereby, entry errors are also reduced to a minimum.
• Individualising the learning experience. DAP does not only consider the time component (When does a user need certain information?) but also the content dimension (What does a particular user need?). Consequently, users will only see the information that is relevant for them and – depending on the DAP solution – can also leave individualized notes in the system that will be a thought prop when performing this step for a second time.
• Saving time and costs. Having an extended training period prior to the Go Live means freeing up employees for quite some time to be trained off-the-job. DAP allows users to seamlessly integrate the training content into their daily business and is a perfect example of on-the-job learning in the new production system.

Of course, shifting the transactional enablement phase of users from prior to the Go Live mainly to the phase once you are already live is a massive change and asks for courage of all those who lead system implementation projects. Nevertheless, hybrid approaches with web-based trainings or instructor-led courses on processual knowledge prior to the Go Live as well as a well-thought-through change management concept - as stressed by my colleague Marie-Christin Kimme – will help to get familiar and fully understand the various benefits of this new way of learning.

What do you think? Happy to hear your thoughts on the same and start the conversation!