How Training Can Minimize the Risk of Expensive Technology Failures

Would you air condition your entire house while leaving your windows and doors wide open? Not likely. Yet according to the May 20, 2002 issue of USA Today, companies worldwide throw away up to 20% of the $2.7 trillion (or $540 billion) spent on software and other technology each year. Experts cite a number of reasons for these high-tech failures, including the fact that: a) Many companies do not implement the new technology properly, and b) They underestimate the time needed to make the technology work.

On a closely related - yet widely overlooked - note, companies often underestimate the role of training when making high-tech buying decisions. Time and again, we have seen companies throw training together after the technology purchase is ready to be implemented or once it has already been implemented. When this happens, trainers usually have very little time and/or money to design and develop training to provide users with the skills and knowledge they need to use the new technology effectively or to address changes to job processes and practices resulting from the new technology.

The result is technology that people don't know how to use and often avoid using. When avoidance isn't an option, the only recourse is to learn through trial and error, an extremely risky, expensive and time-consuming process. It should therefore come as no surprise that up to 83% of new technology systems fail to meet the expectations of stakeholders (Mourier & Smith, 2001).1

One reason many organizations overlook the need for training is the mistaken belief that investing millions of dollars in new technology will, in and of itself, generate improved returns. Executives often fail to understand that the investment they are making is not just in technology but in what their employees must be able to do with this technology.

So how can you help ensure the success of your organization's next high-tech purchase? Here are some helpful tips.

1. Establish a partnership with your tech managers. Look for opportunities to improve the relationship between your two departments. For example, what information is currently being shared interdepartmentally? How can communication be improved? In an ideal world, your tech managers should notify you as soon as they decide on a new technology purchase or a change to an existing technology. This will help ensure that you have the time to design and develop training that will provide learners with the skills, knowledge and self-confidence to use the technology effectively.
   
   
2. Make sure the training is derived from the jobs people will be performing on the new technology. According to the USA Today article, companies often buy more technology than they need. This doesn't mean you need to make the same mistake when it comes to training. Ignore the temptation to train people on all of the different functions, bells and whistles of the new technology. Instead, focus your efforts on determining exactly how the technology will change the way that people do their jobs. Then ensure that your training teaches people how to perform their specific jobs using the new technology.
   
   
3. Incorporate practice and feedback. One of the most challenging aspects of training is getting people to immediately apply their newly learned skills back on the job. This is especially critical with technology training, where the consequences of not using new systems or equipment correctly could quickly result in millions of dollars in lost revenue, clients and/or productivity. To help ensure that people can effectively transfer what they have learned back on the job, incorporate realistic practice situations that mirror actual job conditions as closely as possible. Also, provide learners with constructive and timely feedback so that they know in what areas they need to improve and how to improve. The more opportunity users have to practice in a "safe" environment, the more comfortable and self-confident they will be when the new technology goes live.
   
   
4. Require learners to demonstrate competence in each job task being taught. Research has actually shown that training can make people perform worse than they did before being trained.2 By requiring learners to demonstrate mastery of each task being taught, you'll have the confidence of knowing that they can perform each task correctly and at the level of competence needed to use the new technology effectively. If, for some reason, users fail to apply what they have learned back on the job, you'll also have the confidence of knowing that the problem isn't instructional in nature. Rather, a motivational or environmental obstacle is likely getting in the way of desired performance.
   
   
5. Provide users with on-the-job support tools. To help users apply what you've taught them back on the job, create step-by-step job aids, checklists or other support tools. Better yet, incorporate these support tools in your training program. This way, learners will already be familiar with them and will know how to access needed information.

For advice or counsel on how you can ensure the success of your organization's next technology investment, contact Paula Alsher at 770-458-4080 or palsher@cepworldwide.com. You may also find the information in the following articles helpful:

"How to Guarantee the Effectiveness of Your System Conversion Training"

- System Conversion "Do's"
- System Conversion "Don'ts"

¹Mourier, P. & Smith, M. Conquering Organizational Change: How to Succeed Where Most Companies Fail. Atlanta: CEP Press, 2001.

²Clark, R.E. & Estes, F. Turning Research Into Results: A Guide to Selecting the Right Performance Solutions. Atlanta: CEP Press, 2002.