5 Tips to Develop Effective ERP End-user Training Materials

For an effective ERP training program, be it classroom or e-learning, the first thing you need is good training material. Developing this is not an easy task by any means. It takes huge efforts and a few tips to develop the material. Wondering what these tips are? Read on.

This blog shares 5 useful tips to develop effective ERP end-user training materials.

1. Categorize End-users Based on their Roles

Before you start creating the training material, you need to categorize the end-users based on their roles in the ERP system. You must identify the primary users (50% or more of their work would be on the ERP), super-users (30-50% of their work would be on the ERP and possess good knowledge of the business functions), power-users (possess advanced technical knowledge of certain applications and with special permissions or roles), and occasional users. Such categorization will help you create training material that would focus on each role’s learning needs; else you will not have a clear picture of what and how much information to include in the training material. If you are in such a state, you will end up dumping all the content in one program and serve it to everyone. Unfortunately, one size does not fit all.

2. Identify their Prior Knowledge

After you categorize end-users, you must analyze their prior knowledge. This knowledge level differs for each category of end-users. For example, super-users have good knowledge about the business functions but lack technical knowledge, which is the opposite of power-users. Analyzing prior knowledge lets you understand how much information is to be provided for each category of end-users and decide the respective delivery platforms. It also ensures you eliminate known information from the training program and prevent end-users from getting overloaded with redundant information.

3. Set Learning Objectives for Each Role

Once you complete categorizing the end-users and analyzing their prior knowledge, set learning objectives for each role. The objectives of each end-user category will differ, so this will help you identify what and how much content must be created for each role so that they achieve their objectives. Try to set performance-based objectives.

4. Decide on the Training Delivery Platform

Once you set the learning objectives for each end-user category, it’s time to decide the training delivery platform. Not all end-users need the same training method. Power-users might make it with a few classroom sessions, but you might consider a blend of classroom and e-learning for super-users. This could help you figure out the different content you need for classroom and e-learning. For example, you might need only theoretical content or a few video demonstrations for the classroom, but e-learning needs to be more visual.

5. Create Material Based on Learning Objectives

Finally after setting the learning objectives and deciding on the training delivery platform, you are all set to create the training material. You must map the material with the learning objectives so that you do not create unnecessary material. Doing this would also help you decide what content to be developed for e-learning and what to be developed for classroom sessions.

These five tips will ensure you develop effective materials for ERP end-user training and achieve the desired business results. Good training material means good training programs, and good training programs translate into greater user adoption of the ERP. Hope this post helps you too. Please share your thoughts through your comments.