8.8. Education and training
Education and training were conducted by the implementation team. Step-by-step instructions were created during the pilot. The instructions included detailed screen shots with valid company data in all fields. These were imported to Word documents, which included instructions and written procedures. Training materials were available in hard copy for classroom and individual training and could also be accessed on the project website. The training strategy was to concentrate first on key users, work group leaders, and supervisors. During the first few weeks of the new system, only 60–70 people were allowed to input data transactions. Other users were gradually brought on to the system. This reduced startup problems from poor training (or poor learning)and made it easier to track down and correct process errors. For example, work order operation completions are reported directly into the system by the production workers. This process takes at most a few minutes per day for each individual, but is performed by almost 200 individuals. Until the system was stabilized, the reporting was logged and batch inputted by one work group leader per shift per department. Initial classroom training of the key users (not including the project team) took about 1200 hours. Most training was conducted during the month before the go-live date. Several training rooms were created for this purpose, and concurrent sessions were not unusual. An unexpected training issue surfaced that affected several different functions. The implementation team focused on training users in areas where the processes had changed. Those users needed specific instruction detailing how to use the new system to perform their daily tasks. However, some business processes were not affected by the new system. When resolving cutover issues, the team found some users who, since they had not been shown a new way to do something, just stopped doing it! This became known as the ‘‘hanging your brain on a nail syndrome.’’ To avoid this problem, the implementation team should have compiled and distributed a list of processes that were not changing and needed to be continued as usual.