Sophisticated manufacturing facilities naturally require sophisticated software tools to optimize their supply chain operations. These tools typically include a wide range of features that help provide a deeper understanding of operational capabilities. Those insights may be incredibly valuable, but generating them comes with its own learning curve.
Once users are familiar with the software’s capabilities, it can save considerable time and effort. However, each user will need guidance to learn the needed functions and nuances. The more training your employees receive, the more value the software will bring to your organization.
When selecting a software partner and building your training guidelines, there are some key strategies that will help you get more value from the tool faster. Keep reading to find out how beneficial training can be when learning a new supply chain software.
Provide Background Information
At most facilities, your employees will be the people using the new manufacturing software most frequently. If they’re going to adopt the tool into their daily work and use it effectively, they will need to first buy into the benefits the software provides. Some users may be hesitant to accept the change, especially if previous processes were not unpopular. Before you dive into training employees on the many technical aspects, it’s important to start by explaining exactly how the software will improve operations, relieve pain points, and make employees’ day-to-day lives easier. With that kind of motivation, your team will feel much more inspired to learn as much about the tool as they can.
Take a Top-Down Approach
With everyone on the team on board, it’s time for your superusers leaders to spend time mastering features of the new software. Taking a superuser-first approach to training ensures that broader user training is informed by your organization’s needs and insights from the superusers. Additionally, if your superusers are skilled at teaching, they can also play an important role in training the rest of the team. Given that they already learned the software first, they may be able to provide helpful advice to new users or act as a consultant as more people begin working with the tool.
Give It Time
The sophisticated nature of manufacturing processes requires sophisticated tools that take time to master. If you tell each of your employees to simply finish learning new software as they have time, they may never have enough room in their work schedule to learn the tool’s full functionality. Therefore, it’s up to your plant’s leaders to encourage and facilitate training by building time into employees’ workdays to complete training. If the software improves operational efficiency, you’ll quickly recoup the time spent training and begin reaping the many benefits that made the tool attractive in the first place.
Use Interactive Formats
Think back to your school days. In your experience, was it easier to learn something new by reading facts out of a book, or by viewing examples and practicing the new skills yourself? For most people, it’s much easier to learn when provided with a more interactive format.
For manufacturing tools, this might mean asking your software partner to train a few “power users” in person, and then asking your new experts to guide other users as they begin the training process. You might also find it beneficial to compile a resource that allows employees to share tips or shortcuts amongst each other to help the collective group learn how to use the software most efficiently. Additionally, consider asking your software partner if they can provide engaging training guidelines of their own for you to pass on to your organization’s users.
Though the basic functions of VirtECS can be learned quickly, plants that wish to harness the full value and power of the tool will find the support from our dedicated experts especially helpful. We will work with your team to develop in-depth training materials and share best practices based on our extensive experience. Additionally, we are always working to update our resources for all current and future partners to help them gain the most advanced insights into their own facilities. For more information on how VirtECS® can remove bottlenecks and create optimized schedules for your plant, send us a message and one of our experts will reach out to you shortly.
