Why Training Is a Critical Part of the Project
Any innovation encounters resistance. This is a norm of human psychology — changing familiar work is difficult and unpleasant. If the team is not helped to navigate this transition, most will quietly sabotage the new system.
Typical scenarios without training: people continue to maintain "parallel records" in Excel, perform operations "by workaround," which create additional errors, leading to negativity towards the system: "it's bad, non-functional, inconvenient," and within 6-12 months, the new system is actually used at 20-30% of its capabilities.
Who should conduct the training
Option 1: contractor (implementation company). The most common option. Pros — experience, methodology, real knowledge of the system. Cons — limited time, after the project is completed, the contractor's specialists disappear.
Option 2: internal "champion." One or two employees of the company undergo in-depth training with a contractor and then become internal trainers. Pros — constant availability, knowledge of internal specifics. Cons — additional burden on these individuals, dependence on their presence in the company.
Option 3: combined. The contractor provides basic training + one internal "champion" assists on-site. Optimal for most projects.
What training formats to use
In-person training (offline). The most effective format is having contact with the trainer, allowing for questions to be asked and working in a real system. Suitable for primary users. Approximately: 2-5 days of training for a key role.
Online learning. A more convenient format for distributed teams, but it requires more discipline. Meeting recordings are kept, which can be reviewed later.
Video instructions. Useful as a "reference" — to return to them as needed. Recorded once — used for years. Ineffective for primary learning, but essential as support.
Job "shoulder to shoulder." In the first week, the second trainer sits next to the user and helps with real work. The most expensive, but the most effective format for critical roles.
Step-by-step learning plan
Step 1: Define roles. Who will do what in the system? The accountant is one role, the HR specialist is another, the manager is a third. Each role requires its own set of knowledge.
Step 2: Create a program. For each role - a list of topics, sequence, duration. Do not try to teach "everything at once" - it will overwhelm people.
Step 3: Prepare materials. Instructions, screenshots, videos — everything that will help reinforce knowledge after the training.
Step 4: Conduct basic training. Before the system launch — so that at the moment of start, the team already knows the basics.
Step 5: Launch the system with support. The first 1-2 weeks - hotline, quick responses to questions, "live" assistance.
Step 6: Advanced Training. 1-2 months after the start, when the basics are mastered — additional training on advanced features.
Step 7: Continuous learning. New employees, system updates, new features — a constant process.
How to work with team resistance
Resistance is normal. Don't take it as sabotage. Usually, behind resistance lies fear — "I won't be able to cope," "I'll be fired if I make a mistake," "the new system will take my job."
What helps: honest communication — explain why this is being done, how it will impact the team's work. Real examples of benefits — show specific tasks where the new system will save time.
Patience - in the first 2-3 months, people adapt, questions arise, and mistakes happen. This is a normal process. Do not evaluate the success of the system based on the first week.
Support from management — if the owner or manager demonstratively uses the old system, the team will behave the same way.
Typical mistakes in organizing learning
1. Savings on training. "We bought the system — the team will figure it out on their own." They won't figure it out. Or they will, but slowly and incorrectly.
2. Train everyone at once. If there are 50 people on the team, don't try to conduct one training session for all. Break them into groups by roles.
3. Training after launch. The system was launched, then "we'll train when we have time." By that time, the team will have already developed bad habits.
4. Lack of materials. All training is verbal, without written instructions. A week later, people don't remember half of it.
5. Ignoring questions after the start. Questions remain unanswered — and the team returns to familiar workarounds.
How much time and money to allocate for education
Time: for a small company (up to 10 users) — 1-2 weeks of preparation + basic training, then another 1-2 weeks of support. For a medium company (10-30 users) — 2-3 weeks of training + one month of active support. For a large company (30+ users) — one month of training + 2-3 months of support.
Budget: usually 10-15% of the total implementation cost. If you save less — you will quickly feel the consequences.
Are you planning to train the team on the new system?
SPOC offers a separate user training service — online or offline, with methodological materials. Leave a request — we will select a format for your team.