Training Boosts Productivity

Think user training is a waste of time? Think again. On average, productivity improved by as much as 20 percent for PeopleSoft users after completion of its training class, according to a recent study. Knowledge Advisors, a learning analytics firm, conducted the PeopleSoft study from September 2003 to January 2004. About 13,000 PeopleSoft users from more than 700 organizations were surveyed once throughout North America following the completion of a training course, then surveyed again 60 days later. The second evaluation ensures that the study is not a fluke, according to Bill Henry, vice president of strategy and marketing, PeopleSoft Global Services. "It's easy to get people to feel great after a training class, which gives you only one data point," Henry says. "The real impact is when people get back on the job sixty days later. It provides a more accurate depiction of the real impact of the training program." In addition to the boost in productivity the PeopleSoft evaluation also concluded that cycle time improved by an average of 24 percent, and quality improved by an average of 22 percent. Additionally, more than 90 percent of respondents said training is a worthy investment for their employers. "The right training pays for itself quickly," Henry says. "Companies that take training seriously--set up the right training plan and actually implement the training plan--have better project success and deliver better business-case results than those people who don't."