When the decision being taken to implement an ERP system in an organization, training session to the end-users should be discussed and finalized in detail. As lot of money and time is invested in this effort to increase productivity, efficiency and out-put over time from the end-users, it is very important to pay much attention to the training to end-users for the effectiveness of the system in the business operations.
In a normal process, during the “validation” or “cost case” phases of the ERP implementation, companies determine the overall business goals. The training goals also should be aligned during one of these two phases. Insufficient training could cause operational delays and an impediment to realizing your business goals.
While implementing an ERP system the members of the project team need to develop such knowledge and skills that will enable them to establish how to best use the functionality for the operation and maintenance phase. Since the members of the project team will become the trainers of other employees, they need to develop the skill to be able to formulate and deliver a training course.
The users need to have the skill for using the functionality relevant to their roles. They should understand the basic concepts of ERP and also how to perform the day-to-day activities in the ERP system. Others who require training include managers, who should have at least an appreciation of what the system does. Ideally, the project manager should have a good understanding o f all aspects of the system so that he can be effective in dealing with any issues raised.
A select number of people will require more specific technical training so that they can design databases, write scripts, manage users, generate reports and query the database for specific requirements.
The system administrators need to be able to setup the system and then maintain it. They will require knowledge about how to handle system security and deal with technical problems. They will need to develop a level of understanding of the functionality so that, at some stage after implementation when the project team is disbanded, they are able to manage the system smoothly.
Additionally, over the period it can be expected that the ERP tool will evolve to some degree along with the company and projects that it serves. From time to time it may be necessary to conduct additional training sessions to keep everyone abreast of the changes that have been implemented.
