The interesting thing about the word training is that when used in the context of PLM versus exercise it has a different meaning. Training is more of a verb when talking about preparing for an event like a triathlon but when referring to training for PLM it is more of an event. For my typical pop culture analogy I will refer to a pretty decent movie “Training Day”. While PLM and police narcotics training share very few similarities there are some common threads that define successful training. This is the third article in the PLM Fit series and we will be discussing the importance of training with PLM as a process not as an event.
If you have seen the movie you know that things do not go well for the two main characters. One of the problems in the movie is that the main characters view the training as an event, the other problem is that the training is more like unstructured mentoring than formally structured training. I do not think Detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) put a lot of thought into the outcomes he was hoping to accomplish during this training activity. I also do not think Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) had clearly identified the things he needed to know going into his training with Harris. Many times companies will tend to be like these two characters from the movie. They view training as a singular activity that needs to be checked off so they can get down to real work. There is no substitute for real world, hands on activity, so the sooner they can get past the training the better. Most PLM implementations follow this pattern and training becomes more of a mentoring activity where consultants go through exercises and super users are expected to support the larger body of users over time. There is an interesting article on the Product Lifecycle Management website that breaks down the initial level of investment for PLM including the cost of software and implementation. According to the article training typically represents 5% of the initial cost for PLM. This is one of the lowest percentages by category yet it is probably one of the most crucial activities to ensure long-term success for PLM. In a survey published by PTC in an eBook titled “High Performance PLM, Key Success Factors for PLM Strategy and Adoption” comprehensive, role based learning and adoption is identified as one of four key success factors for PLM deployment. Companies that emphasized training experienced results 5-10 times greater than companies who did not. The eBook goes on to discuss how these higher performing companies took a more strategic approach to ensure the training was reinforcing business outcomes that had been identified earlier in the process and how enabling the user community to use the tools to achieve these outcomes was the primary driver for curriculum. The key take away from this information is that training must be given higher consideration in PLM deployment and should be tailored around not learning the PLM but using the PLM to accomplish the strategic objectives of the company.
The other mistake companies make is around the singular nature of training. It is considered something that is done as part of deployment. Some companies may keep training procedures in place for on-boarding new employees but even this is rare. To really drive success training should be viewed like physical training, something that must be done continuously. I think the key to identifying continuous training agendas is to also change the perspective of the PLM system from static to dynamic. Companies are sensitive to the ongoing expense of prolonged software deployment so they typically will try and simplify the deployment so that they can experience a return on their investment more quickly. While this may be a sound approach there need to be mechanisms put in place to allow for the future expansion of PLM to achieve more value for the company. This would include a training component to ensure employees will be able to support these future initiatives. Designating key resources to serve in the role of determining strategic direction is a critical element of success for long term PLM value. Empowering these resources with the ability to train the users of the system is a key factor in ensuring optimal results from these enhancements to your PLM.
Types of training are also important considerations. Vendor led training is usually fairly generic and while helpful in establishing good basic knowledge will not align with strategic outcomes for most companies. Before embarking on any training it is important to establish what outcomes you are hoping to achieve and to set up key performance indicators (KPI) so you can evaluate the success of the training and make appropriate adjustments. Working with external partners in this area either directly from the vendors or from consulting organizations is probably best unless your company has internal resources sufficient to support these activities. Partners will likely have the infrastructure to make the development of course material more streamlined and will have resources familiar with your technology. The key is to blend this with familiarity with your business process and objectives. We often use information from our business process development activities with our clients to structure the training exercises and try to even incorporate high level PLM outcomes into our generic course materials.
Fitness is an ongoing activity that must be maintained for success as is PLM ownership. A static system will stagnate and eventually become obsolete, so it is important to constantly evaluate your tools and processes and continually offer opportunities for employees to grow with the system. Minimizing investments in training or viewing it as a singular occurrence will lead to subpar results. Hopefully, your company will have training days throughout the year to assist with the adoption of whatever PLM system you choose. By putting more emphasis on training you will avoid the negative consequences. With proper training maybe Alonzo would have known better than to cross Russian mobsters and wouldn’t have died a grisly death at the end of the movie. I am going to take this lesson to heart myself as I continue to prepare for my triathlon and if your objective is to be PLM Fit you should too.
[Edit: Repost from 2014]
