As an extended enterprise, your network is vast. This intricate system consists of multiple positions and many roles. Everyone plays a part in manufacturing, distributing, selling, and installing your products.
This type of hierarchy in extended enterprises requires constant and effective communication. Tailored training, by position and role, can ensure that all parties are on the same page and striving towards the same goal. This is quite the undertaking when many different roles require extensive training.
The best way to create and distribute this type of training is through a Learning Management System (LMS). An LMS can store and deploy extensive training modules and should be able to define and manage the complex curricula and certifications required for any member of the network. By following a defined skills-based model, you can ensure that your network members receive the training they need in a timely manner, and have the skills to be valuable partner network members.
The finesse that can be mastered in the prescribing of training can sometimes be even more beneficial than the training itself. For example, how often have you sat through a training course, thinking, “I don’t understand how this applies to me and the role I’m playing in the company right now.”
One of the significant failures that can happen with training is information overload. New employees and partners don’t need or want to be steamrolled with every single piece of information that might apply to them. In addition to it being too much information, that’s not how anybody learns effectively.
Let’s take it back to our days in primary education. We learned one thing on one day and then learned how that applied the next day. We built on top of that foundation throughout the entire school year. You didn’t show up to High School algebra and have your teacher hand you a stack of books for algebra, calculus, and trigonometry and say, “Here you go, this is everything you need to learn algebra, and also everywhere it applies! Call me with questions!”
Most of us would walk away from that experience feeling overwhelmed and discouraged.
Lucky for us, that’s not quite how it happened. First, you started with the basics of algebra. Maybe you practiced a bit of pre-algebra for review to get up to speed. You had homework. You reviewed your homework. You had tests to demonstrate your understanding and shine some light on areas that may need improvement. Each week, you learned something new that built on previous learning.
Finding the balance that gives your partners and employees a sense of empowerment in their roles is essential to success. We don’t want to provide too much information at once, as that may cause overwhelm. Alternatively, too little information can lead to trouble maintaining interest and motivation.
This is a task that an LMS can orchestrate for your network. An LMS will start your members with the most pertinent training and build on top of it. This allows you to develop a training plan for their growth within the company.
What’s more, LatitudeLearning can orchestrate this training seamlessly and allow managers to view the training status at a glance. With these metrics, you can adequately plan for more extensive skill-based training that may be coming down the pipes.
Along with ensuring the appropriate training is conducted at the right time, it is critical to allow for the flexible deployment of training as needed. Let’s say you’re training a new sales representative with extensive OEM sales experience. He may breeze through your training content more quickly than an entry-level sales rep with little experience.
Flexibility with his training plan is crucial to ensure that the experienced sales rep doesn’t lose interest in his new position. It applies equally in the alternative situation. For example, the entry-level sales rep may need supplemental materials and more time to digest the information. LatitudeLearning will let you adjust the timing of the training delivery. This ensures that the right members are getting the proper training at the opportune time for their stage of learning.
So, a prescribed training program ensures that your partners receive the best training experience for the adoption, distribution, and sale of your products. But solving these problems on your own can create quite a headache.
The time and attention it can take to devote to training of this magnitude can take the place of multiple full-time jobs. Sometimes even an entire department, depending upon the size of your extended enterprise. Imagine the ability to limit your overhead while letting an LMS do the labor-intensive work. Save the time of tracking progress, compiling reports, and generating metrics. The LMS can do that for you!
Let your training professionals do what they do best – focus on your people and their learning. Avoid the burden of creating and deploying a multi-level, multi-organizational, multi-role training system.
In extended enterprises, we understand that some training requires instructor-led classes. Many skills-based training approaches require a physical 2 to 3-day training course.
LatitiudeLearning understands the necessity of ensuring your people obtain the appropriate skills-based training. We can ensure that your participants have completed e-learning courses to go with classroom training.
In addition to this, LatitudeLearning can help you determine the demand for specific classes. By knowing how many seats will fill or how many classes will need to be offered, you can meet the demand for your training.
This integrated approach helps you to know exactly how much training is needed. These metrics also allow you to choose the optimal location for formal classes. All while your LMS ensures that the appropriate preparation materials are distributed and completed by enrolled participants.
Another aspect of operating within a partner network is understanding that all the patrons that need training don’t always belong to your organization. This places emphasis on the effectiveness of training more than any other factor.
These partners are not fully invested in your products. A dealer or distributor hired them. To ensure that your training is being utilized – it must be optimized. Streamline your content, master your timing, and provide relevant information. Maintaining relationships with your partners will allow you to build trust in your brand. By providing well-timed training content, you can demonstrate your investment in your partners.
Training the right people at the right time is critical for the success of partner networks and extended enterprises. By ensuring that all parties involved have the knowledge and skills needed to do their jobs effectively, partnerships can function seamlessly.
Now is the best time to invest in the proper training and support for everyone involved – we guarantee it will pay off in the long run.
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