Training and support

Training and support

1. Training methods available

   • personal training: one to one coaching by a specialist to use a new system
   • Courses
     • external courses from outside the organisation: these courses can be offered using schools or universities or just specialist clinics where staff are trained off site
     • External courses from the inside of an organisation by a specialists
       • skills based
       • narrow focus
       • usually no ecternal certificate
       • one or more days
     • Internal training
       • someone who works at the company trains the user
       • skills or task based, one or more days, many employees trained at once
   • online tutorials
     • These are available to all where a guide on how to use a system is put online
     • more practical and more interesting then paper based
     • Users tend to work at own pace
     • it is possible to revisit
   • Training manuals
     • it is easy to select and find specific areaa
     • the manual is always redily available for reference
   • Computer based
     • Can be used rapidly by users
     • computer based tutorials

2. The difference between training and support

   • Training
     • to teach someone how to use a system
   • Support
     • to give assistance to problems

3. Methods of supporting users

   • Software help files
     • non technical
     • on screen
     • online provides basic help
   • Context sensitive help
     • responds to what user was doing when help was requeseted
   • User guides and manuals
     • most common form of user support
     • often available at different levels of computer knowledge
     • Paper based
   • On site technition
     • organisation usually have on site specialist
     • usually on call to support
     • either by phone or in person
   • exsiting user base
     • many experienced users can give helpful advice to users as they are atone to the system
     • online message board etc
   • External helpdesk
     • phone support
     • can access the system problems
   • Email help
     • Email support chat
   • external technition comes on site

4. Factors to consider when setting up user support

   • Cost benifit issues
     • Training will be justified in terms of financial terms , as training users is an investment
   • What kind of training is needed
     • induction training ; company procedures/logging on
     • Task based training': basic job skills /using knowledge base
     • skills-based training: improving customer service/ leading a support team