There are many sources for training, from classic classroom-based teaching to online tutorials and videos. Despite the rise of the latter, instructor-led training is still prevalent in most businesses. This type of training can be very effective, but it comes with a higher cost than other training materials and comes with a unique set of challenges.
As we discussed in the recent webinar “How to Manage Your Learning Management System in a Complex Environment”, instructor-led training can be a time-consuming process for instructors and LMS administrators. Scheduling sessions, tracking availability and attendance create complexity in managing training.
The Instructor-Led Training Process
The instructor-led training process can be broken down into three phases: Course Planning, Course Scheduling, and Course Tracking. Throughout these phases, the participants (or learners), schedulers and planners, and trainers all have various roles to play.
The process begins with participants identifying training needs, which can be built out based on job roles or specific requests submitted by the learner. The learner then needs to find sessions, register, attend, and record attendance for the selected trainings.
Planners are tasked with entering training needs into the system and maintain that master data. They then need to draft and plan schedules, group together events and courses where it makes sense, create a master schedule, and manage unavailability of trainers. After the courses have been conducted, they’ll track progress through reports and data exports.
The trainers need to first make their availability known to the schedulers and planners. Once courses are set up, they manage course invites, updates, and notifications. They will also be looking for an easy place to review schedules on a holistic level. Finally, after conducting the training they’ll need to record course completions, as well as provide observations on the coursework and potentially create ad hoc sessions where needed.
SAP SuccessFactors Tools for Managing Instructor-Led Training
Managing the needs of participants, planners, and trainers can be a daunting task. However, there are tools available to streamline the delivery of instructor-led training in and around SAP SuccessFactors Learning which can help stretch your training budget by allowing your staff to more efficiently manage and administer coursework.
The SAP SuccessFactors mobile app allows instructors to manage classes and record attendance on the go without having to sit down on computer or taking a paper sign-in sheet that would later have to be entered into the system. The app also gives learners the ability to manage their own training sessions via a mobile device.
Rizing also offers a solution built on SAP Cloud Platform called LMS Planner, which provides learners and instructors an SAP SuccessFactors Learning-integrated solution to optimize training management. Below, you can find a breakdown of the functionality each tool provides in order to optimize training processes.
Finding Success with LMS Planner and SAP SuccessFactors
Companies have used this combination of tools effectively to manage their own training schedules. Hydro-Québec, North America’s largest utility, incorporates LMS Planner with SAP SuccessFactors Learning in order to give trainers and schedulers access to all employee training needs and schedules, which has led to improved coordination.
National Bank of Canada implemented LMS planner with SAP SuccessFactors Learning simultaneously and now has a master training calendar that serves as an easily accessible single source of truth and standardized mode of scheduling.
For more on how SAP SuccessFactors and LMS Planner can work together to streamline training processes for your company, including a product demo, watch the on-demand webinar “How to Manage Your Learning Management System in a Complex Environment”.