There are as many ways to train someone in new software as there are minds in the universe. That is why a good trainer knows that stakeholders’ training preferences have as much weight as the content of the training materials themselves.

All the stakeholders have been identified and their requirements documented. After evaluating different project management software applications the one with least amount of gaps and the best associated cost was selected. A comprehensive plan to secure buy-in has been developed and will be put in place. As part of the buy-in and the implementation, training will be addressed.

Training and Project Management Software

There are many ways to train and, similarly, users of the software have different preferences as to how they prefer to get trained. It is possible to economically develop a training program that offers different modalities of training that respond to the varying needs of the user communities.

Software training can be affected in the classroom, via the web, through the use of documentation, one on one mentoring or a combination of one or more modalities. In terms of making the training program economical, it’s possible to leverage one type of training to create another. For example, classroom training can be videotaped and subsequently used as part of a web based module. Documentation can be used for a Help Desk and mentoring and be incorporated into PowerPoint’s for yet another mode of training.

Stakeholders Have Say in Their Project Management Software Training

It is important to take into account that different stakeholders each have their own training preferences. In some cases these preferences are based on people’s ability to absorb information in others on workplace or work limitations such as existing client appointments during the work week that inhibit classroom training.

The training needed to implement project management software can be planned in a way that compliments other efforts of the organization. Oftentimes the training can be an opportunity to reinforce project management policies and procedures or to implement new portfolio management protocols.

Training Materials for Project Management Software

The content of the training can, beyond corporate policies and procedures, contain valuable information on the discipline of project management. Project management software, for example, will contain a scheduling module. Training instructions on this module can be used to show how the PMI (Project Management Institute) practice standards can be practically applied. In this way, training can be used to not only show how the software is to be used but can improve key skills.

As can be seen training represents an abundance of opportunities. Opportunities to assure buy-in, promote corporate policies, leverage for mentoring, use to teach or reinforce basic concepts essential to the discipline of project management. Managers should take advantage of this unique phase of the software implementation.

Training can assure a successful implementation of project management software.