Accounting Software: Well-trained equates to well-received

Want your employees to embrace new accounting solutions with open arms…and open minds? Then, provide accounting software training and support that optimizes familiarity, can be easily accessed, and provides a safe environment in which employees can learn the accounting system software without fear of failure. Further, the instruction process must tune in to the needs of the audience to avoid falling on deaf ears.

Evidently, company proactivity has yet to catch up with the need for accounting solutions that emphasize accounting software training. The following article is excerpted from cio.com. It addresses key technology training-related shortcomings, and showcases the need for a training commitment upfront and effective communication throughout the entire accounting system software process:

“…a good training program can count as a competitive advantage, but management isn't always sold on the business benefits of effective tech training. ‘Companies don't yet fully value training,’ says David S. Murphy, founder and membership director of nonprofit International Association of Information Technology Trainers (ITrain)…‘I've yet to come across a commercial company that embraces training as a requisite value-added service as opposed to an optional value-added service.’

“Worried that your IT training falls into that latter category? We talked to IT managers, in-house and third-party trainers, industry advocates, and academics to uncover…mistakes technology professionals make when training end users.

“Mistake No. 1: You didn't plan for training upfront...many companies don't factor end-user training into the total cost of their systems' rollouts and are left scrambling for funding and resources at the tail end of the deployment…Consensus in the industry dictates that a good training program should account for 10 percent to 13 percent of the total spend…

“Mistake No. 2: You're out of tune with your audience...it's not enough for the instructor to have mastery of the material. The trainer also needs to be able to connect with the audience and present information in an interactive and engaging manner.

“Whatever the system being rolled out, the message for IT is clear: It's not just users who have a lot to learn about technology – you've got some work to do to make training a core IT discipline.”

In a November 2007 SMBFinance article, I identified three critical cornerstones for successful accounting software training:

Train as you install. No matter how functional, versatile or scalable your accounting system software is, people must be adequately trained on how to use it, or frustration and productivity losses will mount. That said, you don’t necessarily have to conduct expensive on-site training if an adequate Web-based curricula exists.
Make sure it’s user-familiar, as well as user-friendly. Familiarity breeds contentment. Moving to a system offering a look and feel similar to well-known software — such as Outlook — will reassure employees who are reluctant to change and lessen the accounting software learning curve.
Provide easily accessed, easily understood support. Eighty-one percent of respondents to a survey we conducted indicated that phone support is sufficient for accounting software implementation. However, it must be clear, competent and friendly.

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