The Difference is in the Design
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The Difference is in the Design |
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How to Find the Right Training Provider Do you need a custom developed program to train new salespeople on your products and selling techniques? How about a course for customer service representatives on how to use a new computer system? Finding the right training provider that will meet your company's specific needs requires planning. First of all, avoid the urge to start by contacting several providers and asking them to send information about their companies. Although you will get lots of brochures, catalogues and marketing materials, you may not get the right information you need to make an informed decision. Clearly identify your training requirements. If you were planning to build new house or a room addition, I doubt if you would contact a builder or remodeler before you had a good idea of what you wanted. Any builder or remodeler would need to know what you want in order to give you an accurate estimate of time and costs. The same is true for creating a custom designed training program. First decide what you need and then find the right training provider. Here are some questions to guide you in deciding what you want. Will the course content be customized from an existing program or created for the first time? A customized training program tailors existing training materials to meet your company's specific needs. A custom-designed program is created specifically for your company and for its exclusive use. Using the home building analogy once again, the difference between a customized program and a custom-designed program is like the difference between a home built by a subdivision developer and a one-of-a-kind home designed by an architect. Consider a customized program when your company's training need is for a general skill or knowledge area. Many management development and professional development programs fall into this category. A customized training program provider can tailor examples and activities to include your company's products, services and even its logo. Consider a custom-designed program when your company's training need is for a specific skill or knowledge area that is unique to the organization. Training in specific operations and business processes fall into this category. This type of training cannot be bought off-the-shelf or customized from an existing program in the marketplace. Another difference between customized training and custom-designed training is ownership. Who will retain the rights to the content and the training materials once the project is completed? Customized materials are usually purchased under a license agreement with the provider retaining ownership. Custom-designed programs are considered as work for hire, which means your company, not the provider, retains ownership. What is the anticipated length of the finished course (number of hours or days)? Ideally, the length of the finished course should be determined by the instructional objectives. However, you may have some idea about the length because of organizational factors, such as how long employees can be gone from the job or how much time is available for training. The anticipated length should serve as a guideline rather than as an absolute requirement. A good training provider may be able to meet your needs with a solution that provides the desired results in less time. What is the anticipated method of delivery? The most common delivery methods are instructor-led, individualized instruction and on-the-job training. Some training programs use a combination of delivery methods. The delivery method has a direct impact on training development time and costs. If you're not sure about the anticipated delivery method, a good training provider should be able to help you determine the best ones) to use. What type of instructional media is anticipated? Instructional media is closely related to the type of delivery method. Media includes print materials (instructor guides, participant workbooks, slide presentations, job aids) and multimedia (computer-based training (CBT), web-based training, video, audio and electronic performance support systems or EPSS). Instructional media also has a direct impact on development time and costs. More time and money is needed for customized and custom-designed training materials than off-the-shelf programs. A good training provider should be able to give you sound advice on the most effective instructional media for your needs. What are the final deliverables? Final deliverables are the tangible and intangible things you will receive from the training provider at the completion of the project. Tangible deliverables refer to originals or masters that will be reproduced in quantity. Examples of tangible deliverables include camera-ready copy, CD-ROM master, master video or audiotape, electronic files and software. Intangible deliverables include the instructor's time delivering the program, consulting time or other professional services. A good training provider should be able to help you identify final deliverables. What is the anticipated delivery date for the program? Anticipated delivery date in this case refers to when the program will be implemented. This date must be established up front to ensure that sufficient time is scheduled to complete the project on time and within agreed upon quality standards. A good training provider should provide a project timetable. What is the budget for this project? This is a question that seems to stump many companies looking for customized or custom-designed training. They don't know how much to spend so they obtain prices from several training providers and then pick a price that feels right to them. However, they may not choose the right provider at the right price. Ideally, the budget for the project should be based on the results of a training needs analysis. In reality, the budget may be determined by the decision-maker's spending authority and the availability of funds allocated within the financial reporting period. Whatever basis you use, try to assign a dollar value to the project before requesting bids. Look for training providers that meet your requirements. Know where and how to look for training providers. Some sources of training providers are buyer's guides, directories, commercial web sites, trade shows and word-of-mouth referrals. Some buyer's guides and directories are available in both print and online versions. Commercial web sites and trade shows usually provide more information about certain providers and may include demonstrations. Word-of-mouth referrals can be obtained from colleagues in professional associations, discussion list participants, and newsgroups. Compare your requirements with the descriptions of the training providers' services. Make a list of the ones that provide the types of services you need. Communicate the same requirements to each training provider. Once you have developed a list of providers based on your requirements, contact each one by phone, mail or e-mail. Provide each contact with the same description of your requirements. Some companies issue a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) when they anticipate the project will exceed a certain dollar amount. The key is to make sure that all the providers are bidding on the same project. Identifying and communicating clear requirements will save time and make it easier for you to compare training providers and their service offerings. Need assistance in identifying your training requirements? Send email to achoden@trainingbydesign.com.
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