A system without training is useless.
A new computer system changes the way people (office workers) must think about their daily routines - routines that have been automatic for years. In a business, any business, there are myriads of tiny details that people deal with every day. All of these details must naturally flow together for the business to function - for invoices to be generated, for products to be shipped correctly, for bills to be paid, for people to be paid, and so on.
A new system changes these functions to a new set of details, and these new details must be learned and effectively implemented into the daily, automatic routine. And no person, no matter how bright, can learn these new details quickly and effectively without training and support during implementation and beyond.
So training is one of the necessary elements of a successful computer system. And the process of training and implementation support used by your system provider is key to its probable success. Be sure to get a clear understanding of the process.
Another key part of "training & implementation support" is project management. Recognizing that most clients implement a new system only a few times in the entire life of the business, someone involved in the implementation should have strong expertise and experience in the implementation process. This expertise should be provided by the software provider, since it is their business to sell, implement, and support computer systems. We do it all the time.
The project manager oversees the entire project, schedules all training, assists in system related decisions (e.g. optional ways to assign customer identifiers, vendor identifiers, inventory items, etc.), plans and monitors the sequence of implementation, and performs many other tasks critical to the success of the new system. Some clients have project management expertise within their organization, but most do not. Consultants are available to help, but they do not necessarily have experience with the specific system the client has acquired. The best place to get this talent is from the system provider. At MASI, each client implementation team is staffed with a Project Manager, along with a Trainer and one or more Program Developers.
The Project Manager works hand in hand with the client "system administrator" to schedule the training and implementation of the system. Further, every training session is pre-defined, many down to the most minute detail. Our intent is for all clients to receive the same, consistent, high-quality, planned training, regardless of the trainer, the team, or the MASI branch. At MASI, we recognize the necessity of high-quality training. We want every MASI client to be successful with their new system, so we take steps to assure this success.
Training is the "fuel" that makes the system run. It is needed not only at the beginning of the implementation, but on an on-going basis to keep the system running smoothly.