When a company is considering buying new software, it also should review the necessary steps for employees to implement it, say training specialists.

Businesses must look at the demographics, responsibilities and interest of its employees before finalizing a training program, says Kevin Nagle, training coordinator for KAWG&F, a Leading Edge Alliance firm.

"Customize training to fit the needs," he says. Nagle advises trainers to look at the demographics of their trainees and break them into appropriate groups for training.

"Different people learn differently," he says. "Those who are going to retire soon aren't interested in the same technology training as recent college graduates."

Jerry Justice, information technology manager of SS&G Financial Services, a Leading Edge Alliance firm, takes a hybrid approach.

"Consider function and scope," he says. "Do not just send them out to a class.

"The approach needs to be focused," Justice says.

Training often is more about exposure to the software than being able to use it proficiently. Trainees won't understand everything in one session. For new employees, SS&G offers one to two hours of exposure to the software then the IT staff is available for one-on-one sessions later as employees use the software in their normal course of business.

Justice says having someone attend a training session and sit in front of a computer screen does not mean the person knows how to use the software expertly.

"Training is the starting point," he says.

For each training program, study the company's objectives and determine how to meet them. Then set the expectations for the trainees so they know what they should take away from the experience, Nagle notes.

"Training is not a one-time experience," Justice says.

Even before conducting training to implement the software, companies should leverage the end result by trying to pick products that fit the function in more user friendly, intuitive ways. Conduct focus groups and ask employees what they think, Justice says.

Nagle agrees that a company should prepare for training when it's planning the software purchase. "It's very helpful," he says. A company should examine the software implementation schedule to ensure adequate time for training.

If the training is conducted by vendors of new products or other outside providers, the IT staff should audit that training before it is conducted for the company, Justice says. The IT staff can learn if the training coordinates sufficiently with the employees' responsibilities and suggest adjustments if necessary.

Nagle says if the IT staff eventually become the trainers, they also must understand how to work with the software. If they don't know the program, they will only frustrate the class, he says.

When developing a training schedule, Nagle selects a time when most of the potential students can participate. He first looks at KAWG&F's firmwide Microsoft Outlook calendar feature and schedules a session when 90 percent of the trainees would be available.

He says the ideal class size is 20 or fewer students to allow the trainer to answer individual questions.

When asking participants to register, Nagle makes it as easy as possible. He simply sends an e-mail using Outlook that allows the recipient to click "accept" then "send." The date is now scheduled in the sender's calendar.

Nagle says the key aspect to any training is listening to the participants and being flexible are as essential as explaining the reason for the class.

"If you can't clearly define objectives for training, then you're just walking through the motions," he says. e