Taking advantage of online training

Technology has grown increasingly common in modern work environments. At the very least, there are any number of personal computers and laptops that businesses use for communication and other work-related purposes. At some companies, employees may get complimentary smartphones or are provided with tablets to use for presentations or on business trips.

This broader availability of technology enables businesses to take different approaches to core tasks. Take, for example, training. Traditionally, onboarding and training were costly endeavors that required managers and employers to devote their time to working with new hires, with the goal of bringing them up to speed. This meant they had to be on location and available at specific times.

However, new technology enables businesses to train their employees digitally through pre-created materials and virtual sessions. Employees can access these lessons from anywhere through computers, tablets and mobile devices. Even if they can't attend specific training sessions due to scheduling or location issues, they can still partake in lessons created with the web in mind.

“These digital lessons are also going mobile, as reps are equipped with the latest mobile devices – and are increasingly comfortable using them,” explains a recent white paper from Selling Power. “And sales lessons and product training are becoming more fun, with games, role-playing and interactive sessions, making learning easy and pleasurable.”

Learning Lean manufacturing online

The more complex a concept is, the more time it takes to truly internalize. This can be further amplified by the learning tendencies of individuals – some people pick{insert space}up foreign concepts much faster than others, who may need to go over materials multiple times.

The more training employees need, the more efficient online programs become. While businesses can do live training sessions through the web, these courses can also easily be recorded for later viewing. For concepts such as Lean and Kaizen, people can attend the live training sessions and then view them later for a refresh.

Additionally, online training brings other perks to the table. It can be extremely interactive, with exercises, quizzes and discussion forums. It's also cost-efficient, as businesses can either create their own programs or purchase them from another company, which reduces the amount of resources diverted to training initiatives.