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While documentation is quantifiable, it’s difficult to pin-down the deliverables of training beyond the delivery schedule and scope.
Training support and ownership
Training determines on how much you will needing/not need to rely on Vendor’s (sometimes costly) services. You need to maximize the training advantage to ensure that while you utilize vendor’s services, but minimum bondage to it.
Scope and plan of training
This part deals with different customer groups who will be covered as part of training. For Example-A Data Warehouse project will be needing training for business users, power users, designers, modelers and administrators etc.
Level of training support.
- What will be the level of training support pre- and post- implementation?
- What will be the modes of training- classroom, case-Examples, hand-holding, train the trainer, computer based self-learning systems?
- What will be credentials and profile of training team?
Completion criteria of training
Completion criteria can be defined as one OR more of the following:
- Delivered training schedule.
- Achieving a certain level of proficiency with the users.
- Minimum level of user feedback.
Progressive and sustained training platforms:
A training platform will include an updated site with FAQ, latest tips & tricks, updated refresher computer based training and tests and customer forums to exchange ideas etc are some Example which points to Vendor’s sincerity in training & bringing up the skill-base of their customers.
Training material
Comparison Parameters
- Quality and cost of training material.
- Level of updating of training material.
- Offline vs. online.
- Interactive vs. static
Company specific training
Many a times, the software and the associated processes undergo change due to customization. One has to look into on how a vendor & customer can update the training delivery & material accordingly.
Documentation support
Comprehensive documentation
Large systems come with large set of documentation. For Example for a Data Warehouse, this will include the user manuals, support guides, administrative guides, data models for the base dimension models pre-existing in the system, security management, design guides etc..
Documentation reflects a lot on the quality consciousness of the Vendor.
- Fine-tuning of documentation for company specific changes:
The documentation (just like training material) needs to be updated for company specific changes. One has to look at the Vendor’s willingness.
- Offline vs. online:
A static documentation is not as good as the online documentation, which is constantly enhanced in business as usual and upgraded with each new version.
- Interactive vs. static:
Level of user friendliness, and allows the users to conduct searches book marking etc.
PLEASE REFER DELIVERY EVALUATION MATRIX Execution-MiHPractice Tool to enable an effective DELIVERY CAPABILITY Evaluation for a tool/solution provider.
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