Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
TECHNICAL TRAINING MANAGEMENT
BCS, THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE FOR IT
BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, is committed to making IT good for society. We use the power of our network to bring about positive, tangible change. We champion the global IT profession and the interests of individuals, engaged in that profession, for the benefit of all.
Exchanging IT expertise and knowledgeThe Institute fosters links between experts from industry, academia and business to promote new thinking, education and knowledge sharing.
Supporting practitionersThrough continuing professional development and a series of respected IT qualifications, the Institute seeks to promote professional practice tuned to the demands of business. It provides practical support and information services to its members and volunteer communities around the world.
Setting standards and frameworksThe Institute collaborates with government, industry and relevant bodies to establish good working practices, codes of conduct, skills frameworks and common standards. It also offers a range of consultancy services to employers to help them adopt best practice.
Become a member Over 70,000 people including students, teachers, professionals and practitioners enjoy the benefits of BCS membership. These include access to an international community, invitations to a roster of local and national events, career development tools and a quarterly thought-leadership magazine. Visit www.bcs.org/membership to find out more.
Further InformationBCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, First Floor, Block D, North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FA, United Kingdom.T +44 (0) 1793 417 424F +44 (0) 1793 417 444(Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00 UK time)www.bcs.org/contacthttp://shop.bcs.org/
TECHNICAL TRAINING MANAGEMENTCommercial skills aligned to the provision of successful training outcomesCEdMA Europe
© BCS Learning & Development Ltd 2019
The right of CEdMA to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988, no part of this publication may be repro-duced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, except with the prior permission in writing of the publisher, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of the licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries for permission to reproduce material outside those terms should be directed to the publisher.
All trade marks, registered names etc. acknowledged in this publication are the property of their respective owners. BCS and the BCS logo are the registered trade marks of the British Computer Society charity number 292786 (BCS).
Published by BCS Learning and Development Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, First Floor, Block D, North Star House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, SN2 1FA, UK.www.bcs.org
ISBN: 978-1-78017-480-8
PDF ISBN: 978-1-78017-481-5ePUB ISBN: 978-1-78017-482-2 Kindle ISBN: 978-1-78017-483-9
British Cataloguing in Publication Data.A CIP catalogue record for this book is available at the British Library.
Disclaimer:The views expressed in this book are of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute or BCS Learning and Development Ltd except where explicitly stated as such. Although every care has been taken by the authors and BCS Learning and Development Ltd in the preparation of the publication, no warranty is given by the authors or BCS Learning and Development Ltd as publisher as to the accuracy or complete-ness of the information contained within it and neither the authors nor BCS Learning and Development Ltd shall be responsible or liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising by virtue of such information or any instructions or advice contained within this publication or by any of the aforementioned.
Publisher’s acknowledgementsReviewer: Jeremy GreenPublisher: Ian BorthwickCommissioning editor: Rebecca YouéProduction manager: Florence LeroyProject manager: Sunrise Setting LtdCopy-editor: Mary HobbinsProofreader: Barbara EastmanIndexer: John SilvesterCover design: Alex WrightTypeset by Lapiz Digital Services, Chennai, India.
iv
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-78017-496-9
CONTENTS
List of figures and tables x Author xiii Preface: the accelerated world of training xiv
1. THE TECHNICAL TRAINING ORGANISATION: INTRODUCTION TO THE KEY ELEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES 1
What is technical training? 1 Commercial training 2 Typical training organisation structure 4 Technical training management as a career 7 Summary 8
2. STRATEGY AND BUSINESS EXECUTION: DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO PRODUCE WORKING PLANS TO EXECUTE AND DRIVE RESULTS 9
Using strategy to sense and seize opportunity 9 Creating strategic and business alignment 10 Case study: strategy to execution model 13 Summary 21
3. TECHNICAL TRAINING PRODUCT MANAGEMENT: PLANNING AND INTRODUCING THE RIGHT OFFERING AT THE RIGHT TIME AND RIGHT PRICE POINT 22
Roles and responsibilities 22 Go-to-market strategies 28 Offerings and modalities 33 Packaging and bundling 37 Route to market considerations 39 ROI versus ROE 43 Pricing strategy 44 Time to market 46 Accreditation, certification or alternative testing 47 Summary 48
4. BUSINESS MODEL: KEY COMPONENTS REQUIRED TO CONVERT STRATEGY TO ACTUAL EXECUTION 49
Establishing critical tasks 49 Understanding business model interdependencies 51 Financial planning and management 52 Business control and metrics 52
v
CONTENTS
Building the organisation 53 Establishing a business climate and employee culture 54 Delivering the business value proposition 55 Rebuilding an organisation 55 Summary 56
5. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING MANAGEMENT: BUILDING A TRAINING BUSINESS AND MANAGING ITS SUCCESS 57
Roles and responsibilities 57 Building successful value propositions 58 Discount policy implementation 59 Carve outs, attach and inclusion rate strategies 61 Competitive and tactical strategies 64 Demand and lead generation 66 Marketing and the internet 72 Promotional materials 74 Marketing, public relations and promotional events 84 Customer and training partner advisory meetings 85 Customer reference programmes 88 Disruptive business growth 89 Summary 90
6. REVENUE GENERATION: MAKING MONEY IN THE MIXED MODALITY WORLD OF TECHNICAL TRAINING 92
Gross versus net revenue considerations 92 Pricing model considerations 93 Channel-related royalty, kit sales and revenue share 96 Geographic pricing and currency implications 98 Maximising and protecting revenue 99 Renewals 100 Customer success management 102 Summary 103
7. SALES: DEVELOPING STRATEGIES AND METRICS TO MANAGE SALES GOALS 104
Strategy 105 Execution (sales operating model) 106 Sales management and metrics 109 Sales compensation and incentives 110 Summary 112
8. SCHEDULE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: PLANNING TO DELIVER ON THE TRAINING MARKET OPPORTUNITY 113
Understanding and interpreting demand 113 Enhancing the curriculum to suit local customer need 115 Minimising the curriculum offered to suit local customer need 116 Scheduling the right modality to the right market conditions 116 Sizing, scaling and managing the delivery resource 116 Resourcing efficiency (contract or employ) 123 Contract instructors 127
vi
CONTENTS
Scheduler’s checklist 127 International and language considerations 130 Managing cost and revenue expectations 132 Summary 132
9. AUTHORISED TRAINING PARTNER MANAGEMENT: EXPANDING SALES AND DELIVERY CAPABILITY THROUGH QUALIFIED THIRD PARTIES 136
Why use authorised training partners? 136 Authorised training partner types 137 Sales versus delivery partnerships (or both) 137 Revenue and reward 140 Territory management (exclusive versus non-exclusive) 143 Customer ownership dilemma 143 Quality management 145 Contractual requirements 146 Summary 146
10. CONSULTING SERVICES: EXPANDING THE TRAINING OFFERING WITH BROADER CUSTOMER-ALIGNED SERVICES 154
The consulting services profile 154 Consulting and account management 157 Training and business needs analysis 159 Custom versus tailored solutions 167 Managed training services 168 Summary 171
11. OFFERINGS AND MODALITIES: AN INSIGHT INTO WHAT THEY ARE 172 Introduction to ILT, VILT and eLearning (interactive and gamification) 172 Electronic performance support systems 175 Social learning 176 Labs and simulations 177 MOOC: is it right for you? 179 Public, private, onsite and workshops 180 Capitalising on learning modalities 184 Next generation learning 185 Becoming a disruptive learning leader! 186 Summary 187
12. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT: DESIGNING AND MANAGING THE TRAINING OFFERING 188
Defining curriculum objectives 188 What is a minimum curriculum? 190 Defining audience types 191 Content development models 192 Content development and content lifecycles 198 Costing model 200 Defending the curriculum investment 202 Authoring tools 205 Summary 208
vii
CONTENTS
13. CERTIFICATION: REQUIREMENTS AND APPROACH TO DESIGNING EXAMS 210
Certification and testing types 210 Advantages and disadvantages of certification 212 The certification development lifecycle 212 Defensibility 212 Item writing development 215 Proctored versus unproctored examinations 218 Examination-related revenue 218 Future trends (badging, performance) 219 Summary 220
14. GOVERNANCE AND METRICS MANAGEMENT: ESTABLISHING CONTROL WITH CONFIDENCE 222
Governance and training 222 Financial metrics 224 Business metrics 226 Training-specific metrics 227 Return on investment 232 Summary 234
15. FINANCIALS: FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL 235 Finance in a technical training environment 235 Financial models (P&L, cost, hybrid) 237 Creating the budget 240 Analysing, monitoring, tracking and recommending financial
actions from the budget plan 242 Forecasting 243 Understanding VSOE and revenue recognition 245 Carve out and discount policies 246 Cross-border revenue recognition and tax implications 246 Summary 247
16. STAFF MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT: GETTING THE BEST FROM YOUR KEY ASSETS – THE TRAINING TEAM 249
Applying enablement models to drive business performance 249 Training staff job specifications 251 Training staff competency management 254 Performance management 255 Employee and contractor recruitment 256 Culture and climate 257 Responsibility and accountability 259 Summary 260
17. LEGAL: PROTECTING THE TRAINING BUSINESS 261 Contracts versus standard terms and conditions 261 Indemnity and liability 263 Import/export regulations and restrictions 263 Content and trademark intellectual property 265 Data protection 267
viii
CONTENTS
Customer references: implications 268 Summary 268
18. INFRASTRUCTURE AND TOOLS: INTRODUCTION TO THE SYSTEMS AND TECHNICAL NEEDS REQUIRED TO RUN A TRAINING BUSINESS 270
The absolute basics 270 TMS, LMS, LCMS, other: what is running your business? 275 Cloud or build your own? 276 Summary 278
Appendix 280 References 283 Further reading 284 Glossary 292 Index 298
ix
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
Figure 1.1 Typical organisation chart 5Figure 2.1 Strategy to execution modelling 10Figure 2.2 Leadership and organisational values 11Figure 3.1 Training product management lifecycle 25Figure 4.1 Establishing critical tasks 50Figure 4.2 Business model interdependencies 51Figure 5.1 Sample course outline 80Figure 5.2 Typical course schedule 83Figure 6.1 Simplified adoption dashboard 101Figure 7.1 Systematic sales process 104Figure 7.2 Sales strategy 105Figure 7.3 Operating model 107Figure 7.4 Role alignment 109Figure 7.5 Typical sales metrics 111Figure 10.1 Training solution design process 160Figure 11.1 Blended learning (typical elements) 184Figure 12.1 Aims, goals and objectives 189Figure 12.2 Role mapping and competency overlays 192Figure 12.3 Audience type by general task activity 193Figure 12.4 ADDIE model 194Figure 12.5 Enhanced ADDIE model 196Figure 12.6 Rapid prototyping model 197Figure 12.7 AGILE instructional design model 197Figure 12.8 Content development and content lifecycles 199Figure 12.9 Content lifecycle 200Figure 12.10 Content lifecycle – commercial view 200Figure 14.1 Breakeven and ROI 233Figure 16.1 Business performance matrix 250Figure A1 Formal organisation example 282
Table 1.1 Commercial training models 2Table 2.1 Critical tasks 18Table 3.1 Product launch to training content release dates 28Table 3.2 Training offering categories 34Table 3.3 Technical training modalities 34Table 3.4 Packaging and bundling examples 38Table 3.5 Training sales channel fitness for purpose 42Table 3.6 Pricing strategies 44
x
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
Table 3.7 Time to market ROI assessment factors 46Table 4.1 Critical tasks example 50Table 5.1 Discount policies (factors for consideration) 59Table 5.2 Attach and inclusion strategies 63Table 5.3 Competitive and tactical strategies 64Table 5.4 Demand generation content framework 68Table 5.5 Inbound lead generation matrix 69Table 5.6 Outbound lead generation matrix 70Table 5.7 Common lead generation metrics 71Table 5.8 Digital marketing methods 73Table 5.9 Course catalogue key summary steps 76Table 5.10 Course outline key elements 81Table 5.11 Customer advisory meeting recommendations 86Table 5.12 Customer reference programme best practice summary 88Table 6.1 Pricing models 93Table 8.1 Scheduling the right modality for the right market conditions 117Table 8.2 Employ versus contract considerations 124Table 8.3 Scheduling checklist 127Table 8.4 Managing cost and revenue expectations 133Table 9.1 Authorised training partner types 138Table 9.2 Training channel rewards 141Table 9.3 Territory management exclusive versus non-exclusive
considerations 144Table 9.4 Typical training partner contractual requirements 147Table 10.1 Training consulting service offerings 154Table 10.2 Training consultant and account manager roles 158Table 10.3 Project planning stage activities 161Table 10.4 High-level training needs assessment 161Table 10.5 Individual departmental training needs assessment 163Table 10.6 Employee specific training needs assessment 164Table 10.7 Content development 165Table 10.8 Custom versus tailored training 167Table 10.9 Managed training services 169Table 11.1 Public, private, onsite and workshop summary 181Table 12.1 Aims, goals and objectives 188Table 12.2 Objectives writing recommendations 190Table 12.3 Development time per one hour of content by modality 201Table 12.4 eLearning clarification 201Table 12.5 Justifying the value of a training investment 203Table 13.1 Certification development process 213Table 13.2 Sample stem and alternative answers 217Table 14.1 Developing business metrics 226Table 14.2 Training-specific metrics 227Table 14.3 Investment and run-time costs 232Table 14.4 P&L and ROI 232Table 15.1 Gross profit 238Table 15.2 Operating profit 239Table 15.3 Earnings before taxes 239Table 15.4 Purpose and benefits of a budget plan 241Table 16.1 Typical learning administrator job specification 252
xi
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
Table 17.1 Sample description of standard terms and conditions 262Table 17.2 Useful import and export links 265Table 18.1 Training infrastructure basic requirements 271Table 18.2 LMS and LCMS functional differences 276Table 18.3 On-premise versus cloud 277Table A1 Talent requirements 280
xii
AUTHOR
This book was written on behalf of CEdMA by Philip Bourne. Philip has 30 years of proven management and directorship skills within the computer and education/training industry. He has continually achieved annualised business growth and high gross profits, while striving for optimum outcomes in a results-orientated environment, without compromising quality of service or standards. He has developed and maintained global business relationships, and people from varying multicultural backgrounds, for companies such as Lotus Development, IBM and Symantec. Key to his success has been his ability to provide and develop innovative solutions to broad-based business and training challenges.
Philip has held positions as board chairman with CEdMA, vice president for BCS and non-executive director for BCS Learning & Development Ltd.
CEdMA Europe (Computer Education Management Association – Europe) is the premier organisation for training executives, managers, and professionals on a management path within the vendor Information Communication Technology (ICT) arena, covering hardware, software, cloud and learning technology-related companies.
CEdMA Europe was founded in September 1993, following a successful launch of CEdMA in the USA in January 1991, when training development managers from Intel, Interactive, Hewlett Packard, Novell, Santa Cruz Operations, Sun Microsystems, and Wang Laboratories met to discuss the creation of a consortium that focused on the training needs in the computer industry, where it was decided that the computer industry could benefit from an organisation that would provide leadership and direction in establishing standards for training.
Through its 200 members that represent over 50 global technology companies, CEdMA Europe provides access to a vast level of experience and resources who share a passion for providing high-quality training on technology and certification products, while running efficient and successful commercial business units.
For commercially based training professionals who are actively employed in an ICT company, membership provides a niche opportunity to really understand the education business through the years of hard-earned experience of fellow CEdMA members and:
y receive timely insight into the pulse of the technology training industry;
y gain access to useful data points on industry benchmarks and standards;
y gain access to a forum for colleagues to exchange data and ideas on education projects;
y learn from others what it took to successfully drive specific types of projects.
For more information contact [email protected], or visit http://www.cedma.org/cedma-europe.
xiii
PREFACE The accelerated world of training
By the year 2000, technology was increasingly being introduced to enhance the learning experience through active engagement, group participation, interaction and feedback, with the ability to connect to real-world contexts and access ongoing information.
With the advent of social media and collaboration tools, educators gained significant opportunities to connect learners and take education in new directions. Being able to simulate real-world situations enabled students to engage in ways that were not possible with previously available instructional methods.
Learning in the 21st century places new demands on learners to use technology to access, analyse and organise information. It places responsibility on learning providers to establish an environment that supports creativity, innovation, communication, collaboration, problem solving, decision making and engagement with the learner, to ensure learning occurs within the context of the real-world environment they are involved with.
Technology in training is driving change in terms of empowering and encouraging self-directed learning. For it to succeed, learning providers need to shift their emphasis to being facilitators and collaborators in the students’ increasingly self-directed learning world.
This book provides guidance on how to establish, run and manage a commercial technical training organisation from a managerial perspective. It covers business disciplines, employee skills, risks and opportunities as it relates to supporting a training business within a broader product and service-oriented organisation.
For managers with prior knowledge of training provision, it provides a detailed insight into all aspects of running a successful business, be it a small to medium enterprise or large multinational organisation. For those new to training or progressing their managerial career, it provides knowledge, guidance and reference on the requirements one needs to establish a successful service-based training business.
xiv
1 THE TECHNICAL TRAINING ORGANISATION
Introduction to the key elements and activities
This chapter provides an overview of what a technical training organisation provides in terms of its scope, key activities, structure and rationale, and an introduction to the evolving discipline of customer success management and the part it plays in its overall success.
As a career, technical training provides a rich spectrum of opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and business acumen, which are briefly summarised at the end of the chapter in terms of key disciplines.
WHAT IS TECHNICAL TRAINING?
Technical training covers any aspect of an employee’s job role where they are required to use and apply technical components in the execution of their job.
Technical skills tend to be job specific, whereas so-called soft skills (such as management and negotiation) are independent of role and hence transferable.
The training can cover technology applications, products, sales and service implementation. The scope can be broad and cover the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies leading to overall individual or company performance improvement.
Technical training can be purchased directly from a vendor, authorised training partner, contractor or university/college, or it can be provided by an internal training group. Internal training, often known as in-house training, can be delivered by dedicated technical instructors or subject matter experts (SMEs) from within the company.
Vendors who have a service arm to their business will often establish a training group to focus on the provision of both customer and partner-related training, normally for a fee. When the training is diverse or requires a substantial investment in training delivery, they will use a combination of training partners and independent training contractors.
The benefit of investing in technical training is to ensure employees have the confidence and skills necessary to perform their work at a high level, resulting in improved employee morale, efficiency and gaining business benefit from the technology investment.
1
TECHNICAL TRAINING MANAGEMENT
COMMERCIAL TRAINING
Customers who invest in technology often require support regarding implementation, obtaining expected returns on investment (ROI) and technical assistance. As a result, most technology manufacturers establish service departments comprising technical support, consulting and training.
On the training front, technology companies may engage third-party training companies or business partners, undertake it themselves or a combination of all three, dependent upon market opportunity and need. Whichever model they run with, it will involve some element of commercial activity. Table 1.1 highlights the pros and cons of this.
Table 1.1 Commercial training models
Commercial model
Description Pros Cons
Direct provision Vendor provides training direct to customers.
Maximises revenue income and provides capability to sell broader customer solutions.
Profitability can come under pressure due to multi-geographical training demands.
Can be viewed as non-core business and suffer from lack of corporate investment.
Training partner
Training is provided by the training partner on behalf of the vendor.
These partners will either be distributors or value-add resellers.
Enables business partners to add value to their portfolio.
Provides the vendor with greater coverage and minimises risk regarding inability to provide training in all countries the product is sold in.
Reduces vendor need to invest in capital equipment and training resources.
Dependency on the training partners to provide appropriate level of coverage.
Requires commercial models in place that may minimise profitability levels.
Partner management structure needs to be implemented.
(Continued)
2
THE TECHNICAL TRAINING ORGANISATION
Table 1.1 (Continued)
Commercial model
Description Pros Cons
Independent training company
Training is provided by the training partner on behalf of the vendor.
Will have business relationships with multiple vendors.
Customers often use independent training companies to manage their training needs and budgets.
Often viewed as a trusted provider and hence can be an asset to a vendor.
Many independents have international coverage capabilities.
Requires commercial models in place that may minimise profitability levels.
Partner management structure needs to be implemented.
Contractor Independent subject matter expert with instructor-related skill sets.
Flexible resource pool that can be accessed by vendor and other training partners.
Potential to lose customer control.
Multi-modality Training may be available via electronic access (eLearning, video, web).
Provides customers with learning and cost flexibility.
Can maximise profit levels on high volumes.
Cost of development can be prohibitive.
Combination Vendor may apply one or more of the above regarding training provision to its customer base.
Provides vendor flexibility regarding training provision and investment decisions.
Maximises training coverage.
Requires strong product management to ensure right modality is used for the appropriate market opportunity.
Vendors can achieve good commercial results and ensure customers are well provided for by assessing the prevailing market conditions. Through balancing customer need and potential versus access to training resources, a good commercial environment can be established and maintained.
3
TECHNICAL TRAINING MANAGEMENT
TYPICAL TRAINING ORGANISATION STRUCTURE
Training organisation structures differ from one vendor to another, depending upon the size of the target market, the nature of what they want to offer, the investment profile and the functions that can be resourced within a shared services environment.
The organisation chart shown in Figure 1.1 is represented in terms of functional departments. Overall control comes under the remit of business management and is the responsibility of a training executive or senior manager, depending upon the size of the overall team and its financial structure for profit and loss (P&L), cost centre or breakeven.
Shared service functions, such as finance, accounting, legal, and systems and infrastructure, typically come under the respective corporate departments, with remits to allocate staff to support the training group on a daily basis. For the corporation, it represents significant savings in terms of minimising duplication of activities.
Marketing may also be under a shared services remit dependent upon the corporate position regarding alignment of messages, activities and allowable spend the corporation wants to allocate to general marketing activities.
Sales may reside under a professional services structure comprising consulting, technical support and training, dependent upon revenue targets and organisational need. The training sales team may be structured around direct and telesales activities.
Telesales focus their attention on transactional sales activities such as selling places on a public schedule or eLearning offerings below a certain value. The direct sales team undertakes customer account management and sells larger or more complex deals.
The training product management team liaises and works closely with corporate product management to ensure alignment of service-related offerings. Curriculum development with its instructional designers, content and lab developers works closely with product management to interpret their requests and develop training offerings.
Certification and publication teams also work closely with the curriculum team. Publications are responsible for ensuring training offerings – eLearning, instructor-led training (ILT) and virtual instructor-led training (VILT) – are available and distributed in accordance with requests from the administration and operations team following confirmed sales activities. Certification develops examinations on behalf of the curriculum development team and distributes examinations, including pass/fail results, to requesting students.
Training partner management has responsibility for engaging partners who sell and deliver training and for ensuring quality of delivery and sales targets are achieved.
Courses and offerings sold by the sales team are passed to the administration and operations team, who accept bookings and coordinate the distribution of joining instructions and scheduling of resources such as instructors and training rooms. On
4
THE TECHNICAL TRAINING ORGANISATION
Figu
re 1
.1 T
ypic
al o
rgan
isat
ion
char
t
Bu
sin
ess
Man
agem
ent
Tra
inin
g D
eliv
ery
Cu
rric
ulu
m D
evel
op
men
t
Tra
inin
g P
artn
erM
anag
emen
t
Sal
es (
Tra
inin
g)
Mar
keti
ng
(T
rain
ing
) P
rod
uct
Man
agem
ent
(Tra
inin
g)
Cer
tifi
cati
on
Sys
tem
s an
d In
fras
tru
ctu
re
(Tra
inin
g)
Pu
blic
atio
n
Fin
ance
(T
rain
ing )
Acc
ou
nti
ng
(T
rain
ing
)
Leg
al (
Tra
inin
g)
Co
nsu
ltin
g (
Tra
inin
g)
Ad
min
istr
atio
n a
nd
O
per
atio
ns
Sh
ared
Ser
vice
s
Cu
sto
mer
Su
cces
sM
anag
emen
t(T
rain
ing
Pra
ctit
ion
er)
5
TECHNICAL TRAINING MANAGEMENT
completion of an instructor-led course or student receipt of an eLearning or subscription offering, accounting are advised to initiate customer invoicing.
The training delivery team, working in conjunction with the administration and operations team, assists in the planning of course schedules and the delivery of training. The consulting team supports requests from customers requiring specialised training solutions specific to their needs.
To accommodate requests for training in geographies or markets where the training delivery team does not have a presence, the training partner management team enlists and manages authorised partners to sell and deliver on behalf of the training group.
Quality management, covering planning, assurance, control and improvement, comes under the remit of the training business management team. Each manager assesses how overall quality ensures the training service and offerings provided satisfy the intended function. All employees within the training group are held responsible for ensuring quality of service is maintained throughout their activities.
The organisation structure will vary from one company to another, but the functional elements will exist for all. For companies initiating a training department for the first time, many of the elements will reside with the training delivery team. For those who are servicing large training volumes, the elements may subdivide. One example of this is in the area of curriculum development where additional functional elements become departments in their own right, such as eLearning and lab development.
The processes and organisational needs required to ensure all stages of the customer experience are effective need to be defined and in place before customers are engaged.
Customer success management
Customer success management is growing in popularity, specifically in the technical arena. Primarily, the role is based on understanding the needs of the customer and using this to develop a shared vision, establish joint accountability and prioritise their long-term success above all else.
Its key driver is customer retention and requires the provision of dedicated resources on the training side to help align provider and customer in a homogeneous manner. With continuous pressure from competitors, staying one step ahead is a key factor for continued success. For a technical training manager, customer success management alignment is as vital as that of sales account management.
From a training perspective, it is financially astute to assess which customers are crucial to overall company success and what type of coverage is required. This then allows a decision to be made on how many customer success training practitioners are allocated to support the company-dedicated customer success managers, and how best to ensure the full alignment of corporate and customer need.
6
THE TECHNICAL TRAINING ORGANISATION
TECHNICAL TRAINING MANAGEMENT AS A CAREER
Does being a technical training manager limit your career prospects? The simple answer is: no!
Executives of high performing organisations understand that commitment and vigorous pursuit of a clear and compelling vision stimulating higher performance standards is the catalyst behind a great company.
Achieving this comes from hiring managers who can organise staff and resources to be effective and efficient in the pursuit of pre-determined objectives. In that sense, whether you are running a technical department or a marketing department, the principles of management are the same.
Where technical training comes into its own is the diversity of the roles it encompasses:
y strategic alignment: aligning training provision with product and service needs to ensure overall corporate business objectives are achieved;
y content development: design and development of training offerings that enable customers to capitalise on their investment;
y training delivery: managing instructors and training resources to ensure customers have access to training when and where they need it;
y technology management: providing technical resources in support of system infrastructural needs;
y administration services: supporting registrations, bookings, invoicing, scheduling and coordination of resources;
y partner management: establishing partner networks to support coverage and expansion of geographic markets;
y training product management: the design, build, operation and maintenance of the training offering, including marketing need, position and pricing;
y sales management: selling and achieving desired revenue goals;
y business analysis: assessing market potential, coverage and price points for new and existing training offerings;
y business development: expanding the training organisation’s reach into new and existing markets;
y release management: ensuring course and certification releases are clearly coordinated across both internal and external stakeholders.
In running the business, motivating the team is a key element. However, staying focused on the business itself is crucial. Synchronising training activities with the rest of the company is fundamental to its success and its ability to influence at the highest level. With that in mind, the role of a technical training manager provides a rich spectrum of skills, knowledge and business acumen to launch a move into higher executive management.
7
TECHNICAL TRAINING MANAGEMENT
SUMMARY
Customers who invest in technology require training support in order to maximise their expected return on investment. As a result, most technology manufacturers establish training departments to educate and train customer employees to use and apply the technology in the execution of their job role.
Companies who provide training may engage third-party training organisations and business partners, or undertake it themselves to satisfy the market opportunity and need.
The organisational training structure will differ from one vendor to another, depending upon the size of the market, what they want to offer, investment availability and what business functions they need to provide or can be accessed within a shared services environment.
Business management and control is determined by the company’s functional activity and financial reporting needs, such as P&L, cost centres or breakeven.
With the rapid and growing acceptance that customer success management is a crucial component of maintaining a strong and meaningful relationship, technical training must be a key consideration for inclusion.
As a career, training management provides a rich landscape in which to gain broad-based skills across multiple disciplines and contribute in an effective and productive manner to the overall success of a company.
8
INDEX
80/20 rule see Pareto principle
accreditation 47–8
ActivePresenter 208
ADDIE model 193–6, 198, 208–9
Adobe Captivate 9 208
Adobe Flash 207
adoption dashboards 100–2
advisory meetings 85, 91
AGILE 194, 196–8, 209, 218
Amazon 185
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) 60
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 210
Angoff method 217
anti-trust laws 143, 153
Articulate 360 208
attribution licences 266
Baby Boomers 185
back-loaded plans 132
badging 219–20
balance sheets 240, 246, 276
Basic Support 192
benchmarking 201, 214–15, 242
Big Data 185–6
Bing 72
blended learning model 184–5
Bloom’s taxonomy 215
brand awareness/loyalty 74
brochures/catalogues 74–9, 90
budgets 240–2
business design
blueprint 21
developing 15–18
interpretation 12–13
business development
attach rate 62–4
carve outs 61–2
competitive/tactical strategies 64–5
customer reference programmes 88–9
customer/partner advisory meetings 85, 91
demand generation 66–7, 75
discount policy implementation 59–60
disruptive business growth 89
lead generation 67–72
marketing and the internet 72–4, 84
promotional material 74–9, 91
roles responsibilities 57–8
summary 90–1
target revenue, budgetary provision 121
value propositions 15, 40–1, 49, 58
and VSOE 60–1
business development managers (BDMs) 57, 59, 62, 66–7, 90
business model
building an organisation 53–4, 56
climate 54
control/metrics 52–3, 56
critical tasks 49–50
design 55
employee culture 54, 56
financial management 52
financial planning 52, 56
interdependencies 51, 56
rebuilding 55–6
summary 56
value propositions 40, 55
business support functions 27
buyer characteristics 66
care programmes 99–100
carve outs 61–2
case studies 13–20
cash flow 52, 56, 240
catalogues/brochures 74–9, 90
CEdMA member companies 28, 201
certification
advantages 212
classifications 211
defensibility 212–15
development lifecycle 212
disadvantages 212
exam development questions 26
examination revenue 218
future trends 219–20
item writing 215–17
proctored/unproctored 218
summary 220–1
training product management 47–8
types of testing 210–11
Chang, Morris 9
channel selection 30–1
checklists 127–30
classifications 211
climate and culture 13, 18, 280–1
cloud computing 178, 208, 275
cloud-based infrastructure/tools 1, 16–19, 276–9
competency management systems (CMS) 254–6
298
consulting services
and account management 157–9
custom/tailored 167–8
managed training 168–70
offerings 154
profile 154–6
selling 140
summary 171
training needs analysis (TNA) 159–66
content
development 20, 198–200
frameworks 67
lifecycles 198–200
contractors 122
contracts 261–3
copyright 266, 268–9
cost of goods sold (COGS) 224
cost of sales (CoS) 111, 224
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) 89
Creative Commons 266
critical tasks 13, 18–20, 56
cross-border trade 246–7, 264–5
currency fluctuations 98
curriculum development
ADDIE 194, 196
AGILE 196
audience types 191–2
authoring tools 205–8
content/lifecycles 192–4, 198–200
costing 200–2
defending investment 202–5
defining objectives 188–90
introduction 4
lifecycle 205
minimum 190–1
rapid prototyping 195, 197–8
summary 208–9
customer advisory meetings (CAM) 85
customers
advertising/emailing 67
advisory meetings 85, 91
buying process 67
care programmes 99–100
characteristics 66
and consulting services 154
and inbound marketing 69
and product management 30, 40
reference programmes 88–9, 268–9
retention of 100
satisfaction 141
selection 15, 49
specific needs 58
success management 102–3
training 24, 84, 88–9, 102–3
cut scores 215
cyber attacks 58
data protection 267–8
delivery modality 33
demand generation 66–7, 75
Department for International Trade (UK) 246, 248
development lifecycles 212
digital marketing techniques 90
discount policy implementation 59–60
distributed learning 16–17, 20
education services staff skills 19
eLearning
and curriculum development 193–4, 206–8
description 174
introduction 4, 6
and LMSs 275, 279
revenue generation 103
and scheduling/resourcing 113, 131
and VAT 246
electronic performance support systems (EPSSs) 114, 175–6, 184–5
emailing 67
EMEA 280–1
enablement models 249–51
enablement programmes 16, 27
estimated selling price (ESP) 245
European Union (EU) 143, 153, 235, 246, 248, 264–9
evaluation
certification 216
consulting services 166, 171
curriculum development 191, 193, 195, 199
examination revenue 218
executable plans 18–20
fact sheets 74–5
Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (US) 235
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) 245, 248
financial management
analysing/monitoring 242–3
annual reporting 240
budgets 240–2
carve out/discount policies 246
cross-border revenue recognition 246–7
forecasting (qualitative/quantitative) 243–4
introduction 235
metrics processes 224–5, 247–8
models 237–40
summary 247–8
technical training environments 235–7
VSOE/revenue recognition 245–6, 248
fitness for purpose 31
Flash animations 178–9
flipped classrooms 179
focus groups 30
forecasting 235, 237, 243–4, 248
formal organisation 13, 67, 280–1
forming, storming, norming, performing (Tuckman) 55–6
Fortune 500 101, 101n.1
‘freemium’ pricing models 186, 186n1
functional matrix management models 19
GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) 60, 235, 245
gamification 174–5
General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) 264–5, 268
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 267, 267n2, 269
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) 235, 245
geographical pricing 98, 103
Germany 98
Get Set phase 196–7
go-to-market (GTM) 26, 28–33, 103, 186, 199
299
Google 72, 185
Gottfredson, Conrad 194
governance processes
report 223–4
summary 234
and training 222–3
gross domestic product (purchasing power parity) (GDP-PPP) 98
GTM strategies 29–33
HTML5 (mark-up language) 207–8
income
royalty-based 96–7, 103
statements 240
infrastructure/tools
basics 270–5
cloud-based/on-premise solutions 1, 16–19, 276–9
running a business 275–6
summary 278–9
innovation focus 12–14
instructional systems design (ISD) 194
instructor-led training (ILT) 4, 99, 113, 172–6, 180–7, 193, 206, 208–9
intellectual property (IP) 264–6, 266n1, 268
inter-CEdMA company comparison 237
interactive training 174
International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) 235
International Accreditation Forum (IAF) 210
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) 264
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 210
internet
business development 69, 72
certification 218
cross-border trade 264
curriculum development 206
schedule and resource management 113, 131
strategy 9
training offerings 172, 174, 178, 187
interviews 30, 202, 243
investment decisions 26, 110, 141, 243
ISO 9001 standard 145–6
ISO 17024 standard 212, 214, 220
iSpring Suite 8 208
Java animations 178–9
key performance indicators (KPIs) 106, 110, 112
kit sales 97, 103
Kitaboo 208
labs/simulations 177–9
language support 207
lead generation 67–72
leadership 10–11, 54–6, 67, 257
learning
distributed 16–17, 20
lifelong 219
mobile 207
modalities 184–5
next generation 185–6
stacks 274
learning content management system (LCMS) 275, 277, 279
learning experience and performance plan (LEaP) 197–8
learning management systems (LMSs) 174, 206–8, 275, 277, 279
legal requirements
content/trademark 265–7
contracts/standard terms and conditions 261–3
Creative Commons 266
customer reference programmes 268–9
data protection 267–8
defensibility 216
exporting/importing 263–5
indemnity/liability 263
summary 268–9
leverage 75, 107, 188, 194, 198, 257
lifelong learning 219
linear courses 207
LinkedIn 176, 187
MacArthur Foundation 220
machine learning 185
management
business 8
customer success 6
lifecycle 33
technical training as a career 7
market and sales analysis 123
marketing
and business development 57
cultural differences 130–2
and customer reference programmes 88–9
digital techniques 90
go-to elements 13
inbound 69
and the internet 72
and IT infrastructure 18
and lead generation 67, 69
management 27, 57, 90
push and pull digital 72–4
research 99
revenue 99–100
sales 109–10, 121
as a shared service 4
training 39, 39–41, 69, 113
marketplace 12, 14
massive open online courses (MOOCs) 89, 179–80
metrics processes
business 226–7
financial 224–5, 247–8
return on investment (ROI) 232–4
summary 234
training-specific 227–31
Microsoft 218
Millennials 185
mobile learning 207
modularisation 193
mugs 75
net promoter score (NPS) 100–1
next generation learning 185–6
non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) 266
non-linear courses 207
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 264–5
one-to-one interviews 30
Open Badges Infrastructure Group (OBI) 220–1, 220n2
300
Open Badges project (Mozilla) 220
operating efficiency 237
operations readiness testing 27
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 52, 222
P&L
accounts 237
financial models 240
management 235
training partner management 281
packaging and bundling 37–9
Pareto principle 191
partner channels 40
partnerships 16, 49
pipeline effectiveness 110
PowerPoint 208, 218
pricing 32, 44–6
proctored/unproctored 218
product management
channel selection 30–1
content development 109
GTM strategies 29
launch to training 28
and markets 29–30, 39–40, 46–7
packaging and bundling 37–9
pricing 32, 44–6
providing an overview 121
sales channels 41–3
summary 48
training lifecycle management 24, 26
training offerings 31–3, 40–1, 44
training product managers 22–8, 44
understanding customers 30, 40
profit and loss (P&L) 4
profit-centred training groups 123
promotional events 84–5, 90
promotional material 74–9, 91
public relations (PR) 84
push and pull digital marketing 72–4
quality assurance (QA) 27
quality management 6, 23–4, 57, 145–6
rapid prototyping 193, 195, 197–8, 198
Raptivity 208
ratio analysis 237, 247
Reagan, Ronald 10
reference programmes 88–9, 268–9
returns on expectation (ROE) 43–4
returns on investment (ROI) 2, 24, 26, 33, 40–4, 46–8, 123, 169, 201–2, 205, 207
revenue
attainment 109, 111
customer success management 102–3
geographical pricing 98, 103
gross versus net 92–3
kit sales 97, 103
maximising/protecting 99–100
pricing models 93–6
renewals 100–2
royalty-based income 96–7, 103
share 97
summary 103
role-based training 16–17, 20
route to market (RTM) 26, 40–3, 186, 199, 256
royalty-based income 96–7, 103
SaaS solutions 270, 275
sales
and business 40, 57, 104–6
challenges 108–9
compensation and incentive plans 110–12
and consultancy services 158
and customer reference programmes 88–9
dealing directly with decision makers 99
and lead generation 67
management and metrics 109–10
marketing 109–10, 121
negotiating activities 92–3
operating model 107–8
product management 27
as a professional services structure 4
revenue 99–100
skills of training team 19
summary 112
telesales 4
and training product lifecycle management 24
sales channels
cost of 41–3
enablement 41, 41–3
fitness for purpose 41
schedule/resource management
checklists 127–30
contract instructors 127
cost/revenue expectations 132
cultural differences 130–2
delivery resource 116–23
efficiency 123–6
local curriculum 115–16
minimum curriculum 116
modality 116
summary 132–5
understanding demand 113–15
scorecards 166
search engine optimisation (SEO) 72, 90, 274
selling
consultative 139–40
general and administration (SG&A) 43
and training 19, 41, 90
transactional 139
70:20:10 learning model (Lombardo/Eichinger) 176, 184, 187
Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) 207
simulation tool support 207
simulations 178–9
social learning 176–7
‘Social Learning Theory’ (Bandura/Walters) 176
social media networks 67, 72, 106, 108, 184, 259, 270, 275
software as a service (SaaS) 247
South Africa 98
specialised product incentive fund (SPIFF) 112
staff management
competency 254
culture/climate 257–9
employee and contractor recruitment 256–7
enablement models 249–51
job specifications 251–4
301
performance management 255–6
responsibility/accountability 259–60
summary 260
strategy
and business alignment 10–11
defining 14–18
execution 13
four components of 12–13
intent 12–13
route to market/go-to-market 26
to sense and seize opportunity 9
subject matter experts (SMEs) 1, 217
subscription models 15–17
subscription-based 14, 67, 90, 102, 178
T-shirts 75
talent 13, 18, 280–1
technical training 115–16, 157, 168, 178, 219
telesales 4
testing phase see verification
third-party evidence (TPE) 245
Tin Can compliance 207
training
attach rate strategies 62–4
brochures/catalogues 74–9, 90
building a new organisation 55
buyer characteristics 66
checklists 127–30
commercial organisations 2–3, 21
consulting services 140, 154–71
contractors 122
corporate shared service functions 51
costs 92
cultural differences 130–2
customers 24, 84, 88–9, 102–3
decision-based choices 84
delivery 20, 123
geographical demand 98
group governance policy 53
GTM strategies 29–33
high-performing groups 54
instructor-led (ILT) 4, 99, 113, 172–6, 180–5, 187, 193, 206, 208–9
interactive 174
IT infrastructure 16
kit sales 97
management 24, 26, 55–6
marketing 39–41, 69
offerings/modality 27–8, 31–7, 113, 116, 121–2, 172–87, 208
organisation structures 4, 6
packaging/bundling 37–9
partners 4, 17, 20
product managers 22–8, 44
product sales 67
promotional events 84–5, 90
prospecting for new business 99
renewals 100
revenue 109
role-based 16–17, 20
selling 19, 41, 90
support 8
technical 115–16, 157, 168, 178, 219
testing 48
value propositions 15, 31–2, 58
virtual instructor-led (VILT) 4, 103, 113, 122, 173–6, 184, 187
training management systems (TMS) 275
training needs analysis (TNA)
analysis stage 161–4, 171
customer review stage 165, 171
development stage 165–6, 171
evaluation stage 166, 171
implementation stage 166, 171
planning stage 159–60, 171
solution design stage 165, 171
target audiences 191–2
training partner advisory councils (TPACs) 85
training partners
advisory meetings 85–7
contractual requirements 146
customer ownership 143–5
management 143, 145–6
revenue/reward 140–3
sales/delivery 137–40
summary 146–53
types 137
use of 136
training product lifecycle management 24
troubleshooting 192
Tuckman, Bruce 55
United Kingdom 98
United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) 210
USA 143, 153
USB sticks 74–5
value
capture 15, 49
packaging and bundling 38–9
propositions 15, 40–1, 49, 58
VAT (Value-added Tax) 246–7
vendor specific objective evidence (VSOE) 57, 60–1, 90, 92, 103, 245–6, 248
vendors
partner accreditation 218
revenue 97
training 1, 40, 136–53, 168
verification 27, 47–8
Virtual instructor-led training (VILT) 4, 103, 113, 122, 173–6, 184, 187
web surveys 30
websites see internet
World Bank 52, 222
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) 266, 266n1, 268
World Trade Organization (WTO) 264–5, 268
Yahoo 72
YouTube 176, 186–7
302
