Greenhouse Management: Why are training programs important when converting to a new software system?
Dylan Fulk:When a company invests in a new software system, the implementation, setup, and training is really what makes a company successful. There are many business software systems on the market that can achieve roughly the same goals. Therefore, it is the relationship between the software vendor and the customer that will determine the success of the entire project, and whether the customer will succeed with their new system.
At Practical Software, our training and implementation team is what adds value for our customers. We take the time to teach our customers as much as we possibly can about the software, so the customer can become experts in their new system. We also take the time to study the unique aspects of each of our customers’ businesses and offer process and system configuration improvements to increase efficiencies.
GM: As a Sage Development Partner, Practical Software created Grower Vertical for Sage ERP, a business management tool specifically geared for the horticulture industry. Because your company is a Sage partner, growers can learn about Sage ERP through a training portal called Sage University. Can you explain how Sage University helps understanding the software easier?
DF: One of our core principals at Practical Software is, we believe in classroom training sessions. We like to go out and be face-to-face with our customers, and really put forth the time and effort to help them understand the system they’ve purchased.
One of the things we bring to the table, in a relationship with our customers, is that we have Sage backing us. The tools that they give us are phenomenal. They have 13,000 to 15,000 employees, so they have people around the world every day coming up with training curriculum and programs to leverage the software they develop. One of the things they have done to help us is to create a system called Sage University.
Sage University is an online real-time and anytime learning program, where you can sit in the convenience of your office or home and attend classes in Inventory Control, Business Intelligence and Reporting Options, accounting, and manufacturing.
Some of the courses within Sage University are what we call “anytime learning,” which means exactly what it sounds like: You can log in any time. Other courses are called “real-time learning,” which means you sign up for a class to be held on Tuesday, June 16 at 3 p.m., for example. When you log in there’s an instructor and other classmates together in a webinar-type setting.
We would still recommend in-person training during the initial setup of the system. However, we have the technology Sage has given us, inside Sage University, where our customers can go for refresher training or to train new employees.
GM: Which brings us to a common obstacle with growers—employee turnover. How do these programs help the training process?
DF: Here’s the dilemma that most growers face—any organization, really: When your company purchases a business system, a lot of the initial training comes from the vendor, like us, people who go out to their site and teach their people how to use it and really take good care of them and then they go live. And somewhere after that, two years down the road, Sally leaves, Billy comes on board and Billy missed all that hand-holding and all that training.
So to have those online tools inside Sage University, to be able to offer this flexible online training modules to your employees is important — especially in a business where you might have seasonal staff come and go. And the reality is that there are certain things you do in a business system during a busy season that you’ll forget about. And every spring, you probably need a little refresher. So this way, they can go on to that portal and get all cleaned up and refreshed and ready to go.
GM: There’s also a conference coming up that users can take advantage of. Can you tell us a little more?
DF: Another thing Sage will do to create a training environment is host a yearly user conference called Sage Summit. During the conference, you can find face-to-face, real time learning for the 3,000 to 5,000 users who attend. Customers can also learn about product direction, general business practices, and network with other Sage customers and learn from their experiences.
GM: Where can people go to learn more?
DF: To learn more about the value-added services Practical Software Solutions can provide, call us at 704-721-6800 or visit www.GrowerVertical.com.
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