The acronym LMS stands for Learning Management System and is typically associated with online learning programs or e-learning.   Simply put, it is the software that makes an e-learning program function.  But it really is so much more. E-learning is a general term for online training where employees access a website (internal or external) and complete courses on a variety of topics from general safety training to productivity improvement to HR policies and procedures.  All true e-learning courses rely on an LMS to function correctly so when your employees log on to take a course they are actually logging on to an LMS. Some of the largest companies have their own LMS in-house but the high cost and technical expertise required makes that unrealistic for most employers.  A more cost effective option is to utilize the LMS of an on-line learning provider.  These companies often have their own LMS they will allow you to use via the Internet to take courses that you have purchased from them. So now you know that LMS is the software that runs online training courses but what else can it do and why is it so important to find a partner with a world-class LMS?  Here are some of the features you should expect from a top-tier LMS and why they are important. Detailed tracking - All activity must be carefully tracked so you can provide details of all training in a simple to access format on a 24/7 basis. A good LMS eliminates the need for manual training records, the annoying sign-in sheets and the paper files you can never find when you need them. Multi-lingual courses- The LMS should support multiple languages.  Employees learn best in their native language and the LMS should have a number of the most common languages to choose from. Multiple device platforms- The LMS should support PC’s, laptops, tablets and phones.  It should know which device you are using and automatically switch to fit on that specific screen.  You may not need smartphone or tablet training today but with the speed of technology change you may need it soon. Flexible reporting- Most LMS’s can provide basic reporting but as you progress in the e-learning world you will want flexible and customized reporting to fit your needs.  Reports by name, department, location, date, score, frequency, etc.  A self-serve reporting system is nice for those who want to create their own reports. Support other types of training- Not all training is done online so when you hold classroom training using Word documents or Power Point the LMS should allow you to track those classes also and report on them along with online courses. Embedded knowledge checks- These are small 2-3 question quizzes spread throughout the course to check that the employee understands what they just learned.  It also breaks up the course and makes it more interesting. Hands-on activities embedded in the course- Especially for a warehouse or production environment these computer-based, often animated activities allow the employee to practice what they just learned.  This really improves retention and connects with the younger, millennial generation. Integrate with your HR system- The LMS should be able to "talk" to your HR system.  When you hire or lose employees the LMS should know about it and automatically add or archive the names.  One of the most frustrating, and manual, parts of many LMS’s is making sure the employee names are current. Let the LMS do it for you. Reminders- Some training needs to be renewed annually or in the case of lift truck certification, every 3 years. A good LMS will be able to send reminders when re-training is due.  It knows when the initial training happened and sends a reminder 30 days prior to the due date so your team is never out of compliance. Immediate reporting of scores- Employees take the courses and quizzes on their own but if they fail the quiz did they really learn what you intended? Imagine this scenario- John takes a lift truck safety course but fails the quiz.  He goes to work and 2 days later is involved in an accident.  OSHA arrives and asks to see John’s training records.  You go to the LMS, show them his records and OSHA sees that he failed the quiz at the end.  They ask you why you allowed John to drive when you knew he failed the course.  A world-class LMS will send e-mail or text to a supervisor or administrator every time an employee does not pass so they can quickly address it before it becomes a safety issue. Learning Series-Not all employees need to take all courses.  A great LMS will separate courses into Learning Series.  These can be by department so receiving, shipping, order selection or assembly operations all have their own group of courses that a new employee must take.  Of course, some training is common to all departments so the LMS should allow the same course in multiple Learning Series. Training Basket- You know what courses you want employees to take and in what order.  By placing specific courses in their personal online basket you keep them focused just on the desired courses.  When an employee logs on, their basket comes up and gives access to only those courses. Not all e-learning companies are created equal and often it is the quality of their LMS that sets them apart.  If you expect your business to grow and you want to expand the safety, knowledge and efficiency of your team then be sure to choose an e-learning provider with a world-class LMS.  It will make a difference to your business and certainly to your employees. If you want more information on e-learning or how an LMS can benefit you, feel free to contact us. The post The ultimate checklist for choosing a great LMS - Don’t ever settle for less! appeared first on KMI Learning.

Personalization is a big deal in eLearning. But do we really know the learning styles of our users? Depending on your theoretical reference, there are as many as 7 different learning styles. Your learning style not only determines how you learn, it is also very likely to be the most enjoyable and efficient path for you to acquire new knowledge. The idea that there are different learning styles is not new. The concept was first proposed in the seventies (Wikipedia) when scientists realized that people are unique in the ways they learn. Using one teaching method for everyone cannot yield maximum success for the whole. Despite the age of the idea, learning styles still seem to lie outside of the educational system, and not many people take them into consideration. Oddly enough, many people are actually aware of the concept of learning styles. It’s even likely to have popped up in a meeting once or twice. But mostly, the training departments of companies and organizations do not actually take serious stock in considering learning styles. In fact, acknowledging the existence of learning styles seems to stop short of actually incorporating them into their training programs. And this is the very point at which a serious look at learning styles can dramatically increase efficiency and improve safety. Beyond the measurable ROI, developing a training program that includes learning styles gives authenticity and credibility to a much-abused employer branding statement: "treating people as unique employees". This post really is about you. What is your learning style? How do you get the most out of training? And when was the last time your employer tried to make the training about you? Here are the content examples for the different learning styles, just click the image to check them out! High Volume Learner Retrieval Learner Kinetic Learner Visual Learner The post What’s your learning style? Take the Quiz! appeared first on KMI Learning.

You may have noticed that the average age of the workforce has shifted dramatically recently. It’s getting younger. You may also have noticed that older generations of workers are also shifting: they’re aging out and retiring. Shift happens. Change is inevitable. It’s a part of life. It’s even necessary. The problem with shift. As the baby boomer generation shifts into retirement, knowledge is shifting out of the workforce. Estimates suggest that the rate of retirement is a staggering 10,000 people per day. That equates to accumulated centuries of knowledge: best practices, processes, leadership, wisdom, and other valuable legacy information. And we run the risk of losing that vast and vital resource. More shift. US workers stay at a job for an average of only 4.6 years. Although that is an improvement over previous years, it still means that companies are losing valuable training resources and the knowledge that is being learned by those workers. Add to that the fact that college graduates change jobs after less than a year, and Millennials tend to stay at jobs for 3 years or less. All this adds up to a serious crisis of knowledge management. And that’s not all. Consider the resources that go into training each employee. There is a tangible cost in terms of time, money and productivity. But there are also costs that don’t immediately express themselves in hours and dollars. Think of the impact on other employees, and on the leadership potential within the company. Both are casualties of all this shift. Then there’s a whole other dimension that we need to factor in when our work environment includes part-time or seasonal employees. That’s a lot of shift to deal with. The Magic of the ‘e’ in ‘eLearning.’ eLearning will not stop shift from happening. To say that it will is just silly. But what eLearning can do is help you retain the information that your organization has accumulated over the course of its lifetime of human resources, and also retain control of that information. The information and knowledge that new employees need to learn have been developed by your organization over time. The loss of that knowledge to shifting demographics is a terrible waste. It is also preventable. Valuable and unique legacy information, such as best practices, streamlined and refined processes, even organizational history, and trademarked or proprietary procedures can all be documented and stored in electronic form. That’s the magic of the "e" in "eLearning." Archiving the information in a variety of media creates a storehouse of information. Webinars, videos, simulations and other forms of electronic media are all tools that can be used to communicate and present the information for current and future employees. Using your stored information as content, a good eLearning course designer can create customized scenarios to train your employees with the information most relevant to their task(s) at hand. Learning is now mobile. With the power of the internet, knowledge can be transferred, on-demand, to the people who need the information. In other words, training can happen anytime, anywhere, on any device, and for a specific audience, as long as there is a connection to the internet. The material can be broken up into bite-sized pieces, relevant to a specific group of employees, tasks or processes. And every step of training can be monitored, and even rewarded and certified, if necessary. You maintain the security of your proprietary information or permit broader access as content allows. Customized delivery of material Learning Management Systems can incorporate many different forms of media, including social media. This allows learning to be customized according to the needs of the learners, as well as the demands of the content itself. eLearning can therefore greatly enhance Instructor-Led Training, providing a wealth of information as an online resource that augments the personal touch of a classroom setting. Many training programs now feature some blend of ILT and eLearning. No More "Broken Telephone" Documenting and archiving the knowledge of your people also reduces — even eliminates — the kind of shift that happens along a chain of communication. Many organizations experience a sort of "broken telephone" effect, where knowledge is handed down from peer-to-peer, but imperfectly. If unchecked, this shift in information can lead to shortcuts and process errors, and ultimately lead to serious damage, even injury. eLearning standardizes the information for your learners. And the knowledge can be folded into scenarios and simulations. Employees encounter real-life situations in the safety of a training environment. They then apply the best practices before they ever have a chance to pick up a bad habit. Although accidents can still happen, you are reducing the chances of errors by ensuring that all employees are learning the same information from the get-go. While standardizing your information might seem limiting at first, the eLearning environment can be created to allow for innovation and creative thinking. Video simulations allow learners to experience a situation and develop new best practices. Social media can be incorporated into the learning such that learners share experiences, perspectives and insights. The system preserves legacy information while also encouraging growth, especially as new ideas, technologies and applications become available. So you get the best of both worlds: you can retain the quality and standard of your information, while providing room for development and growth. Investing in the future A company’s legacy information is one of its most valuable assets. Finding ways to preserve and develop that asset is an investment for the future. It’s true that documenting and archiving an organization’s accumulated knowledge can be a daunting task. But it is necessary. Consider that the cost of losing valuable knowledge is too great for us to pretend it isn’t happening. In the next blog, we’ll take a look at a real challenge faced by a client, who was a potential victim of the shift that’s happening in the workforce. And we’ll look at three practical ways that we were able to capture the valuable experience and information of retiring employees. In the meantime, the shift in the workforce isn’t waiting. The time to act is now. The post Holding on to Your Corporate Knowledge When Shift Happens appeared first on KMI Learning.

"We have about 30% of our workforce retiring in the next five years!" my client said with panic in her voice. Her panic is well-grounded. In fact, it’s a cry that reflects a disturbing statistic: 10,000 people are retiring every day, and will continue to do so until 2019. And they’re taking their knowledge with them. It’s one of the biggest challenges for companies today. How will they capture that knowledge so that it can be shared with new and incoming employees? Many of these companies’ aging employees have some very specific skill sets that were learned and amended over time. Many of these companies are small- to mid-size manufacturing companies. These companies have specific and narrow market niches with unique job performance requirements. But the challenge is not limited to that company type. Such companies may have grown organically. They may have documented their processes and procedures, and may have developed their training programs and systems. Unfortunately, what may have been overlooked is the training for the skills needed to perform the actual jobs. The old peer-to-peer training model just isn’t reliable. This is especially true when employees are retiring faster than new employees can be trained. Alternative training solutions are essential. The impending and imminent knowledge crisis was what drove my client’s panic. And it begs the question: How can that knowledge be effectively transferred? To capture this knowledge and experience we employed these 3 techniques: 1. We created precise videos of actual job activities. 2. We conducted detailed interviews with successful performers. 3. We aligned these activities with any documented policies and procedures. But capturing the knowledge and experience of the retiring employees was only half the solution. We also had to take the needs of our potential learning audience into consideration. The void left by retiring baby boomers is being filled by the largest generation in the workforce: the Millennials. 1 out of every 3 people in the workforce today is between the ages of 18 and 34. And this generation has very different learning needs from those who preceded them. With this in mind, we took the videos and interviews and developed eLearning course templates for creating digital content. We applied learning principles, script and story-writing techniques, course and graphic design expertise, appropriate animation, interactivities and experiential scenarios to produce highly interactive courses. These courses allow the learners to practice without endangering themselves or others. The employees can be assessed and certified on their knowledge as well. And, the digital delivery is available just when the new employees need it, in a format they understand and find natural. An additional bonus is that these job skills are now quantified and can be used for talent management and career path development. Problem solved. If you enjoyed this article you might also like Holding on to Your Corporate Knowledge When Shift Happens. The post Shift Happens! 3 Techniques for Companies to Preserve the Knowledge of Retiring Employees appeared first on KMI Learning.

Does your company have a fleet of delivery trucks or vans? Many do and they employ professional drivers to deliver products to customers and act as an ambassador for your brand and in many cases the face of your company. But how well are your drivers trained for this job? I am not referring to their ability to drive a truck or safely negotiate a crowded freeway that is taught in driving school when they obtained their CDL. I’m asking about their ability to professionally and effectively interact, to present an outstanding image to your customers so they see you that run a high-quality delivery operation. Your delivery drivers have a larger impact on your customers than most people realize. Consider the following: Drivers typically spend more time at your customers than sales people. Drivers are often viewed as "the face" of your company. A professional interaction with a customer will leave an impression that often is passed up to the purchasing or executive group. Drivers can influence sales at a customer. A negative interaction with a driver can cause you to lose the next sale. A properly trained driver can lessen the impact of an ordering or shipping error. So how do you prepare your drivers to ensure a professional interaction that leaves a positive impression? Most companies, unfortunately, do not provide any type of customer service training for their drivers and assume they will act professionally. The common thought is "He’s just delivering product to the back dock, why does he need training?" People who think that clearly don’t understand the interaction that happens between a driver and customer. Progressive companies are now providing customer service training to their drivers that includes: ✓ Proper and professional greeting upon arrival. ✓ Brief but pleasant small talk to build relationships. ✓ Setting expectations with customers for unloading, checking and paperwork procedures. ✓ Safely unloading and making the delivery. ✓ How to deal with unexpected circumstances. ✓ How to deal with irritated, angry customers. ✓ How to professionally handle the impromptu request for additional services. ✓ Professional dress and personal hygiene. A poorly trained driver who is dressed sloppily, doesn’t have his paperwork organized, does not greet the customer pleasantly, becomes defensive if confronted about a problem and doesn’t know how to handle an unusual request will leave a very bad impression. Receiving supervisors typically have a good working relationship with the buyers and they do share information about vendors and a driver is a representative of you, the vendor. A series of negative comments about a poorly trained driver can quickly impact a buying decision. Alternately, positive comments about professional and cooperative drivers who are attentive, efficient (quick deliveries = lower receiving labor) and helpful may push the next order your way. Training your drivers to have great customer service skills is surprisingly easy and not only the customers but also the drivers will appreciate the training. Online training or e-learning is an easy and inexpensive way to ensure your drivers are trained with the skills you want them to exhibit to your customers. E-learning will train all drivers the same way and with online activities and quizzes you will be certain they understand the customer service aspect of their job. So consider what many high-performing delivery organizations are doing and establish a formal customer service training program for your drivers. Your customers will notice it, your drivers will appreciate it and your earnings will grow because of it. To learn more about eLearning check out our case studies. The post 8 Skills That Will Turn Your Truck Drivers into Brand Ambassadors appeared first on KMI Learning.

I recall many years ago when I was finishing my basement and I felt comfortable doing much of the work myself. Rough carpentry was fairly simple, running conduit was easy, attaching lights was not hard, screwing drywall was quick and forgiving. But there was one thing I would not tackle, drywall finishing. I recall watching the contractor putting on the mud and carefully scraping it away until it was perfectly smooth. As I watched him I commented how good he was at this and I’ll never forget his response: "Hey, I’m a professional, I do this for a living". That comment has stuck with me for years and I often quote it because it is true of most of our professions. We are all expert at something, but no one is expert at everything. So when I was looking to start an e-learning program for a large distribution operation, I researched the options and made a few quick decisions. ➤ I knew I did not want to buy and host the LMS (Learning Management Software) that runs the courses. That is very expensive to buy and maintain and would require IT resources I just did not have. ➤ I knew I wanted mostly custom built courses, supplemented by a few off the shelf ones for the simpler courses. I wanted our team members learning our SOP’s exactly how we had written them. ➤ I knew that to be effective I needed to roll out 6-10 courses per year. This was based on the need to train about one hundred new team members each year. The decision that puzzled me the most however was how to build the individual e-learning courses. During my research I found many companies that offered software that was easy to use and resulted in exceptional courses that employees would love. Some offered webinar tutorials on how to use the software, yet others would have a trainer visit to tutor us on how to build great courses. I even sat through a few demos on how easy it was to use the online tools to make these courses. It all sounded so simple and perhaps the most attractive part about these "build your own" courses was the price tag. I thought I had it figured out: how to build reasonably good courses in-house at an economy cost. Next, I asked the software vendors for a few references, which they readily gave me. I contacted them and asked them a bunch of questions and to share some of the courses they built so I could see the results. These references sealed the deal but not in the way I, or the vendor, expected. Here is what I found: ➤ The courses took from 100-200 hours each to build depending upon the complexity. ➤ They thought they had internal resources technically savvy to do this but found the learning curve was pretty steep and it took months to get competent with the software. ➤ We all want video in our training (it is a powerful tool) but you need someone trained in videography or the results look like homemade YouTube. One sample I viewed was actually filmed with their phone and you could tell. ➤ Writing the script for the course was unexpectedly difficult. ➤ But one comment that made the decision for me, and was universal among all the references. "Building your own courses takes more resources than you expect". In summary, it took longer than they thought, was more difficult than expected, and the results were mediocre. So I decided it was not the direction for me. Then I remembered my drywall contractor and his comment about "leaving it to the professionals" so I started researching e-learning companies who would build courses for me. Here is what I found: ✓ They required no technical expertise or IT resources from me. ✓ They write the script after interviews with my team about how to do the job our way using our terms, tools, procedures, etc. Jointly we edit the script until it is exactly what we want ✓ They use a videographer and professional equipment that comes to my facility to shoot video of my team following our SOP’s. ✓ They provide a "rough cut" of the course that we critique and adjust to meet our needs. ✓ The final version is professional, entertaining, and includes interactive activities that engage the learners. ✓ When completed, the course will run on their LMS that employees will access through a simple Internet link. I expected all of this to be crazy expensive because of the professional skills they provide but what I found was amazing. They are so efficient at this (because they have done so many) that courses can be completed in weeks following a structured timeline. They will lead me through the steps, set up the conference calls, the script reviews, site visit, ask the necessary questions in order to design a course the way I want it to be done. So when I compared the costs of creating mediocre e-learning courses in-house to paying a professional to design and create high-quality courses that they host on their software, it was basically even. That made the decision easy. Eight years and about 80 courses later I still look back to the day I made the decision that was guided by a simple drywall contractor: "Leave it to the Professionals" Did you find this article helpful? You might also enjoy The ultimate checklist for choosing a great LMS - Don’t ever settle for less! The post Are you trying to DIY Your eLearning Development? - Here is Why You Shouldn’t appeared first on KMI Learning.

Does Your Company Have a Safety Culture? This is a question all managers and executives need to ask themselves and then honestly evaluate their organization. Why is this so important? Well the most obvious reasons are as follows: A safe work culture provides…… ✓ Lower Worker Comp costs ✓ Lower insurance premiums ✓ Increased employee retention ✓ More engaged workforce ✓ Better recruiting ✓ No OSHA audits or fines ✓ Fewer lost work days ✓ And many more So what does a "safety culture" mean? It really comes down to attitude and it starts at the top. If the CEO believes in it and executives embrace it and managers empower it and supervisors demonstrate it then the rest of the employees will make it happen. That is when it becomes part of your culture. But if any one of the links in the chain is broken by lack of support then the entire safety culture is at risk of failing. Here is an example to consider… Becker Industries trains its new forklift operators with the minimum required OSHA training, they have safety banners hung up and they talk about safety at the monthly meetings. But a quick walk through the plant and you see forklift operators exiting aisles without slowing or honking, carrying loads in front of them that obstruct their view, driving too fast for conditions and some trucks have broken warning lights. Does Becker Industries have a safety culture? Of course not. But why not? It comes down to commitment and the management is not committed to safety, otherwise the supervisors would stop and coach when seeing unsafe practices, managers would discipline those that continue operating unsafely and executives would insist that safety devices are repaired. If all that happened then employees would start to recognize that Becker cares about their safety and would begin using safe practices. Another way a safety culture is embedded in an organization is through safety training. Since training is always the starting point of any new program it makes sense that safety training is how a great safety program should begin. So what does an outstanding safety program look like? Well, it starts on an employees’ first day and never stops as long as they work there. Here is an example… Stuart is a new employee at Excelsior and in his first morning he is introduced to the company’s safety policy by taking an online course that explains the safety culture, why it is important and what the expectations are for all employees. It includes a brief video from the CEO explaining his personal commitment to the safety of all employees. That makes an impression. During Stuart’s first afternoon he takes an online course for forklift certification that was professionally produced by the company who makes the forklift he will be driving. He takes a detailed, online test that ensures he understands the safe operation of the truck. He also has hands-on training with the certified trainer. This is not a quick overview but an in-depth orientation on the vehicle’s controls as well as significant time where Stuart must demonstrate his ability to safely operate the truck. Although the training was hands-on, the results are recorded electronically along with his online test results. On day two Stuart takes two important online courses. "Haz-Mat Safety in the Plant" and "Lock Out/Tag Out Procedures". These courses explain the Haz Mat material stored in the plant, outlines safety procedures, SDS locations (safety data sheet), what to do in an emergency as well as how to properly lock out equipment suspected of being defective. This was 20 minutes well spent and Stuart’s 100% score on the quizzes is recorded electronically and he receives a certificate showing his perfect score that really impresses his son that evening. On day three a supervisor notices Stuart exits an aisle on his forklift without slowing or honking. The supervisor immediately stops him and reminds him of the lift truck safety training and why it is important to follow the rules and what might have happened if a pedestrian was walking in his path. Later that day Stuart completes an online course on proper lifting and bending that explains and demonstrates why improper lifting is so harmful and how the effects last long after he stops working. The course has many videos and graphics that show, using actual footage from the plant, the mechanics of the body and how improper lifting puts excess strain on critical points. The course has hands-on activities that Stuart must complete to reinforce proper techniques. At the end is a short video segment by the HR Manager explaining her commitment to safety and encouraging everyone to be observant and quickly report all unsafe conditions. Later that week Stuart witnesses an employee driving a lift truck with an obstructed view because of an unusually tall load. He also sees a supervisor immediately stop the employee and explain the danger of his actions and then helps him correct the tall load so he can drive safely. Day five has Stuart taking a course online that explains how Excelsior is so committed to safety that it authorizes any employee to stop the work of any other person if they feel it is unsafe. This cutting edge policy is empowering and sends a clear message to Stuart that Excelsior values safety above productivity. The training provides several video-based examples from their own plant on how this "stop and work safely" initiative is put into practice. On day seven Stuart sees a dock plate that appears to have a slight weld crack. He is not sure but reports it to his supervisor anyway. The supervisor immediately initiates Excelsior’s "lock out/tag out" procedure and calls for service. The dock plate is found to be defective and repaired within 2 days. At the monthly safety-meeting Stuart is recognized publicly for his quick recognition of a dangerous situation and prompt reporting. Stuart’s training continues for weeks with additional online courses every couple days designed to explain safety procedures, describe unsafe conditions, training on what to do in an emergency, how to stop unsafe practices and how to safely operate new equipment. He is extremely impressed with the company’s commitment to safety and the effort spent on educating him and keeping him safe. No other company has ever done this for him.   Do you get the feeling that Excelsior has a "safety culture"? It is a multi-faceted approach from executive management support to positive recognition to quick corrective action, all supported with a strong training program. Excelsior’s online training programs are the foundation of their safety culture. The knowledge and examples learned in training set the standard and expectations for all employees. Your company can also have a world-class safety culture and it starts with training. The post 7 Benefits Of Safety Culture Your COO Should Care About appeared first on KMI Learning.

How much will e-learning cost me? This is a question that most Operations Executives, HR Managers and Training Managers ask at some point.  It’s not an easy question to answer since there are so many possible variables. A better question and one that can be answered with a degree of certainty is "What is the cost of NOT training?" Consider how you train a new employee today.  It likely goes something like this: New hire John Smith arrives and spends time with HR filling out required paperwork. John is then taken to the department supervisor where he will be working and is introduced to a few people and given a brief overview of his job. John is handed off, typically to a tenured employee like Sandra, so that she can show John "the ropes". Sandra spends most of the first morning explaining and showing John how to do his new job.  She may even let him actually do the job or a few simpler tasks while she watches over him. By the first afternoon, John is pretty much on his own.  Sure Sandra is somewhere nearby in case John has a question but she has her own job to do. John struggles for the first week trying to figure out how to do his job with little interaction from the others in the department. This type of training is not uncommon in distribution or assembly line operations and has been the standard for generations.  Unfortunately, it has many flaws. John will be very unproductive his first two weeks and will likely make many mistakes.  He is a rookie after all. John will ask Sandra and any other employee nearby many questions and often the same question repeatedly for the more difficult or confusing tasks. John will not feel part of the team.  He knows he is struggling and let’s face it, no one likes to fail. After several weeks John feels like no one cares about him, he feels alone, he isn’t very successful and quits for a new job. So what did John’s few weeks on the job actually cost the company?  The many mistakes he made resulted in returns, replacement orders, and customer dissatisfaction.   The hands-on training he was given cost hours of Sandra’s time.  HR spent money on recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and new hire paperwork.  Detailed analysis has shown the investment in an employee during the first 60 days is between $8,000- $10,000.    No matter how you add it up the cost of turnover is expensive. So How can e-learning help? Progressive employers understand the benefits of engaging new employees and providing early training on important work practices.  Human Resource experts agree that providing an engaging workplace is a primary factor in retaining employees.  E-learning is designed to engage employees through a variety of media that can deliver any or all of the following topics . . . Welcome to our company- We’re glad you’re part of our team. Safety orientation- What you need to know to be safe on the job. Getting started- A guide to help you be successful in your first week. Quality matters- Why our team is so committed to quality. FAQ’s for our newest team members- We’ll help you be successful. Order selecting 101- How to be efficient and accurate in your new job. A well-designed e-learning program that offers new employees timely and actionable information will help them feel engaged, more productive, safer and part of the team.  It tells them you are more than just an employer; that you really care about them. That’s how you retain the best employees. The post Why You Should NEVER NOT Train! - The Cost of eLearning Development appeared first on KMI Learning.

In the world of online training or e-learning, there are basically two types of courses.  There are training courses that rely on generic, off the shelf material and those that use custom content designed specifically for your company.   They are really very different and they serve very different purposes. Let’s look at how each would work in a production or warehouse environment and the differences between the two. Generic training courses are designed to be, well, generic and while they can provide some basic level of training they cannot provide new employees with the detailed knowledge to effectively do a specific job. Traditionally these courses are used for training on tasks like: Driving a lift truck Safe bending and lifting Hazardous materials shipping Lock Out Tag Out These are all generic functions that are performed the same way in every plant or warehouse.  They are definitely important functions and training on them is critical to a safe operation.  Generic training courses are acceptable for providing the basics or enough to meet the minimum requirements from organizations like OSHA.   What generic courses cannot do is train your employees on job specific tasks or your own unique procedures. In a production environment like a manufacturing plant or warehouse, there are basic procedures you want your employees to follow.  Whether they are learning to receive inbound loads, assemble a valve or pick outbound orders you have developed procedures over the years that you feel are effective and productive.  But your procedures or SOP’s are very different than any other plant or warehouse.  You use terms that are unique to your company, you have paperwork and documents you have created internally, often computers or RF devices have customized screens, and you use tools with names that may be unique to your plant.  You may not think of your operation as unique or custom but it really is and training an employee on the specifics of their new job is challenging and often confusing for the employee. This is where custom content training can really help bring the new employee up to speed much faster and give them a better understanding of their new job.  Custom training using online or e-learning methods is designed to train on your exact procedures using your terminology, screens, documents, tools etc.   It will show them, in detail, how to do their new job exactly how you want them to do it, not a generic way or how a similar company does it.  Custom content courses are built by spending time in your operation, learning the job first then designing a course to show the employee exactly how to do it using pictures, video, screen captures, animation, text, etc. New employees, particularly younger generation or "millennials", are technically competent and have been learning through electronic methods most of their life.  Custom training hosted on the Internet is very comfortable to them and when used to show them visually how to do their new job, is a powerful tool that brings them to full productivity faster. Contrary to what some believe, custom content training is also very flexible and easily updated.  When a procedure is changed, a new document introduced or software upgraded, that specific section of the course can be modified to reflect the change.  Because custom eLearning courses are designed in smaller segments that fit together seamlessly, any one segment can be changed without affecting the rest of the course.  Think about movies and how they are easily edited with parts added or removed without having to reshoot the entire movie. It’s kind of like that. So to summarize, custom content training . . . Is designed specifically for your plant or warehouse. Uses your terms, documents, screens, tools, etc. Trains your employees exactly how you want them to be trained Shows them your SOP’s in your facility in detail. Reduces training time and gets them to full productivity faster. Will connect with your new employees because it is how they learn. Is flexible, adaptable and can be changed when your procedures change. So think of customized training as a new tool to be used in your plant, warehouse or operation that will improve safety, productivity and quality while engaging your employees. To learn more about custom content training and the benefits check out The ultimate checklist for choosing a great LMS - Don’t ever settle for less! and our new video eLearning Overview. The post Your Employees are Unique, Your Company is Unique, Your Training Should be Unique, too. appeared first on KMI Learning.

Employers who rely on temporary workers may soon find themselves required to train the temporaries as though they were their own employees. In a recent article in "Material Handling and Logistics" it was outlined that OSHA, and The Department of Labor believe that both staffing firms AND employers are jointly responsible for safety violations involving temporary employees. This represents a significant shift in responsibility and will put the employer at risk for OSHA fines and litigation in cases involving on the job accidents and temporary workers. Historically the staffing agency held the majority of the risk when a temporary employee was injured on the job. The courts have recently ruled that those who utilize the temporary workers are "joint employers" with the staffing agency thus jointly liable. What this means to you is training, especially safety training, of your temporary employees just became much more important. It is now incumbent on you to provide the same level of safety training to all workers. This can be problematic for you because temporary workers are, well, temporary. They tend to have a higher turnover rate and may only be with you for a few weeks or months. Plus your training budget is tight and you don’t have the time to train a lot more workers. So what can you do to minimize your exposure to the new OSHA guidelines and keep training costs reasonable? Consider online training or more commonly called eLearning. It’s a fast, easy and economical way to train large groups and remain compliant with the new guidelines. Consider the following about eLearning….. Every employee is trained with the same content every time so there is no variation in the message. You will know everyone is trained the same. It is web based and hosted by a LMS provider so you will need minimal involvement from your IT group, which is often a big hurdle to get past. Safety courses can be generic, or customized to your business. The same training can be offered in multiple languages. The employee simply clicks his/her language preference on the opening screen. All training history is documented online. No paper records to maintain. No need to train in large groups and tie up your workforce for hours. A simple quiz at the end ensures understanding of the safety content. Simple and easy reports can be run to verify who has been trained, reminders can even be set up for those who have not completed the training. Another way to streamline your safety training is to allow your eLearning provider to coordinate through your temporary agency so they are responsible for ensuring the required training is done in advance of the temporary worker’s start date. This takes the training burden off of you and gets them working and productive on the first day. OSHA has stated that the employer is best suited to provide site specific and job specific training and therefore, the burden of training rests on the employer, not the temporary agency. If you employ temporary or seasonal workers, let KMI help you meet the guidelines while keeping your cost low and training downtime to a minimum. For more information or to speak to a KMI training professional. The post You Will Want to Know About These New Laws for Temporary Workers and OSHA Training appeared first on KMI Learning.