How to Implement Extended Enterprise Training in Your Organization

Supporting the training needs of multiple audiences can be tricky and complicated. But if done right, your partners will receive the proper training they need to drive revenue for your organization. Also, your customers will be able to use your product or service more efficiently.

It is crucial that you develop a strategy to implement and execute extended enterprise training. You will be able to deliver the most effective and impactful training possible.

Building an Extended Enterprise Strategy

• Identify Your Audience and Their Training Needs
  • Every audience is different. Learning styles and training resources can vary from group to group. They have their unique training needs so a one-size-fits-all solution will not work well. It is important that you determine who your audience is and research each group to assess their learning requirements.
  • Start by communicating with the team that is tied to the target audience. If you are going to train your customers, for example, it is best to speak with a customer service representative. You will have insight into customer training needs and see what areas they need support in. You can also get recommendations from your customer service team on what they think will work well with their clients. Also, consider reaching out directly to your audience. Use surveys and live discussions to see what they would like to see in their training program.
  • From knowing the training needs of your audiences, you will be able to craft an effective training program. You will equip them with the knowledge and resources they need to be successful.

• Set Goals For Each Audience
  • For any new initiative, establishing goals is always a must. When delivering training for different audiences, you should not set up a goal that reflects all groups. You need to define goals for each type of audience you plan on training, as they have their own unique training needs. Establishing these goals will allow you to better keep track of learner progress. It will also help you plan out what needs to be done to reach these goals. 

• Track Training Performance
  • To ensure your extended training program is performing well, you need a way to track the performance. You want to see how learners are progressing through their courses and if they are meeting their training requirements. Tracking your training also allows you to identify areas in need of improvement. You will be able to address issues before they turn into bigger problems. 

• Keep Learners Engaged
  • Learners who are engaged with training will have higher knowledge retention. They are more likely to enjoy training and be committed to completing their courses. It is, therefore, crucial you keep your audience engaged with your training.
  • Start by setting up automated reminders to help learners stay on top of training due dates. You can auto-enroll learners into new classes based on user properties to help them further build their professional skill set.  Criteria such as completion status, title, or location can be used for auto-enrollment. Also, consider using various types of content such as videos, presentation slides, how-to guides, and webinars. Having only a single type will make learning dull, tedious, and will disengage your learners.

• Determine Learning Stakeholders
  • If you have several audiences with unique training needs, you should appoint an individual to oversee and manage each segment. This person should be in charge of determining the audience’s training needs, what content is needed, and ensure goals are being met. Having one person taking care of multiple groups will be difficult for them to manage. It’s best to have a single person for each segment to ensure they have the capacity to manage it effectively.

How to Prepare For Your Extended Enterprise Training Program

• Evaluate Your LMS’ Capabilities
  • Before implementing extended enterprise training, you should make sure your LMS can support it. If not, consider looking into other solutions that can. Check to see if your LMS supports the features we covered earlier. Also, confirm if it allows you to manage content, users, customization, branding, and rules for each audience you have. 

• Develop Training Materials 
  • Complete Content Audit
    • You will need content for each group of learners, but building each piece of content from scratch takes time and effort. However, you may already have existing materials in your inventory that you can leverage or repurpose. Do a complete audit to see what assets you can reuse or pull information from to form new pieces of content.
  • Prepare Your Content
    • Complete your content audit, identify who your audience is and their training needs. You will have a list of resources that you can use for each segment. 
    • You can then start developing a content plan and begin preparing the content that each segment needs. When you launch, you will have your materials readily available.

• Structure Your Extended Enterprise
  • If you have numerous audiences to train, it is best that you structure and organize your audiences. You will be able to establish your hierarchies and manage them more easily. Once this is done, you will need to customize each platform so that it is personalized to that specific audience.

• Create a System in Place To Track KPIs
  • Have a way to track training progress to ensure it is helping your partners and customers. LMS reporting capabilities allow you to quickly generate reports on KPIs. You will be provided with enhanced visibility into the progress of learners and the performance of your training program.
  • Considering using automated reports to keep your team updated on what’s going on. You can set up these reports and have them sent to your inbox or the inboxes of your team members. For example, you can send a report every Friday to show which learners have completed training the past week and those who did not. 

• Launch a Kickoff Session
  • Before launching your extended training program, it is a great idea to have a kickoff meeting with the audience you are training.

The kickoff meeting should consist of:

• Clear expectations
• How the program will work
• Goals they should be aiming to achieve

** Don’t forget to highlight the importance of completing their training to encourage them. 

** Having these sessions will ensure everyone is on the same page and know what is needed from their end to be successful. 

Final Thoughts:

It is vital that you develop a strategy to implement extended enterprise training within your organization. The benefits are substantial if you are able to provide high-value training for your extended enterprise. You will be able to drive additional revenue and minimize the risk of your customers leaving you for competitors. And overall, you will improve business performance as a result.