Major Client/ Server Training Opportunities Generated at Late Implementation Stages

4 Pages·1994·0.36 MB·English

INPUT
A Publication from INPUT’S Software Product Support Programme - Europe
Vol. No. 8 December 1994
I,
Major Client/server Training
Opportunities Generated at Late
Implementation Stages
The recessionary economic environment Information Systems environment, is driving
throughout Europe in the early 1990s saw new growth opportunities.
training budgets cut as users took short-term
actions to contain costs. Exhibit 1 shows how European users and
vendors view the possible growth in training
Now, the impetus of client/server computing activity.
many
implementations, outside the traditional
Exhibit 1
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Vendors more Optimistic about The size of these opportunities increases as
Growth
Possibilities of users progress through the various stages of
adopting the new technology. Exhibit 2 shows
Vendors take a more optimistic view of the input’s estimate of the potential of each
possibilities of growth than users, perhaps stage.
because one of their business goals is to sell
How Vendors can Reap the Benefits
training.
maximum
Users, on the other hand, are experiencing Clearly the opportunity exists at
budgetary constraints and are therefore the final stage, but vendors cannot be
inclined to take a more pessimistic view. The confident of reaping the benefits unless they
very fact that on average they see growth meet all the criteria for success.
ahead is largely attributable to the major re*
skilling issues arising from their adoption of Users’ choice of a vendor is most frequently
client/server technology. influenced by the following criteria:
INPUT believes that a compound average • Cost
growth rate between 1993 and 1995 of
Quality
between 11 and 12 percent is realistic. •
Major Opportunities are at Later • Completeness
Stages of Implementation
Cost is clearly important in the harshly
Vendors and users are agreed that regardless competitive atmosphere of the 1990s.
of the rate of increase of training expenditure,
Quality also speaks for itself. Users are
client/server training will increase as a
making massive investments in hardware and
percentage of the whole.
software in order to implement client/server,
Typically, one major vendor of training and will want to avoid the risk of having
poorly-trained staff
courses notes that of all his offerings,
client/server courses are always the best
Completeness is important because users
subscribed.
prefer to use a training source that can meet
Training vendors are keen to capitalise on the the majority if not all of their needs. Exhibit 3
opportunities arising from increased shows typical problems that can arise from
expenditure on client/server training. the use of multiple training sources
{
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Exhibit 2
Comparative Numbers of Training Days at Various Stages of the Implementation of
Client/server Technology
65%
70 j
60 --
50 --
Percentage of
total clienVserver 40 --
training days by
30 --
stages of 20%
Implementation 20 --
%
1210
5%
10 --
0 --
3 4
Project Stages
Project Stage Typical training activity
1. Investigation Overview courses for small pilot team
2. Pilot project Introductory technical courses for pilot team
3. Isolated application Introductory technical courses for select group
Advanced courses for pilot team
4. Global implennentation Advanced courses for select group
Complete training for rest of staff
Source: INPUT
Exhibit 3
Problems Arising from the Use of Multiple Training Sources
IT professionals receive introductory training from Confusion arising from conflicting messages
vendor A, and advanced training from vendor B
IT professionals are trained by vendor X, and end Poor communication arising from lack of common
users are trained by vendor Y ground
Source: INPUT
The
considerations described in Exhibit 3 do their client/server training from a single
not mean that users must always take all source.
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©1994 by INPUT. Reproduction prohibited.
INPUT Research Bulletin
The considerations described in Exhibit 3 do Overall, however, users prefer to use a small
not mean that users must always take all number of suppliers who meet their criteria.
their client/server training from a single
Some vendors already boast extensive
source.
portfolios of client/server training, with
INPUT
It makes sense to take courses on background ranges of over 50 courses. believes
and concepts from an independent training that such vendors, and others who can
organisation, but to use a software products quickly develop a similarly comprehensive
company for training in that company’s own curriculum, are very likely to be successful.
products.
This Research Bulletin is issued as part of INPUT'S Software Product Support Services Programme-
Europe. If you have any questions or comments on this bulletin, please call your local INPUT organisation
or Chris Cadman at: INPUT, 17 Hill Street, London, WIX 7FB, UK, [phone].
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©1994 by INPUT. Reproduction prohibited.