Retail training solutions

Your end users deserve job-specific training solutions which will help them achieve the maximum benefit from the new system.

Having supported nearly 40 different retailers, Optimum has the experience to provide you with an unparalleled end-user training programme for any business system. These include finance, HR/payroll, CRM and business-wide ERP systems, as well as industry-specific ePOS, POS, inventory management, retail manufacturing, ecommerce and customer loyalty systems.

Benefits of using Optimum

Designed for you

A bespoke programme developed using your specific build and business processes, delivered by us or you.

Flexible offering

Flexibility to cherry pick which training modules are developed in-house and which to outsource.

Fully-prepared staff

A confident, competent workforce, ready for go-live, maximising the return on investment.

Greater focus

Time for your project team to focus its attention elsewhere during the busy pre-go-live period.

Tailored role-based training for your users

Your end-user training programme must be targeted so the right content is being trained to the right audiences. This fast-moving sector where the end users are both customer facing and office based brings with it a set of challenges when training. Firstly, there is typically significant differences in the level of user ability. Secondly, depending on how old the existing processes have been in place, there will be resistance to change. And as many of the users are customer facing, the timing of the training must be flexible and not hinder business in any way. Typical audiences and challenges are captured in the workstreams below.

Store managers, assistants, replenishment managers

Training for stores staff is ideally delivered in the store. Depending on the number of stores, Optimum would recommend training internal resources so as to cascade the training and keep the training programme inhouse.

Alternatively, a mock-up of a store(s) could be used to deliver role-based training simulating real-life customer interactions/transactions.

Operators, team leaders, despatch managers

Considerations should be given to shift patterns for some user groups. Training for operatives is better received in the workplace rather than a classroom setting. Short modules on tasks such as goods in, transfers, stock counting, pick-pack-dispatch, and so on could be included with coloured quick cards (cheat sheets) on each of the processes.

Team leaders and mangers could benefit from classroom training depending on their level of system usage.

Merchandisers, buyers, stock managers

Although part of the same workstream, the roles and ERP tasks carried out by these user groups are different but intrinsically linked.

It is important that each user group is trained to understand all roles within the Merch & Buy workstream.

Field sales, sales managers, marketing teams

It is key that the training programme for both sales and marketing is interlinked. Sales need to understand the offering across all channels as well as understand how the Customer Service team will service their customers.

Training for these audiences will be varied, possibly involving short presentations for field-based sales teams and hands-on classroom session for users of the core functionality such as the Marketing team.

Customer managers, customer assistants, refunds managers

Timing for the training of a Customer Services team is paramount as they need to be proficient from day one as well as carrying out their BAU role. This can be done in a blended way, providing them with real customer scenarios, therefore simulating what they will be expected to do from go live.

Training should consist of walkthroughs using your customers, products and inhouse processes.

AP clerks, AR clerks, finance managers

Training for these audiences should involve hands-on classroom consolidation activities which are business aligned. If the finance team is small, their involvement in UAT could mean only reference material is required.

Timing for the training of finance users is paramount and cannot disrupt their end of month/quarter commitments.

Industry systems we have worked with

Microsoft Dynamics 365

SAP Hybris

SAP

Microsoft Dynamics AX

SAP S/4HANA

Oracle NetSuite

Oracle Cloud ERP

Infor CloudSuite ERP

Epicor ERP

Microsoft Dynamics NAV

Oracle JD Edwards

Unit4 ERP

Workday

Salesforce

CoreHR

MHR iTrent

SAP SuccessFactors

Sitecore CMS

Oracle HCM Cloud

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

An unrivalled choice of training methods

We design bespoke training programmes which meet the diverse needs of the different user groups. This means having a variety of supporting materials and delivery methods which engage end users with timely, relevant content so they retain the information.