The programme was successfully piloted at South Thames College in London. Here Optimum designed and ran six 90 minute classroom sessions to demonstrate the new procurement processes and allow the 150 users to practice them. The consultancy also produced a series of laminated quick cards covering key aspects to help users back at their desks.

Natalie Ferer, head of finance at South Thames College, said: “The training programme was very successful. Our Optimum training consultant really understood the system and the procurement processes at the college and his preparation was very thorough.”

Optimum is Advanced Business Solutions’ preferred user-training partner and Ferer said she was happy to outsource training because: “I wanted the training to be effective and clear and delivered by someone who had professional experience of giving financial training to large groups and to non-finance staff. I also didn’t want users to feel that finance was telling them what to do.”

Sarah Kirk, Optimum’s former managing director, said: “We think this ‘boxed solution’ is an ideal way to train up to 25 people at a time, in just an hour and a half, how to raise and approve requisitions and orders. It’s highly cost effective and means the eProcurement implementation team has one less pressure to deal with.”