Designing an ERP Training Strategy – Step-by-Step Guide

In many ERP implementations, the training phase only becomes a priority once several other decisions are already in motion. By that point, Programme Managers often need to work through audiences, content, delivery, timing and project inputs all at once – often before the full requirement has been mapped out.

This is not a small task, particularly when over 60% of ERP project failures are linked to user readiness and adoption challenges. A clear ERP training strategy helps bring structure to that work, making it easier to scope the requirement and build a plan around the business processes end users will need to follow.

This guide sets out a practical approach to planning the training phase.

Read more about the real cost of ERP implementation failure.

What an ERP training strategy should define

An ERP training strategy should define the key areas to consider before detailed planning begins. This means being clear on the decisions that will shape the training phase and the wider ERP training plan.

At a practical level, that includes:

• Who needs training
• What they need to learn
• How to group end u
• How the training should be delivered
• When it should take place
• What training materials and resources will be needed
• Which deliverables are likely to be needed for different audiences
• What prerequisites or introductory learning may need to come first

Once those points are established, it becomes easier to scope the training phase effectively and identify where further input is still needed.

A step-by-step blueprint for ERP training planning

A practical ERP training strategy gives the training phase enough structure before detailed planning begins. That usually means working through a series of planning stages that define scope, audiences, content, delivery and ownership.

Step 1: Define the scope of the training phase

Start by defining what the training phase needs to cover.

That may include the affected business areas, the end-user groups in scope, the locations involved and whether the implementation is working towards one go-live date or a phased approach. If different parts of the business are moving at different speeds, that needs to be understood early as well.

This sets the boundaries for everything that follows. It also gives the project team a firmer basis for judging the likely scale of the training phase and the level of coordination it will require.

What to know
It can be useful to list any groups that are out of scope at this stage as clearly as the ones that are in scope. This helps avoid treating late additions as minor changes when they may affect audiences or the effort required.

Step 2: Identify the end user audiences

Once the scope is clearer, attention can turn to the end-user audiences. Different end users will need different training depending on their role, responsibilities and how they will use the system in practice. Role-based planning matters here.

A broad audience definition is rarely enough, particularly where different functions and locations or user groups interact with the system in different ways or need different levels of detail. The clearer those audience groups are, the easier it becomes to shape the relevant training deliverables and delivery style to each role.

What to know
If a role performs the same transaction differently across sites or business units, consider treating it as a training distinction, even if the job title is the same. That difference may affect not just the training content, but also the examples and the level of guidance that the audience needs.

Step 3: Gather input from subject matter experts (SMEs)

The quality of the planning depends heavily on the quality of the input. SMEs are central to this because they understand the future-state business processes and the way end users will be expected to work.

Their input helps turn broad training requirements into something more workable. The planning process partly depends on having access to the right staff, who can explain how the system will support the business processes that end users will be expected to follow, and where the important learning points sit. They will also be best placed to understand the end users day to day role, including which training delivery style may be appropriate.

What to know
Ask SMEs to show where a process starts and what triggers it. Also, ask about what ‘good’ looks like at the end. That usually produces better training input than asking them to describe screens step by step. It can also help identify where one role hands off to another, which is often where end users need more context in training.

Step 4: Define what needs to be trained

With the right input in place, the next task is to define what needs to be trained. That means identifying the end-user functionality and business processes to include in training for each audience.

The goal is to move beyond system features and focus on what each audience needs to know in order to carry out its role effectively in the new system. This is often the point at which the training requirement begins to take shape.

Do:

• Define training content in the context of the role
• Focus on what end users need to do within the business processes

Don’t:

• Build the training phase around features without role context
• Assume every audience needs the same level of detail

What to know
Try separating what end users need to do every day from what they only do occasionally. This helps decide which content needs to be shared in what format. For example, in-depth accounts payable processes are likely best shared in a detailed reference guide format, whereas inputting expenses might be more appropriate as a quick video or quick card. It can also show where introductory learning, role-specific training or supporting materials will each play a different part.

Step 5: Decide the delivery approach

Once the content areas are defined, the next step is to decide how each part of the training should be delivered. The right approach will depend on the complexity of the task, the audience requirements, the geographical spread of users and the realities of the wider programme are also essential factors.

Areas to consider may include:

• Where classroom or virtual training sessions will be needed
• Which content may be better suited to self-paced learning, such as Digital Self-Learn
• Where concise support, such as quick cards, will be enough
• Where more back at desk guidance, such as reference guides or trainer packs, will be needed

It is also worth considering whether some limited or specialist audiences may only need supporting materials, and whether introductory learning should come before more role-specific training.

The aim is to choose an approach that meets the requirement, rather than applying the same format throughout the training phase.

What to know
Topics that involve judgement, exceptions or approvals often need more discussion and explanation. More repeatable, process-driven tasks may be better suited to self-paced digital learning and supporting materials. That distinction can also help when deciding where live trainer input will have the greatest impact.

Step 6: Build the outline of the ERP training plan

By this point, the strategy should be developed enough for the ERP training plan to start taking shape. This is where the earlier decisions can be brought together into a working outline detailed enough for review and testing.

At this stage, the plan may need to set out:

• Target audiences
• Session topics
• Session durations
• Style of delivery
• Training logistics where relevant

It should also show how those sessions are supported – including the materials each audience will need and any learning that needs to happen before role-specific training begins. Where users are spread across different locations or need to be brought together in a particular way, those practical considerations should also be reflected in the outline.

What to know
Consider drafting the plan at the session level, not just the topic level. A topic may sound manageable on paper, but when split into sessions, it often reveals that the plan is too heavy for one audience or one time slot. It can also show where shared learning can be separated from role-specific sessions, or where shorter modular sessions may work better operationally.

Step 7: Review and validate the outline

Once the outline is in place, it is worth reviewing it with key stakeholders before development begins. This helps check whether the audiences, topics, delivery approach and timings are realistic from both a project and business point of view.

It may also reveal gaps and overlaps, or assumptions that were not obvious earlier in the process. SMEs and project leads, as well as business stakeholders, should be able to confirm that the outline clearly reflects the future-state business processes to move forward. This is also the point to verify whether any changes to responsibilities or process design affect what needs to be included in training.

What to know
Ask reviewers to challenge the audience splits and timings first. Those are usually the areas that create rework later, more than the topic headings themselves. If the review stays at too high a level, those issues are often missed until content development is already underway.

Step 8: Confirm timing, inputs and responsibilities

A workable training plan still needs practical backing. Before the training delivery phase moves forward, there needs to be alignment around timing, ownership, locations, project inputs and wider business support.

That includes confirming SME input, reviewing responsibilities, planning dependencies and coordination with the wider implementation timeline. It also means securing agreement on staff availability and project priorities, as well as support from the wider business.

What to know
Agree on who will review materials and who will sign them off. Also, decide upon how long each review cycle should take. Without that, development can stall even when the training plan is agreed.

Read about the key features of a successful ERP implementation.

When to start planning ERP training

For this type of planning to be useful, the timing needs to be right. Ideally, it should take place when business processes are approximately 80–85% complete. That usually gives the project team enough clarity to start shaping the training phase properly, without waiting for every part of the implementation to be finished. However, the right staff need to be involved here. What matters most is access to staff who understand the future-state business processes and can explain them clearly

This makes it easier to start shaping the training phase at the right point in the programme.

How RapidScope® can support ERP training planning

For organisations that need a faster way to structure this work, Optimum’s RapidScope® exercise is a standalone service for scoping end-user training requirements.

It is designed to give project teams a sound starting point for planning this work without relying on access to the system build or waiting for every detail of the implementation to be finished.

The exercise involves one of our Senior Consultants interviewing SMEs to understand the end-user functionality and business processes to be included in end-user training. The report then answers the who, what, why, where and when for the end-user community, with detailed outlines covering target audiences, topics to be trained, recommended deliverables, likely durations, prerequisites, supporting materials and style of delivery.

Where training planning and scoping can take months internally, RapidScope® provides project teams with a far quicker plan, often within 2-3 weeks.

Turning strategy into a practical training plan

A well-defined ERP training strategy gives Project Managers a stronger basis for shaping the training phase before detailed development begins. When the training requirement is properly scoped, it becomes easier to build an ERP training plan that reflects the end-user community and the wider implementation.

Learn more about our customised ERP training plan exercise, RapidScope.