When implementing software, training helps ensure staff embrace change and maximise productivity. However, it is equally important to train new staff and provide refresher training as the software is updated.
Staff education is often neglected when profits fall as it can be difficult to evaluate and gauge return on investment. Training can be a minefield. There is a plethora of courses and those that are incentivised with CPD points can be expensive (and sometimes the quality just isn’t up to scratch).
That being said, software training can be easier to evaluate.
It makes sense that if your software is constantly evolving you should keep you staff aware of new enhancements. And it stands to reason that in-house training will never be quite as good as training from your providers and quality will be diluted over time. Maximising time saved by using software is quantifiable and should be carefully considered.
A simple scenario for evaluation
Your lawyer has been using FilePro for two years and was originally trained in-house by fellow staff members (they forgot to mention a few key features). Or perhaps they sat comprehensive training during implementation, but new features have been released over the last two years.
You send the lawyer to some refresher training or enlist a trainer to attend your office.
They learn to:
- Preview documents rather than open them every time
- Search the system for documents more efficiently
- Attach relevant parties to a matter so they don’t need to repeat contact information
These new tricks save your lawyer 40 minutes a week – roughly 1% of their working time. Your lawyer charges $300 an hour, meaning they’re freeing up $200 worth of billable time per week. With just one lawyer you’re saving nearly $10,000 a year.
Multiply this across several lawyers and the numbers stack up very quickly. When you consider the additional savings for support staff, the value in regular training becomes clear.
Training is rewarding in other areas too. Group sessions encourage discussion around best practice in your firm and help with team building. Demonstrating that you value your staff by investing in education will improve retention rates and morale. Frustration with software can lead to a toxic office environment – if your staff feel confident they’ll be more motivated and self assured.
Your local FilePro representative has regular training sessions scheduled and can find a time to suit you. Otherwise you can discuss customised training to suit your specific needs.
