Computer Training and Support - Return on Investment (ROI)

Many businesses look at training as an expense to be cut whenever times are difficult. They also look at computer support in the same way. They don't get support unless they have no other alternative.

This article that I found talks about these two "expenses" as something that should be looked at as an investment. Although much of the content is worthwhile, the challenge is to show that benefit. Some of the recommendations in terms of in house support is something that I disagree with.

First let's look at training. A lot of the article talks about measuring the value of training. This is one of the BIG issues and is the primary reason why training is often cut when it is needed the most. How do you measure the value of training. The article talks about how much people have learned. Is this measurable? The real issue is that training is of little measurable value unless it returns something to the business. Generally, we know and understand very little about the capabilities of the software that we buy. There is plenty of opportunity to use much more of the software. But whether we know how to use it, whether we use it, and whether we get business value from it is the important question. If we start with the end in mind (getting business value), then we can get a return on our training investment. If we become more productive, if we get information we didn't have before, if we are able to increase revenues, then we have created value. This is how we get ROI! Training does not provide value! The results that we achieve by the training is what is important. You canlook at the article to see how you can make it happen.

The second area referenced is support. The article recommends that every small business find themselves a good computer support company. If the support company is proactive (fixes problems before they happen), then what you gain is increased productivity because you don't sit around with failing equipment. You also will get better performance and response time. You get better technical skills and don't spend your time on trying to hire capable computer technicians. Unless someone deals with computer support every day, they aren't good enough. Your son or the neighbour's son, who is great at games and social networking is not good at maintaining a stable environment. This savings will far exceed the cost of preventative maintenance.

However, I disagree with a few recommendations related to what should be done in house vs outourced. For inhouse support:

1. I agree that staff should maintain a list of all day-to-day problems. This is necessary to identify whether adequate support is provided and whether it is getting better.
2. I disagree with running of tape backups should be done in house. In house staff are focused on day-to-day production. They don't understand the implications of backup and recovery. When something goes wrong, they invariably do the wrong thing. I have seen many cases where backup fails and they are "too busy" to take care of it, or have a problem with testing recovery, but don't get it fixed. We now have remote backup services that can be monitored and managed by a supplier.
3. I disagree with handling all first level Microsoft/Desktop issues. Many problems are created by staff trying to fix problems. If the problems require fixes, they are installed improperly and your supplier doesn't know what was done. If the questions require a how to, the scope of the solution is based on the skills and knowledge of the person answering the question. The training portion of the article describes the problem here. Most of our staff don't have a good understanding of the software being used. So look for expertise and measure the results.
4. I disagree that strategic planning should be done by the outsourcer. This is a business issue! The business may not have the technical skills to define the technology strategy and they will need support for this. But they must define the business strategy. Their supplier can help them to identify the technology that will help to deliver it.
5. I disagree that the outsourer should develop the Disaster Prevention and Recovery plan. This is a business issue! Business recovery involves much more than technology. Only the business managers understand what is needed. The supplier can help to develop solutions.

The two issues identified are valid as well as a lot of their responses and recommendations. If you want to see the full article, check

Why IT Training and Support Makes Business Sense