Software training like gaming software

There is a change coming in business software. It's happenning in web based solutions, but has been around for a long time in games. How effective it is for business is another question.

Games are designed with training in mind. When you start playing a game, they give you a simple problem. As you succeed at the first level, you get a bigger challenge. Each level gets more difficult. There are two benefits to this:

• First, you are not exposed to the complexity of the full game. In effect you learn by doing.
• You get a feeling of achievement as you pass each level. This creates an interest in going to the next level

Business software traditionally has not done this. Because the software comes with the software supplier, he provides training. There is an assumption that people will remember this blast of training and that common training is adequate for everybody. It not only assumes that everybody learns at the same pace, but it assumes that every business is the same. Learning through a fire hose does not work! Every business is different, every person has a different learning process, and every person has a different job. The learning process should be like what is delivered by gaming software. Learn a little at a time, learn only what you need, see some success and go on to the next step.

Self learning is available in web based applications as well. Many of the products that are delivered over the web are easier to use. We can see that in individual products such as Amazon and eBay.

Is that good enough for business? Do we just wait until the software suppliers deliver a more innovative way of training business people?

There is one more compliation in business. In games and in many of the services like Amazon, there is one process and it is defined by the software developer. The software developer defnes the goal and the methods of achieving success. They program this into the game. They are in total control. Services such as Amazon may be more adaptive, but the supplier is still in control of the game.

Business is different. The software developer develops an automated process, but the business is in control of the game. The business has their own set of goals, their own business process and will try to adapt the software to support the business process. The software supplier is not in control. He doesn't know how the software will be used, so he can't build a self training approach.

Many businesses buy the software and assume that installing the software will address their problem. After the fact (time and money), they find themselves dissatisfied with the results. They didn't know that they had to provide the goal, the vision of how to reach that goal and the process that the software has to be applied to.

I'm sure that we will solve this problem some day. But for now, we need to focus on the process and a better method of training staff to learn the software.