Chapter 8 - Training and Support Programs for MS Office

Article
02/20/2014

Archived content. No warranty is made as to technical accuracy. Content may contain URLs that were valid when originally published, but now link to sites or pages that no longer exist.

This chapter helps you introduce Microsoft Office 97 for Windows and Office 98 for the Macintosh to users in your organization. It describes a general plan for implementing training and support programs, preparing documentation, and promoting Office throughout your organization. This information is intended primarily for information systems and training managers who are responsible for preparing users to switch or upgrade to Office.

See Also

For a summary of new and improved features in Office 97 (Windows) or Office 98 (Macintosh), see Chapter 2, "What's New in Microsoft Office."
For information about rolling out Office in large organizations, see Chapter 3, "Deployment Guide for Microsoft Office."

Speer Software Training, Inc.

This chapter was written by Bonnie Speer McGrath, president of Speer Software Training, a national training company that specializes in helping organizations design and implement instructor-led training programs to support software transition and upgrades to Office. Established in 1986, Speer Software Training today has more than 300 trainers located in many cities around the country/region, including Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. For more information about Speer Software Training, call (612) 996-0015, or point your Web browser to: https://www.speer.com/

Overview

A well-planned training and support program, including promotion of Office and documentation, will help your organization get the most out of Office. This is true whether you are switching from a competitive product or upgrading from an earlier version of Office. This chapter focuses on migration training, or preparing users for the switch to Office.

Budgeting for Training and Support

Consider carefully the cost of migration training, support, promotion, and documentation. Many organizations commit 10 percent to 20 percent of their Office budget to preparing users for the transition, helping them learn the new software, and customizing documentation. Your investment in training helps users master the many features of Office quickly and minimizes disruptions in your organization.

Designing a Migration Training Program

Although deploying Office is a one-time event, learning Office is an ongoing process. The first priority of the migration training program is to prepare users to start using Office. However, you may also want to design a migration training program for any or all of the following situations:

Most people in your organization use Office to some degree, so you have audiences with different learning needs. Scheduling training to coincide with the implementation of Office is a significant task.
Many users use various electronic mail (e-mail), scheduling, word processing, or spreadsheet applications. Reducing the amount of time that your organization uses dual software systems is helpful.
Some users may have Office at home. The training program and class groupings must enhance (or correct) existing knowledge.
Many users have experience with similar software. The training program needs to relate new information to their existing knowledge.
Some users use two systems for a period of time. They need to understand when and how to convert files to Office.
Some users resist change, especially when you are moving from non-Microsoft products. You need to reduce resistance to Office by providing information about the rollout and training.
Some users are overwhelmed by new information. To master Office, users have many opportunities to learn — opportunities that are geared to how they use Office, such as demonstrations, self-exploration time, computer-guided training, instructor-led training classes, and desk-side support.
Your organization may want to use customized applications of Office. The training program must address these applications.
Your internal training and support staff knows your current software intimately but has no expertise with the new software. In-depth training prepares your staff to support Office during and after the transition to Office.
During the Office rollout, your training staff must do their current jobs and fulfill their extra rollout responsibilities. You may need to hire a training company to meet the increased need for training and support.
Demands on the help desk increase significantly as users start using Office. Your plans must account for this extra demand on resources.

Implementing Office Training Tasks

The following table lists the critical training tasks for implementing Office. Based on the deployment plan in Chapter 3, "Deployment Guide for Microsoft Office," this table assumes that your Office deployment begins in week 14.

Task	Team	Start Week	Average Duration
Assemble the training and support teams	Planning	Week 1 – 2	10 days
Prepare the training and support teams	Training and support	Week 3 – 4	Varies depending on software and existing expertise
Develop the training plan	Planning, training, support, and installation	Week 5 – 6	10 days
Prepare the documentation	Training	Week 7 – 10	20 days
Schedule training for the pilot rollout group	Training	Week 8	5 days
Promote Office and the training plan	Planning and training	Week 9 – 13	Varies depending on your plans for promoting Office
Test the training plan during the pilot rollout	Installation, training, and support	Week 14	20 days
Measure your success	Training and support		ongoing process
Implement the training plan during the rollout of Office	Installation and training	Usually 4 or more weeks after the pilot rollout	Varies depending on size of organization

Assemble the Training and Support Teams

The training team includes a project manager as well as trainers who deliver training and desk-side support. You may also consider including writers and editors to prepare documentation and manage promotion of Office.

The support team includes expert users to deliver telephone support from the help desk. It may also include users who provide informal support, such as word-processing operators or selected power users.

The training and support teams may include internal or external resources. The makeup of the training and support teams depends on the services you plan to offer, the rollout schedule, and the strength and size of your internal staff.

Identifying Internal Training and Support Resources

Use your internal training staff and help desk staff as much as possible during the rollout of Office. These groups are your best long-term providers of information, training, and support for Office. If their current jobs prevent them from participating directly in the rollout, keep them up to date about the project and make sure that they are prepared to support Office after the transition to Office. Your training staff and support staff have direct contact with users; they can also help you promote Office and the training plan.

Identifying External Training and Support Resources

Many organizations work with an outside training company — a training partner — to shorten the rollout process or provide services that are not available internally. Finding the right training partner can be time consuming, but it is worth the effort to find the company that best fits your needs.

Look for these characteristics in a training partner:

Experience with Microsoft software (for example, a Microsoft Solution Provider)
Experience in software transition or in upgrade planning, training, documentation, promotion of Office, and support
Creativity in problem solving
Flexibility in the face of change
Team-building skills
Training philosophy that reflects or complements your training philosophy
Capacity to meet your rollout schedule
Ability to tailor the curriculum to different audiences
Ability to adjust documentation to reflect your customization of Office

If you engage an outside training company, make sure that your internal trainers and support staff have a clear understanding of their roles before, during, and after the rollout.

Many training companies support Microsoft products, giving your organization a variety of choices. For information about authorized training companies that support Office, call (800) SOLPROV. For information about other training and support resources, see Appendix E, "Other Support Resources."

Prepare the Training and Support Teams

Before the rollout, your internal training and support teams must learn Office. A special training program dedicated to building their Office skills prepares them to contribute from the beginning of the planning phases for the transition to the end of implementation.

To get the training and support teams started, provide access to the software so they can explore on their own. This is an effective way to get started, particularly if your training and support teams are already using an earlier version of Office. If you are not using Windows, however, you should adopt a more structured mode of learning.

When your staff is ready for more structured training, consider self-paced options, such as videos or computer-based training, to build basic skills. Use instructor-led training to build in-depth and job-specific skills.

Microsoft Office 97 Starts Here

Microsoft Press publishes a multimedia, computer-based training product called Microsoft Office 97 Starts Here. Users view a video introduction for each lesson, practice using the actual Office 97 product, and then take a quiz to test their new skills. This course is available wherever computer books are sold. For more information about Microsoft Press, see Appendix E, "Other Support Resources."

After completing training, members of the training and support teams should use Office to do all of their work. You can broaden their appreciation of Office by having them test templates, macros, software integration, file conversion, and cleanup procedures before you release these to the pilot group.

If you hire an external training company, their trainers already know Office. However, they need to become familiar with your current software and learn how your organization plans to use Office. Many training companies find an orientation meeting helpful to learn this type of information. An orientation meeting is also a good way to build the critically important rapport between internal and external trainers.

Develop the Training Plan

With the training and support teams educated about the capabilities of Office, the next step is for the teams to prepare the training plan. The purpose of this plan is to identify learning needs and to state the methods you will use for training, support, documentation, and promoting Office. The plan should also identify who is responsible for each task and the related costs. For more information about collecting information and building consensus, see "Organization-wide Input for the Training Plan," later in this chapter.

The planning, training, and support teams collaborate to prepare the training plan. To ensure consistency, however, the plan is written by one individual. This person is usually the training director or your training partner's project manager. Once the plan is accepted — usually by the planning team — you can use the plan to generate enthusiasm at different levels in your organization.

Contents of the Training Plan

Preparing the training plan requires 40 to 120 hours, depending on its detail and the number of interviews and surveys conducted. The training plan should include the following:

Executive Summary

An executive summary provides an overview of your plans for promoting Office, preparing documentation, delivering training, and providing support to key managers, users, and members of the project team. You should include estimates for all associated costs related to project planning, documentation, promotion, training, and support.

Audience Objectives

Your plan should include a description of each audience, organized by department and location. Each description includes audience size, job function, experience level with related software, and experience level with the new software. Specify learning objectives for each audience with each new software application.

Team Member Responsibilities

You plan should include a description of the roles and responsibilities of the training and support teams and of the individual team members in each department.

Include a delineation of responsibilities between your internal and external resources. Roles and responsibilities during the rollout of Office include designing, developing, editing, and piloting your courseware and training programs; training trainers and support staff; scheduling students for classes; duplicating and distributing materials; setting up classrooms; delivering training for end users; delivering desk-side support; delivering help desk support; managing training; and managing support.

Communication Plan

You should develop a plan for communication among all teams before and during the pilot and rollout in each department (for example, assign each team a group e-mail address and schedule weekly status meetings).

Document how help desk and desk-side support calls are recorded and how issues are tracked and handled until they are resolved. List key contacts responsible for hardware, software, and training. Communication among the installation, training, and support teams is critical for a smooth pilot and rollout. The installation team needs to receive suggestions about the system. The training and support teams benefit from information about system updates. The training team needs to know about frequently asked questions so they can be answered in training. Keeping this three-way communication flowing is critical. It can be accomplished through Microsoft Outlook, using e-mail and discussion groups.

Departmental Plans

Design a plan for each department that lists training tasks, resource needs, and key delivery dates.

Be as explicit as possible. You may need resources to schedule training, distribute materials, provide Office demonstrations, prepare newsletters, deliver training, and deliver support. You may also require additional resources to set up equipment, classrooms, telephone lines, and demonstration monitors. This plan is best created in Microsoft Project and integrated into the overall project plan.

Training Programs

Recommend a training program for each audience. Include what you plan to offer in the following areas:

Promoting Office

Promoting Office is an important process before, during, and after the rollout. It keeps people informed about key benefits, dates, and issues. It also helps you thank people for their cooperation and patience. The training program identifies key messages, such as "Office was chosen to help us better serve our customers" or "There is no magic date for the rollout — we will roll out Office the day after the system is ready." It also lists promotion ideas and implementation plans. For more information about promoting Office, see "Promote Office and the Training Plan," later in this chapter.
Preparing documentation

The training program describes materials — such as reference guides, road maps to key features, hands-on practice exercises, quick reference cards, instructor notes, third-party books, and online help — that you plan to create or use. The documentation reflects your unique installation of Office and job-specific needs. It may include references to templates, toolbars, integration with third-party products, samples of your organization's files, file conversion procedures, and other items unique to your organization. For more information about documentation, see "Prepare the Documentation," later in this chapter.
Delivering training

The training program explains the training that you will use to introduce users to Office. Include the type of training, length of training, and targeted audiences. If self-paced training is offered, formalize a process to ensure that students complete the training. Also include information about ongoing training programs.
Providing support

The training program documents your support during and after the rollout. Anticipate increased resource demands as use of the help desk grows. Desk-side support — support that is delivered face-to-face at a person's desk — following training is critical for minimizing the disruption in your organization. Offering desk-side support shows that you recognize that learning is an ongoing process. It is best delivered by skilled trainers who know when to educate and when to answer the question and move on. It is recommended that trainers rotate delivering training and desk-side support throughout the transition to Office.

Note For a sample training program, see "Sample Training Program" later in this chapter.

Organization-wide Input for the Training Plan

You can use the process of creating a training plan to generate enthusiasm for Office and build consensus for the project. To collect information for the plan, conduct surveys and interviews with key personnel in management, information systems, and training, and with typical end users. Listed below are sample questions you might ask each of these groups. These questions are not intended to be exhaustive, but to get you started in this process.

Management

Ask managers questions like these:

What business objectives are associated with the decision to purchase Office? How can training further the business objectives?
Will this project present opportunities to reengineer any of our business processes? How can training implement any process reengineering?
What role will managers play in preparing their employees for the training program and rollout?
What information will managers need prior to the rollout?
Will all or part of the training be required? How will management communicate the requirements?

Information Systems

Ask information systems personnel questions like these:

What new hardware and software will be deployed? Will this happen while users are in training?
Will the software be deployed in phases or all at once? For example, you might deploy Windows 95 or Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 and Outlook in Phase 1, Microsoft Word in Phase 2, Microsoft Excel in Phase 3, and so forth.
When will the prototype system be ready? Which features do you plan to customize?
What is the projected rollout schedule for each group?
Who is the key contact in each department regarding systems issues during the rollout?
Do you need any assistance in training the IS department on Office?
Will users have access to the Internet or an intranet? Will this capability be available in the training room? Will this capability be used in managing the project?
What procedures will end users need to follow prior to the staging of their new hardware and software? How will you communicate these requirements?

Internal Trainers and Help Desk Staff

Ask internal trainers and help desk staff questions like these:

What would you change from your last software transition?
What different audiences have you identified in the organization? What type of training do you think each of these audiences prefers in learning new software?
What features in your current software are difficult to master? What features in the new software do you anticipate being difficult to master?
What type of training do you offer to new employees?
What type of ongoing training do you offer to support your current environment? What do you plan to offer to support Office?
Do you log help desk calls? What are the 10 most frequently asked questions?
What do you currently know about the project? What would you like to know?

Typical End Users

Ask end users questions like these:

What type of training do you prefer: self-guided, instructor-guided, or a combination of the two?
What do you want to be able to do with Office? Is this similar to how you use your current software tools?
What tools in Office are of most interest to you? (You will need to demonstrate the tools that you think are most useful in order to get feedback.)
When do you prefer to learn Office (for example, weekdays, half days, evenings, weekends, or early mornings)?
What type of documentation do you find most useful (for example, reference guides, online help, quick reference cards, or third-party books)?
What do you currently know about the rollout?
What do you want to know before the rollout?
Are your needs representative of the needs of your peers?

Sample Training Program

Having identified the learning objectives for each audience, you are ready to design the training programs. Each audience-specific training program documents each audience's needs for training, support, documentation, and promotion of Office.

The remainder of this section shows what might be included in the training program for secretaries who are upgrading from an earlier version of Office.

Several Weeks Before the Rollout

Several weeks before the secretaries' rollout, the training program focuses on promoting Office organization-wide. For example, it could specify the following activities:

Periodically produce and distribute a newsletter to all personnel announcing news relevant to the rollout of Office. Include the best new features of Office, plans for training, names of team members, answers to frequently asked questions, relevant dates, and so forth.
Have managers take the opportunity in staff meetings to discuss Office and their expectations for how Office will be used in their departments.

First Week of Secretaries' Rollout

In the first week of the Office rollout for the secretaries, the training program includes promoting Office and providing documentation and training. For example, it could specify the following activities:

Give a short demonstration of what is new in Office and how it benefits the secretaries; provide lunch with the presentation.
Hand out a road map during the demonstration that documents the new features. This road map can be used later during self-paced practice sessions.
Schedule a two-hour session for the secretaries to explore the new software and use a computer-based tutorial on new features in Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Second and Third Weeks of Secretaries' Rollout

In the second week of the Office rollout for the secretaries, the training program focuses on training and documentation, but also includes promoting Office and providing support. For example, it could specify the following activities:

Schedule three hours of small-group, instructor-led training on Word, using a customized reference guide and hands-on practice exercises that reflect the needs of the secretaries.
Schedule three hours of small-group, instructor-led training on Excel, using a customized reference guide and hands-on practice exercises that reflect the needs of the secretaries.
Schedule three hours of small-group, instructor-led training on Outlook, using a customized reference guide and hands-on practice exercises that reflect the needs of the secretaries.
Distribute a letter that welcomes back the secretaries from the first class and explains what to expect over the next few weeks.
Make sure that desk-side support is available when the secretaries return from training.

After the Rollout

After the Office rollout for the secretaries, the training program emphasizes support, but also includes training and documentation. For example, it could specify the following activities:

Make sure that help desk support is available on an ongoing basis.
Offer lunch-and-learn sessions or monthly classes on specific topics such as tables, outlining, tables of contents, linking Word and Excel documents, and so forth. Documentation includes short handouts.

Prepare the Documentation

The training plan describes the type of documentation needed for promoting Office and training. Documentation may be different for each audience. It may be purchased from a third party, used as is, modified, or written from scratch. Documentation that reflects your software, policies, and procedures is relevant to users and helps them learn more quickly.

Preparing training and reference documentation — such as reference guides, hands-on practice, quick reference cards, and instructor notes — can require days, weeks, or months. The phases involved include design, development, writing, editing, testing during the pilot rollout, and revisions after the pilot. Documentation-related tasks are performed by your training partner or your internal trainers.

If you decide to use a training partner, be aware that courseware is a collaborative effort that requires internal resources. If you opt to create materials in-house, it is useful to license existing materials and then modify them for your organization. Many types of Office courseware are available, and some companies offer industry-specific courseware. Speer Software Training, for example, offers Office courseware specific to the legal industry.

To make documentation relevant to users, you can customize it by including information about your system, templates, macros, software integration, e-mail etiquette, and offline procedures. Also include hands-on practice exercises and policies and procedures that are specific to your organization, such as converting files.

Schedule the Pilot Training

Select the participants for the pilot rollout based on their willingness and ability to use Office immediately following training. Also look for people who are positive, open to change, and persuasive in your organization.

Scheduling classroom time and self-paced training can complex. Schedule all training six or more weeks in advance, so that users can plan ahead. Also schedule any self-paced training so that users complete all requirements in a timely fashion. Classes of six similarly-skilled students are ideal for instructor-led classes.

Promote Office and the Training Plan

Promoting Office prepares users for the rollout. It helps them understand why Office was selected and lets them know how they will benefit. It addresses concerns such as "How long it will take me to learn, and how will my files convert?"

How creative you want to be with promoting Office depends on the culture of your organization and your budget. Promoting Office usually starts soon after selecting Office and continues before and during the transition to Office. Usually the planning team or the training team is responsible for promoting Office, but it can be done by other groups.

Here are some ideas for promoting Office and the training plan:

Write a section in your newsletters about the change to Office. Include benefits that the software offers, why it was selected, who is involved in the teams, tips from users, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Develop PowerPoint presentations about Office and the training plan to use at demonstrations and staff meetings and to post on your intranet.
Provide road maps highlighting key features of Office. Install Office on computers in the classroom so people can experiment and use computer-based training.
Produce video demonstrations of the benefits of Office for remote sites.
Deliver one-hour briefings to large groups to demonstrate Office and how it will be customized for your organization. Use a PowerPoint presentation to discuss the rollout date, file conversion, training and support that will be available, who covers users' desks during training, why the organization is making the change, how long it takes to master the new software, and so forth. Such a presentation would typically be delivered a week before a group's rollout. To encourage high attendance, include lunch.
Produce certificates to distribute after training. Include different colored emblems for each software product that is learned.
Host a departmental lunch with the senior manager a few weeks after training so the manager can reinforce expectations, encourage people to share their best practice ideas, and thank them for their cooperation and patience.
Prepare and distribute welcome letters and survival bags to users as they return from their first training session. A survival bag could include a T-shirt, a mug, computer-oriented novelty items or candy, monitor cleaner, a pen, and so forth.
Allow casual dress during training sessions.
Distribute tips through e-mail to users who have completed the training.
Encourage discussion groups to use Outlook to share their best practice examples.
Give raffle tickets to people who attend training. Prizes could include a home computer with Office installed, Microsoft hats, T-shirts, gift certificates, and an extra vacation day.
Encourage managers to share their expectations with their staffs for how Office should be used on the job.

Test the Training Plan During the Pilot Rollout

When you are ready to test the training plan, have pilot rollout participants test every aspect of it, including promotion of Office, training, documentation, and support. They should also test the plans for communication among the installation, training, and support teams.

Prepare questions to be answered during the pilot rollout, such as:

Are we providing the right amount of information to prepare users for the rollout and training?
Does the training help users learn what they need to know?
Are the content, timing, and sequence of topics in the training materials appropriate?
Is the documentation useful during and after training?
Do we provide enough desk-side and help desk support?
Are any of the questions that users ask during or after training surprising?
Is the customization of the software well received, functional, without error?
Do related procedures, such as procedures for offline users, work?

Select a pilot rollout group that is enthusiastic about Office, willing to provide constructive feedback, and able to start using Office immediately after their training. Inform the pilot group that you expect feedback in the areas of promotion of Office, documentation, training, and support. Consider techniques for encouraging feedback, such as giving free entertainment software for home use and a vacation day to the three people who provide the most suggestions used in the rollout.

Measure Your Success

The best way to gauge success in your transition to Office is to observe people in your organization. Are employees using Office effectively in their jobs? Are they asking thoughtful questions? Are they finding answers by using resources you have provided?

Based on the feedback from your trainers, support staff, and pilot rollout participants, adjust the documentation and promotion of Office and the training and support plans. Review communication among all teams involved in the pilot rollout, and make adjustments for the rollout. Finally, update all members of the training and support teams, so they are ready for the rollout.

Implement the Training Plan During the Office Rollout

Four or more weeks after you run the pilot rollout, the rollout of Office begins. The rollout may take weeks, months, or years, depending on the size of your organization. Ease into the rollout by starting gradually with the training and support programs.

For example, if you plan to use four classrooms during the rollout, start with one classroom and gradually increase to four classrooms over the next eight weeks. This gradual ramp-up period allows the installation, training, and support teams to further prepare to support many new users of Office. Ramping up gradually also allows you time to respond and to modify the system and training plan as needed. If the rollout is longer than three months, schedule two-week breaks between groups, so that the installation, training, and support teams remain fresh.

If your organization is undertaking a big change, such as a transition from WordPerfect or Lotus SmartSuite, be prepared for resistance among users. The training and support teams need to keep morale high and help users build confidence in mastering the new tools. They also must help users and managers develop realistic expectations regarding the learning curve during the transition.

It is a good idea to review all migration training plans four weeks into the rollout and to finalize the training plans in light of what you learn along the way. Be flexible and recognize that new developments may require revising the training plan as well as notifying those users who have already been trained. Such modifications, although not desirable, are in the best interest of a successful transition to Office.

After your organization gets started using Office, you can begin planning the ongoing training program. It is likely that your internal resources can create and manage this program, based on their experiences during the transition. The migration training program, combined with the ongoing training program, is the best means for getting the most out of your investment in Office.