Business is not static. It is a dynamic and changing organism that is rapidly evolving and adapting to new consumer demands. As such, the tools that organizations use to improve productivity, increase efficiency, and gain sustainable competitive advantages also must adjust to the changing times. While years ago, businesses would wait for new updates and releases, this is no longer the case today.
Currently, software changes at a rapid pace. Enhancements, features, and fixes are pushed onto an online environment that is made available immediately. This type of environment obligates software users to learn quickly and adapt instantly.
To guarantee that the learning is applicable and within a business context, it is often necessary to provide guidance and training.
If You Don’t Learn, Your Competition Will
Arie de Geus once famously said, “the ability to learn faster than competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage.” What this means is that, regardless of the industry or sphere of operation, learning is a necessary skill set. Employees need to be taught how to learn and how to apply new concepts.
This guidance provides the focus needed to properly apply concepts. Businesses that can learn and adapt will have an ultimate advantage over others that maintain the status quo. If an organization is not constantly absorbing knowledge and does not have adequate training programs for its employees, the business will eventually lose out to a competitor that can learn and adapt.
Employees Need Direction
Whether using a new US fleet tracking system for telematics or updating a software system for handling customers, employees need assistance and direction in understanding how to implement tools to increase productivity. Having a tool for the sake of keeping up with technology is simply not enough. For success, there must be an alignment between the tool, the people using the software, and an understanding of how to use it.
Problems with any of those three important elements will render the system useless. Therefore, it is important to either develop a way to consistently train employees or team up with an organization that specializes in such knowledge development.
One example where demand is growing is with tools that help organizations understand and visualize their web traffic and subsequent data. There are many software products that help users with tasks associated with analytics; nevertheless, these tools change constantly every time that search engine companies modify algorithms. Therefore, companies need to train their employees continuously. Tableau training in Washington, DC is one such example of a program that can help enterprise-level companies learn and adapt to updated techniques. Without such direction, employees will most likely underutilize features, thus wasting valuable resources.
Technology Evolves Constantly
The evolution of the Internet has created massive amounts of information and has generated an almost infinite repository where anyone can find any type of knowledge. The growth will only continue. As more devices become connected to this massive repository, the evolution will carry on. Keeping up with those changes and understanding the underlying impact can provide a competitive advantage. Such an advantage will only last as long as the next set of changes. Therefore, organizations that develop or incorporate training programs that can teach employees new skills, tools, and systems will be able to compete in a transformative market.
Those that cannot adapt or learn as quickly will be at a disadvantage that may be too great to overcome. Therefore, training programs and the need to learn are no longer options for organizations. Regardless of the size of the company, if the organization cannot stay ahead of the changing tools, they risk losing to a competitor that can.