Web-based online induction software is rapidly replacing the traditional way companies introduce employees and contractors to the company, and introduce them to their obligations. Having new people greet and become involved in your company in this method can greatly reduce your long-term costs. At the same time, we should be careful and critical when purchasing this type of software because there are a number of issues to consider. Each company will have its own requirements, and because you are replacing a face-to-face induction with online tools, you need to think about each step of the process very carefully. Here are some of the key points you should be looking for in this type of business software solution.
- Ability to integrate your previous materials. Just because you are improving the way you are doing things, does not mean you should have to replace what you have been doing. For example, all of your OHS documentation and existing training materials will need to be integrated into your web-based application. You might have a range of power point presentations, or even safety videos, and so ensuring the material you have can be converted for use with your new online software application is essential.
- Industry specific. While most LMS’s (Learning Management Systems) are very flexible and allow for relatively easy manipulation and modification for specific training by management for specific reasons, it is important to consider the nature of the vendor’s experience in your industry. Software will be better suited to some industries more than others. More often than not, this is the case because you will be looking for additional support from your vendor in the future.
- Total implementation costs. Many business owners and managers get afraid of IT solutions for a very good reason. The total cost will often increase way beyond budget requirements. It is important your vendor can demonstrate the total cost of implementation and execution of your software package.
- Total implementation consultant. A good vendor of this type of software should be able to define a fixed timeline for implementation. Remember, the software itself is not difficult to get up and running, but there are a number of other issues to think about. Teaching management how to use it, and offering industry specific support materials necessary for learning, for example, will be essential for implementing your application. Essentially, your vendor should be consulting you on the whole process before you get involved. You need to know what you are getting into.
- Future growth and modular application. Learning is nothing without compliance training. Your induction process will set the stage for a continual process of training and testing in your company. The data collected should be able to roll over to other applications. In other words, know that when you buy web-based induction applications, you are stepping into a whole business software application package.
Understanding the bigger picture, and knowing how you will integrate and modify your existing processes into your new web-based application is essential. A vendor should be doing more than sell you an application. They should be able to clearly demonstrate how they will apply it to your company’s operations, and most importantly, you need to know your software package will uphold your company’s occupational health and safety obligations and responsibilities.