The pitfalls of rolling out new hardware and technology among an organisation without external support can cause unnecessary delays and patchy training. It might feel like you are saving money in the short term but increased calls to the help desk and the lack of resource for individual training along with the task of implementing the new hardware is a hefty operation for your team alone.

Training an entire organisation on Windows 10 and Skype for Business is not a quick job. It requires strong communication, dedicated training, available support and a people-friendly, soft skills approach. Here are five reasons to invest in external training and support, like the programme we offer over at 1UC, to ensure a smooth process, a high technology adoption rate and most importantly, a happy and well-informed workforce.

Testing the training with pilot groups

Not all organisations are the same and for that reason, finding the best approach to training can vary. By running two pilot user groups ahead of the main training rollout we are able to understand the internal needs and concerns from a cross section of ages, departments and tech experience. The purpose is to gather feedback and test a mix of training techniques so that when training and support is launched for the main rollout, the process has been refined to achieve the best impact.

Ensuring strong communication

Rolling out new hardware and software within an organisation takes a lot more than a few emails. This is a detailed operation and there are a lot of prerequisites that users need to complete ahead of the installation. Stressing the importance of this needs to be communicated through various channels such as face-to-face meetings, online tutorials and frequent contact with staff to make sure they understand the benefits of cooperating and the prep work involved before transitioning to their new PC or new software.

Creating an excitement internally

You don’t want this rollout to seem like an arduous task and upheaval for your staff but rather create a bit of a buzz about it. Our trainers make an effort to get to know individuals and really focus on the benefits of this new technology. We attend different team meetings during the pilot stage to introduce ourselves and the software. By breaking it down to the audience, the rollout seems like a fun and positive process rather than a chore. The incentive of turning up to training is also cemented by the prospect of a brand new laptop or software with features that could really improve the way they work and increase technology adoption rates. This is a great saving for any organisation. For example, if staff start to use Skype for Business and abandon expensive third party conference call systems, they could save thousands of pounds a month. The ROI will be shortened significantly.

Letting the engineers do their job

Having on-site trainers offering support means that small jobs like moving favourites and files from the C Drive can be sorted without enlisting the help of the external IT engineers or the internal IT Helpdesk. They already have a big job setting up all the background hardware and software within the organisation so being able to focus on that without question will be a much more effective use of their time. Quite often trainers will take the users through the setup process as well as deliver training, whilst the engineers work in the background. This provides a much more collaborative way to work with each other.


Providing follow up sessions

Through our experience as trainers we have learned that the rollout does not end once the staff have their new laptops or software. There are always more questions and concerns that need to be answered. To manage this, we provide full written reference guides and also host follow-up refresher training to continue their learning experience and delve deeper into the more advanced features. Quite often we find that some users have had very basic computer training, if any, and these sessions hone their skills and give them the tools to really improve the way they work.

If you are thinking about organising external training consultants to manage your Windows 10, Skype for Business or any other software/unified communication rollouts, please get in touch with me for an initial chat.