Now is the time to embrace Just-in-Time learning

End user adoption of enterprise software, such as the highly prevalent Office 365, should be a top priority for any IT organization. However, it can sometimes be hard to achieve max adoption through the use of traditional training or eLearning methods alone, which take employees away from their daily tasks for lengthy education sessions. Instead, companies could benefit from implementing tools and policies capable of providing "Just-in-Time Learning" (JITL) that provide workers with answers to their technology questions within their normal workflow. JITL addresses the performance and training needs of the modern technology-focused workplace and the stringent, on-demand information requirements of a rising millennial workforce.

Staying on top of training can be arduous, especially when we consider worldwide spending on information technology is expected to reach near-$4 trillion by the end of 2019 (Gartner). That’s a lot of new tech for employees to learn and leverage, just to get their jobs done. What’s more is that traditional training methods can quickly monopolize annual budgets. In fact, average training expenditures for large companies increased from $17 million in 2017 to $19.7 million in 2018 alone.

The JITL concept is rooted in the manufacturing industry, where efforts are made to continually improve production processes. Similarly, in the modern workplace, JITL can be used to empower employees to be more productive. The strategy’s goal is to empower employees to have direct access to the information they need, when they need it. Rather than having to train, retain and recall information, companies that use JITL strategies deliver specific, in-the-moment how-to’s to encourage efficiency.

JITL allows workers to self-serve and solve problems as they arise. The strategy focuses on the most efficient, least obtrusive ways to gain knowledge, while increasing productivity at the same time. This is a great alternative to traditional, time-consuming trainings that are often overwhelming and counterproductive due to on the amount and depth of information needed to master new tech. An important aspect of JITL is measurable, incremental employee improvement; if you can’t measure the impact of JITL, you’ll never fully understand the impact or return on investment.

JITL is extremely beneficial for the millennial workforce in particular, given a recent Gartner survey found 53 percent of millennials not in IT departments said one of their first three ways to solve a digital technology issue would be to look for an answer on the Internet. The same is true for nearly two in five (41 percent) non-millennials, which is a testament to real-time information retrieval.

It’s worth noting that JITL doesn’t automatically apply to any and all businesses. The success of a JITL program depends on the following:

1. It’s vital that all of an organization’s content be easily searchable and accessible through multiple devices and platforms so employees can easily find what they need regardless of their location and preferred technology.
2. Given content is the backbone of all JITL programs, organizations should evaluate what core technical competencies are required of workers, then create short, highly relevant and easily consumable "sound bites" that empower workers to self-serve. It’s important to then measure overall worker improvements as a result of the how-to’s, versus just monitoring how many videos they watch.
3. Many people learn by doing, rather than just listening. Learning in the moment of need gives workers a feeling of being in control of their own success, so JITL is well-suited for self-starters or remote workers.
4. New tech is introduced to the workplace regularly, so it’s recommended organizations conduct routine audits to ensure the most up-to-date information is available, and outdated content is archived.
5. Like any training effort, continual improvement is key. It’s important to have measurement capabilities in place, otherwise you won’t be able to gauge how effective JITL is. Prioritize employee feedback surveys, focus groups and on-the-job observations as opportunities to gather relevant data on overall employee improvement in order to make incremental program improvements.

Organizations that embrace JITL can expect to benefit from increased ROI on new tech investments and no added loss in productivity due to lengthy, in-person training sessions. When considering end user education, JITL strategies should be considered as affordable, effective solutions.

Photo credit: Tashatuvango / Shutterstock

Michael Morrison is CoreView's CEO. As a growth-stage operating executive (CEO/COO/SVP) within global business analytics organizations, he has led several companies through critical stages of transformation, predictable revenue growth and successful exits, delivering notable returns for public shareholders. He is passionate about assembling, leading and working alongside amazing teams that effectively develop strategies, solve problems, excel at product innovation and profitably grow top line revenue.