Train Now, Profit Later

Contributed by Debra Brucato

If you bought a new, very expensive, very powerful piece of machinery, and you were offered some training on how to best use it - you’d take it, right? Of course you would! Not only would you want to make sure you’re not a few button presses away from breaking the entire machine, but you would also want to make sure you were getting the biggest bang for your buck.

The same can be said for an enterprise-level software purchase. Enterprise software programs strive for simplicity, efficiency, and ease of use, however, they still require a few skilled hands (and trained minds) to operate correctly. These applications are designed to handle complex, mission critical tasks, and sometimes for thousands of users, so knowing the ins and outs of daily operation is essential.

Plus, the benefits of employee training extend far beyond the purview of a single piece of software. A study by IBM, The Value of Training (and the high cost of doing nothing), found that regular employee training programs can have many positive impacts, including:

• Increased productivity and performance improvement
• Reduced server loads and bandwidth costs
• Stricter adherence to corporate policies
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Increased employee morale and retention
• Increased revenue

Further, more than 60% of surveyed IT managers believe that the skill of their teams is the most important success criterion for critical IT functions. Given these quick data points, the case for investing in training becomes much clearer. Still need to convince senior management focused on the bottom line? Use this data point, also from the IBM report: “companies in the top quarter in training expenditure per employee per year ($1,500 or more) average 24% higher profit margins than companies that spend less per year.”

A 24% higher profit margin, on average. Pretty staggering!

To recap - by investing in employee training, not only are you ensuring that you’re getting the most from a software or service investment, you’re also positively impacting productivity and performance, improving employee morale, improving customer satisfaction, and increasing company revenue, among other benefits.

For those in the enterprise IT space, EnterpriseDB offers a variety of training programs, from live online programs taught by industry leaders to on-demand courses that can be taken at your own pace. Jump in now with the live virtual Comprehensive Postgres Administration course running next week (April 13-17) with Bruce Momjian, core member of the PostgreSQL Global Development Group. When investing in enterprise software programs, there are many good reasons to also invest in important training opportunities. 

Debra Brucato is Director, Services Product Management at EnterpriseDB.