Selling Performance Support System

Recently, we have been receiving requests of Performance Support. However, explaining it as PSS (Performance Support System), makes customers feel that it is a jargon used to sell more than address their requirements.

Hence it was imperative to give perspective of the business impact of the solution, they are expecting.

If you want a team, say to use say a CRM system or improve sales, what options do you have ?

1. Give them a full day training.
2. Give them a book with a test after 15 days.
3. Provide test machines or install CRM in all desktops, for users to learn by experimenting. Provide with computer simulated customers to practice sales.

OR PSS provides:

1. Capsules of the training for 10 minutes or less than that and allow users to practice at their pace. The training could be simulated walkthrough's, interactive practice sandboxes, case studies and peer responses, etc.

2. When users need to use it for a requirement, provide exactly what they need to know at that time, to use the system effectively.

Given the above scenarios, let me know how you would rate them on following questions.

1. Which of them is more productive, easy and meaningful ?

2. Which of the approaches, allow for longer term retention and application of concepts on job ?

3. Which of the methods is more likely to "stick" and condition the users to use the system with confidence ?

4. When do you think your users would adapt to the system faster ?

5. Which one would you choose ?

Performance Support Systems are a bundled offerring that features:

1. Coherence

• Walk throughs and Interactive models should be available
• Provide voice over support
• Include TIPs and knowledge checks to bring about a coherence in the course

2. Compactness

• Task based learning nuggets
• Allow for skip-through and printing of step instructions

3. Continuum

• Learner Management and Feedback
• Community Interactions

So when you shop around for e-Learning in future for any application rollout, new process, change in existing work style, you most likely are looking for Performance Support Systems. Consult your vendor for their solutions and their references to determing their effectiveness .