Continuum of Innovation
The implementation of a new payroll system at multiple sites involved training for the users operating the system, as well as for the final users of the payroll service. The sequence and type of training offered per facility follows:
- Operation and management. Audience: Human Resources Department.
- Train the trainers. Audience: payroll personnel.
- Introduction to the new payroll system. Audience: end users, workers and employees.
- Using the electronic payment module. Audience: end users, workers and employees.
- Electronic payment module and support. Audience: personalised remote attention.
- Remote training sessions. Taught by IT from corporate headquarters. Audience: workers and spouses.
Two months after completing the first go-live implementation the Human Resources Department requested IT to schedule training sessions for basic users. The audience would be workers and spouses in groups of six pairs at a time to share six computers. Sessions would be held in the plant’s conference room where the video conferencing infrastructure existed —YouTube would arrive nine years later.
The sixth item on the list is an additional element that was not contemplated by the project. The remote training sessions became an ongoing program that brought computing technology to many households, not only for the payroll’s payslip but also for the children’s homework and families’ development which impacted the way many families were used to learn.
Although not all the workers took the optional plan to purchase a computer, almost all who did attended the basic users’ training with their spouses. A year later, the union’s leaders were among the most satisfied people with the outcome of the project.