eLearning For Product Training: Benefits And Limitations

eLearning Solutions For Product Training: Benefits And Limitations
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Summary: In large multinational organizations with huge product ranges, with new products being added and updated regularly, eLearning for product training makes sense. Check this article to know the benefits and limitations of using eLearning solutions for product training.

eLearning Solutions For Product Training

For any organization, timely product training for employees assumes an important role. In recent years, product training has moved away from the classroom toward online learning. So, as mentioned above, especially in large multinational organizations eLearning solutions for product training comes in handy.

Apart from online courses, eLearning solutions for product training can be in the form of videos, mobile learning courses, microlearning nuggets, or even job-aids. With our expertise in creating customized online solutions for product training, we have used all these to create effective product training courses. eLearning solutions for online product training, however, have their benefits and limitations; we will look at some of them in this article.

Benefits Of eLearning Solutions

Cost-Effective

eLearning solutions in the form of courses or videos that are created on products can be viewed multiple times and can be reused every time there is a need to train a new set of employees. This makes them cost-effective.

Using the classroom mode for product training brings with it the costs of hiring a trainer, renting space for training, travel, and accommodation, and lost productivity in terms of employee time away from work. Online training is cost-effective and convenient. eLearning courses on products can be hosted on an LMS, and employees can log in and take the courses as per their convenience, while managers can track the progress of learners.

Quick Customization

Online courses for product training can be customized to meet the needs of every department.

One of our clients, a global leader involved in the manufacturing and marketing of precision instruments required product training for the sales, support, and service teams in their organization. We created eLearning courses and videos for the products and modified them based on the target audience. For the sales team, the focus was on the products and their features, while for the service team, it was more detailed on the features and working of the product to help them service the product. 

Courses were customized based on the region they were sold in, and the instructional strategy was modified based on the target, though the content was the same. We created product videos to help their sales and marketing teams highlight their product range and functionality. eLearning solutions provide an option for the customization of both content and format, which makes it easy to create product training courses that will be relevant and useful to a particular target audience.

Responsive Design For Easy Access

Online training modules can be designed to be responsive. This makes it easy for sales and service personnel who are the primary audience for these courses, to access them anytime and anywhere as per their convenience. Considering the fact that these people are always on the move, product training that is available on their mobile devices makes it easy for them to access it when they have some downtime. They can also use them at the moment of need. A salesperson can quickly refer to them when he has to answer a customer query. A service technician can watch the product video before servicing a product. This acts as Performance Support.

Product training delivered in the form of microlearning modules can meet the training needs of salespeople to learn at any place and at any time. These online learning nuggets can be accessed on mobile devices, which as mentioned earlier, makes it convenient for sales and service staff.

One of our clients, a pharmaceutical company, wanted to train its salespeople on its huge portfolio of more than 200 drugs. The training need was to equip salespeople on knowledge about each drug, the physiology, disease manifestations, and diagnosis methods of the disease each drug was intended for so that they could effectively interact with medical practitioners. We created microlearning modules for each drug that could be accessed on mobile phones and iPads.

Immediate Updates On Product Information

Online solutions for product training, especially microlearning modules, can be created quickly. Updates on products can be communicated to employees through microlearning modules that can be quickly developed using rapid authoring tools. Similarly, training on new products before they get to the market can be delivered as microlearning to reduce the time gap between product launch and training.

Limitations Of eLearning Solutions

Accessibility Issues

Delivery of eLearning courses is dependent on technology. Infrastructure issues such as lack of computers, poor internet bandwidth, or the inability to access courses on multiple devices can make it difficult for employees, especially if they are mobile or working in remote areas with a poor internet connection.

Lack Of Control Over Training

While eLearning solutions give employees the freedom to learn at their own time and pace, there is a risk that some may fall behind or go through the material without paying attention, so control over what an employee learns may be lost. This is an inherent risk with online learning. The repercussions may be inadequate knowledge of products and the inability to answer customer queries or make a sale.

That said, the benefits of using eLearning solutions for product training far outweigh its limitations. The benefits are bound to create an impact on product knowledge and the resulting sales figures.