The CEO of my engineering consultant firm wants an ROI process for training & development. I have been the corporate trainer here since April, with training experience but no training management experience. I'm good with people, not numbers. The how-to book I was given has left me pretty overwhelmed. Can you direct me to some user-friendly resources that will help me set up a process that is effective but easy to understand and administer? Oh, did I mention that he wants me to do a presentation on the process as part of his Seven Habits refresher?

-- Jennifer Redmond (jredmond@schnabel-eng.com), November 10, 2000

Answers

Jennifer, old problem needs new solution. ROI on training works better when viewed as Business/Process/Optimization. For example some manufacturing companies have started to track Total Available Profit in relation to Actual Profit product by product minute by minute which has dramatically optimized their business process. To do this they introduce systems and training that track throughput and margins product by product minute by minute.

E. GoldrattBs books The Goal and ItBs Not Luck provide you with valuable insight into this concept. I believe what youBre looking for is a process that can be used to optimize business process minute by minute. ItBs a really good habit to learn.

-- Bill Fisher (Bill-Fisher@RelevancySystems.Com), November 11, 2000.

Once upon a time trainers everywhere had to look at the ugly sisters in their corporation and do what all trainerellas do. Today there is at least a solution for keeping the ugly sisters at bay, a ball call the Internet. Trainerellas might still not end up actually marry the Prince, but Jennifer never fear the web is here:

http://www.cuna.org/data/newsnow/spec_reports/cpd/cpd4a.html

http://216.219.224.241/measuring_training_roi_and_impac.htm

http://www.fastrak-consulting.co.uk/tactix/Features/tngroi/tngroi.htm

http://www.businessdecisions.com/articles.htm

http://www.internettime.com/itimegroup/FreshROI.htm

M.

"To be or not to be that is the question" A quote by Willy Shakes. M Profile at: http://www.fastcompany.com/fasttalk/replypost.html? p=9738

Mantra of M:"Life is about Private Relations not Public Relations"

-- Mark Zorro (zorromark@consultant.com), November 11, 2000.

Jennifer: Go over to the web site for the American Society of Training and Development. www.astd.org In the discussion groups you will find people with exactly the same questions as you, others who have found the answers, resources to reference, and the name of a person in the training industry who has explored the situation of ROI on training...Jack Phillips. If you have found yourself to be the training manager, this website, will put you elbow to elbow with peers in the same anxious predicament.

-- Judy Haug (jhaug1887@cs.com), November 23, 2000.