| The use of simulation learning tools to educate | | | | are currently handling. |
| employees is growing rapidly due to the decisive | | | | Simulation training guarantees the same quality of |
| success rates of their targeted commercial | | | | interaction from incident to incident and from |
| content. Increasingly they are teaching | | | | person to person so when you talk about the |
| management teams improved business acumen | | | | ROI of simulation training you should be evaluating |
| and decision making in a risk-free real-world | | | | against improved customer satisfaction, up selling |
| setting. | | | | of new products and services, and establishing |
| These simulation tools will often take two forms; | | | | customer service best practices for an |
| either a manual business game - often requiring | | | | organisation. The trainer/ coach can tell trainees |
| business decisions to be repeatedly made and | | | | exactly what they have done right and what they |
| providing learning measures alongside the | | | | have done wrong during the simulation and will |
| exerciseor using electronic media to provide | | | | also be able to listen to all of their questions and |
| business simulations (either fictional or realistic) | | | | answers and grade their performance. |
| dependent on the skill sets being targeted. These | | | | Simulation training is not meant to replace the |
| simulations are increasingly being referred to as | | | | function of a training department; but is intended |
| 'Serious Games' which can sometimes be | | | | to make training much more efficient and |
| misleading however this reflects the growing | | | | completely immersion-based so that the trainee |
| awareness of the simulation tool in the training | | | | can leave saying, 'I understand.' Simulations engage |
| market. | | | | users emotionally so that the impact of training is |
| Today's simulations should actively engage and | | | | internalised more completely than in other training |
| respond to the trainee, creating an effective and | | | | methods and allows repeated attempts until |
| lasting learning experience, reducing the resources | | | | performance levels have improved to the |
| needed to create training materials and improving | | | | required standard. |
| the impact (and often depth) of the training | | | | The inherent value of simulation training is that |
| budget. | | | | learners can practice strategic and commercial |
| Simulation is one of the most effective ways to | | | | business skills and apply them in a risk-free training |
| teach high-level skills with off-the-shelf training | | | | environment. This kind of efficiency- and |
| materiel no longer being perceived as the most | | | | performance-focused theme means that |
| effective method in teaching skills-- most | | | | simulations are starting to heat up the commercial |
| effective when building awareness i.e. you can | | | | learning arena with buyers of training recognising |
| outline new legislation well with traditional training | | | | how it's better to create custom-based |
| however to develop improved commercial | | | | simulations that deliver skills to the workforce. |
| decision making involves developing and mastering | | | | Business performance depends on workforce |
| new skills, and that requires practice, and often | | | | performance and the most efficient way to |
| time that a commercial undertaking or a senior | | | | increase workforce performance is with |
| level post holder cannot afford. Simulation is the | | | | simulations tailored to your market and its |
| most effective way to do that. | | | | customers. |
| Business simulation games have a high level of | | | | The future of business training may include |
| user interaction that work faster than traditional | | | | widespread deployment of simulations as |
| training or e-learning methods and are increasingly | | | | simulation-training becomes more commonplace. |
| becoming a solution of choice amongst discerning | | | | Already we are starting to see a huge impact in |
| training purchasers. | | | | some of the less traditional training areas like |
| Simulation content can easily get out of hand | | | | customer service and sales because if you say |
| though so it's important to know the key | | | | "Let's work through this sales situation and I'll |
| organisational requirements before purchasing a | | | | coach you as you go", it resonates with the |
| business simulation; | | | | employees and they start to rapidly take on |
| - Who is the target audience? | | | | board the learning. Employees are increasingly |
| - What are the objectives of the training to be | | | | becoming more and more discriminating in their |
| undertaken? | | | | choice of employers and look for organisations |
| - How do I plan out what this user experience is | | | | where the training meets their needs as |
| going to be? | | | | employees - so that they can join a new business |
| - Where is the learning going to take place? | | | | with confidence that they will receive effective |
| Simulations are built step by step whether it be a | | | | and time efficient training support. |
| manual game or an electronic simulation so you | | | | So for the employer then the key to success is |
| must have a process that builds content page by | | | | all about the content. If we can be clear about the |
| page, so you wind up with a high-quality simulation | | | | training needs of our teams and use skilled |
| that's well thought out from start to finish. | | | | personnel to develop suitable business simulations |
| For instance, recently we were asked to develop | | | | and games then we're going to open it up to all |
| training for customer call-center agents on the | | | | sorts of tasks, and we'll truly see it become a |
| complexities of call flow segmentation and how to | | | | significant portion of the training mix. |
| use tools in the call flow to handle customer | | | | When costs are tight, overheads being watched |
| scenario interactions. To develop the traditional | | | | and every penny of the margin being monitored |
| training material involved several weeks of | | | | and you want to invest in people development |
| complex Instructional Design with the end result | | | | then why would you opt for traditional lecture |
| needing train the trainer material, and all of the | | | | type training--you're going to put them in |
| associated hand outs, overheads/power points, | | | | simulations |
| exercises and knowledge base articles and at the | | | | You can have a choice of off-the-shelf simulations |
| end of this process you have spent a fortune and | | | | or custom simulations each with their benefits and |
| have developed a laborious process to pass on | | | | drawbacks; off-the-shelf is cheap, immediate and |
| the required knowledge. | | | | if you are clever in selecting the right publisher |
| Surely better to develop a electronic simulation | | | | you will get extended use from their licenses. |
| product that creates an interactive environment | | | | If you opt for custom-made then you will pay |
| exactly as a real call would take place, perhaps | | | | more but you will get simulations with your |
| with a coaching module inside the simulation so | | | | metrics, your market and your business model. |
| that when you make a mistake, there's a coach | | | | If you want to get serious about your |
| that comes on screen, and hints at improvements | | | | management development so they understand |
| in your response. Or, if something simpler is | | | | what levers and knobs they can pull in the |
| required a coach that takes you out of the | | | | company to drive profitability and shareholder |
| training session and puts you into a learning centre | | | | value, then simulation training offers a vital solution |
| where the trainee can be exposed to the | | | | to discerning employers. |
| necessary information about the situation they | | | | |