IMC, a provider for bespoke e-learning content, learning management and compliance solutions, has launched a free online calculator to help organisations assess the financial impact of switching to Electronic Performance Support (EPS).
Learning at work is ongoing: as part of the on-boarding process, new employees are expected to learn about various procedures, programs and software solutions. However, as part of their day-to-day routines, more experienced employees also struggle with rarely performed processes, or with questions about the latest regulatory requirements or reporting tools.
Electronic Performance Support (EPS) is computer-based assistance which improves productivity by providing immediate access to information, advice and learning experiences within the day-to-day workflow. This means that staff are able to get immediate assistance on a process or step within a software application without needing to contact a help desk centre, disturb a colleague or browse on a search engine. This approach also supports the 70:20:10 model where 70% of company learning is accepted to be informal and learnt on the job.
IMC UK Director, Dirk Thissen explains, “EPS is like a GPS system – it needs three elements to work well. A knowledge of where the user is ’geographically’ and within the business process, a knowledge of where the user wants to go and what he or she needs to achieve, and a map of how to get there through the organisation’s information landscape. Our online calculator will help business managers establish the potential savings and develop a rapid business case.”
Dirk Thissen adds, “Software assistance is not something that everyone necessarily thinks of – until you look closer into the financial impact on the business. For an organisation of just 200 employees, there could be immediate savings of 116,022 € per year on the bottom line, which could then be re-invested elsewhere. As an example, if the scenario were applied within a public sector organisation of the same size it would be the equivalent of five extra nurses a year, or four teachers a year. When you multiply those savings across a thousand head count workforce, the impact is vast for any organisation.”
Savings through the use of EPS illustrated: