Whether it's online or classroom training, exams, surveys, development programs, and certifications, your organization conducts many educational activities, right? Over time, a wealth of data is generated. But do you review all this data to develop various strategies? If not, you might not be aware of URM. User Relationship Management (URM) is the systematic infrastructure necessary to increase and make education effective within your organization. It's the backbone of your entire training operation; without it, you can't develop or grow your business. URM is very important and is not just about software. Even if you're using a modern LMS (Learning Management System), URM is a concept and systematic approach that tells you how to use it.
Let's dive into more detail. Yes, you're using an LMS, and let's say you made a good choice with InfinityLMS, and everything is recorded! People, the training they take, exam scores, satisfaction surveys, trainers, classroom training, and certifications—everything is in order. But how will all this help us increase training? URM helps you develop a training strategy by examining all these records. We all want to increase training, but if our backbone isn't strong, we can't even stand up, let alone run. This is how crucial URM, as our backbone, is. In fact, the "U" (User) is the most important part. In an organization, we typically look at the hours of training taken and think we've done a great job. But what about our relationships with the participants?
We all have a unique and very important goal: to ensure participants take more training and quickly learn the desired information. So what should we do for this? The answer to this question explains how we should create URM!
Firstly, we should try to automate everything. In the URM approach, you need to set up the LMS to be growth-oriented. What happens when the organization grows and people change? Today, you might have 100 people, but what if you have 1,000 in the future? Therefore, you should set up a system that can work automatically and scale from day one. You must minimize all manual processes and entries on the LMS. Organizational changes should instantly flow into the system, and when tasks change or new people are hired, the required initial training should be automatically assigned to them. All routine actions should be embedded in the system with algorithms. For example, certain training packages and refreshers are taken twice a year for specific roles in the organization.
The second important topic is the reporting system. What should the reporting system include and how should it be? First, we need to define the key metrics to create the reporting accordingly. So what are these metrics?
How long does it take from preparing the training to publishing, assigning, and completing it? This is called the Learning Cycle. To increase our number of training sessions, we need to shorten this period, right? Are you measuring this, and do you know what to do to improve it? You should be able to create effective training quickly and have participants complete it swiftly. This entire process should be measurable, feedback should be collected, and the process should be easily improvable. For example, gamification can be used to expedite training completion, which is a strategy and can speed up the cycle.
Assignment/Completion Average What is the ratio of total assigned or taken training to the number of people? In other words, how much training does an individual complete on average? We need to increase this number! We want to get more training for an individual, so what should we do for this? Again, gamification might help here.
This metric looks at the balance between the learning cycle and the assignment/completion average, which we call the Golden Ratio. For example, if the learning cycle is long, the number of completed training sessions should be high, which can be a challenging goal to achieve. Therefore, there should be a balanced golden ratio between the learning cycle and the completed training sessions.
What are your conversion rates? For example, let's say we have a performance goal and want to improve a specific topic in our organization. What is the rate of knowledge acquisition and its translation into behavior for the person receiving the training? Are you able to measure this? Do you have measurement methods? Interviews, guidance, coaching, and evaluation tools.
The third important concept is gaining the individual. Let's say some people do not complete the training; what are the reasons for this? Is it a lack of time, do they not like the content? Is it not suitable for them? Do they have a different learning style? Can you collect these reasons? If you know why the person is not completing it, you have not lost them because you can think about these reasons and create a strategy. Over time, with the strategies and setups you create, you can start getting people to take more training. Because all decisions need to be data-driven and clear.
If you want to deal with all this with an expert team, our InfinityLMS customer success group is always here to help, so don't hesitate to contact us immediately.
Stay learning and stay loved.