Technology in Training

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jeff Tenut on April 29, 2008 at 8:32pm

Hi Carrie,

I went down the same path as you with video and PowerPoint. I then started E-Learning at Cracker Barrel in1994 with HTML and then found Flash, in 1996, to be the best technology for web based /online training programs. You can put the final product on a CD, DVD, Intranet, Internet, thumb drive...

I'd be happy to show you some samples. No Sales...I'm an OPS guy :)

Are you a member of CHART. Are you going to the Summer CHART conference in DC?

Jeff

Permalink Reply by Carrie Lynn on April 30, 2008 at 10:24am

Thanks Jeff!

I have worked a little bit with flash in the past, but I have never seen a training program with it. Let me know, I would like to see a sample.

I am not yet a member of CHART, but that will probably change soon.

Thanks again!

Permalink Reply by Jeff Tenut on June 25, 2008 at 11:39am

Hi Carrie,

Not sure if you got my last communication so I thought I'd add it here.

Click on this link and you can try a sample. Also try the assessment button at the bottom. It gives results based on your leadership style and how closely suited you are to the ones in Jim Sullivan's book.

http://discoverlink.com/DLmuldemo/

Let me know if you want to see more.

Jeff

Permalink Reply by Curt Archambault on July 5, 2008 at 9:11pm

A CHART Member, TJ Schier was doing some cool things with I-pods. Check out wwwl.podtraining.us.

Permalink Reply by Ben Edtl on July 10, 2008 at 7:04pm

Hi Carrie,

The most interactive training technology is one person to another at the restaurant. That's just my opinion and I would bet many of you in this forum feel the same way.

But there is a new technology that's being used specifically for restaurants during the training process (and beyond) called Waitrainer. The approach of this technology is quite different from the flashy and interactive Elearning approach.

I think that most problems that occur during and the training process are from poor training information management. After all, the most challenging aspect of training is communicating product, policy and procedure information to your workforce. Then, when things change, information is communicated through word of mouth (in many cases) and inconsistencies result. The printed training manual is only worth the use it gets. We all know, for the most part, manuals aren't getting a thorough read. Its also true, that even if they were, we wouldn't really know that either.

Waitrainer allows restaurant groups to manage ALL their training information online rather than with the manual. It works like a search engine - only its controlled access and you determine what information can be discovered. It also reports, in real time, usage and activity of your employees - creating a documentation path of their strengths and weaknesses so that management and trainers can foster their professional development with more effect and ease.

If you ask the question: "How do we get information today?" the answer is that we go to Google, MSN, Yahoo and the like, type in what we want to know, get the results and boom we're off. Waitrainer works in a similar way. Employees with a question about a menu item, ingredient or policy (or anything) can search for it directly from your corporate site and get the answer in seconds. Not only is all your relevant information available to your workforce (24/7, 365), but you can prioritize critical information to be disseminated during the first days and weeks of training - and measure the absorption of that information.

The company also works with commercial product manufacturers to provide rich content on wines, beers and spirits profiles so your staff can learn, over time, important selling points for each.

In closing, I'd like to suggest that perhaps it isn't a better training mousetrap you're after, but more informed employees. The bottom line results of having a more informed staff really are quite profound.