A recent article on Supply Management . com by Aneela Nasim on effective e-Sourcing notes that you will only maximize your benefit if your staff are effectively trained on the system and know how to use it. In order to help you devise an appropriate training program, the author notes that the best way to devise training programs is to tailor it to user roles and individual learning methodologies.

The author suggests you start by outlining the key roles, such as “regular buyer”, “super user”, and “cross-functional team member”, defining the activities required, and then outlining the key methodological and technological aspects of the process and system that need to be addressed.

Then, within each group, determine the learning styles will be displayed by your users — such as the activist, reflector, theorist, and pragmatist learning styles defined by Honey & Mumford — and tailor your training materials and presentations appropriately.

Finally, encourage and enable your team members to share what they learned with each other. Users who teach each other and support each other are more likely to buy into the system and champion its use.