Importance of Cross-training

The old adage that “hindsight is better than foresight” really is true.  Looking backward, we can all see things that we’ve done, choices that we’ve made, that would have been different if only we had known the outcome in advance.  This is true in business just as it is true in our personal lives.

Today I received a support call from one of our customers who explained that the business was having multiple issues with their POS System.  They couldn’t post, their inventory was off, the system date was incorrect, their X tapes wouldn’t clear—the list went on and on.  Upon further questioning, I found that a key person had recently died, and there was nobody who understood the operation who could take over this person’s work.  As a result, many mistakes were made that were compounded in a 20-day period of time before the problems were reported, crippling the business’ operation.

Cross-training and multiple-training of employees in advance would have prevented this disaster.  A decrease in support cost and certainly in frustration would have occurred as a result.  It’s important to note, also, that prompt reporting of problems will lead to damage control.

In most businesses, employees can be away from the job for various reasons—illness, bereavement, vacations, out of town conferences, and many more.  Being prepared for those absences by making sure that your employees are fully trained is the key to preventing the unthinkable from happening.

At CCS, we have training classes available both on and off-site.  Our instructor has over thirty years of software and training experience.  We have a fully-equipped classroom, so that each student has his/her own computer for hands-on practice during the sessions.  Call us now at 800-672-4806 or email us  for more information on training for you and for your employees.