You’ve heard of the learning curve — but the forgetting curve? In an e-learning or e-training context, this refers to the fact that most people will forget around 90% of what they have learned within the first month, especially within the first few days. In fact, the “forgetting curve” is one of the biggest obstacles when it comes to training corporate users on enterprise software. This is why investing time and money in training sessions and course creation can seem futile when employees are likely to forget crucial information almost immediately afterward. Many companies fail to maximize their investments in enterprise software because employees are unwilling or unable to learn how to use it, leading to low rates of adoption. 

To combat this dilemma, many organizations are moving toward a new and more effective way of teaching employees how to use enterprise software: digital adoption platforms (DAPs). DAPs support employees as they learn new software and processes by providing in-app, real-time teaching that guides users as they interact with the software. This approach has been proven to counter the forgetting curve by associating learning with task performance, helping to embed knowledge more effectively into the user’s memory — “learning by doing,” as it were.  

For organizations using supply chain management (SCM) solutions, DAPs can be an ideal solution for user onboarding, as well as ongoing training, thereby ensuring proper use of supply chain applications.

The Benefits of DAPs

Despite their benefits, DAPs have not been as widely adopted for SCM applications as they have for other applications, such as customer relationship management systems (CRMs). 

This is due to the fact that many SCM solutions are complex, have specific requirements, and often require customization and integration with other software — SCM software is often deeply intertwined with other business functions (finance, procurement, and inventory management, for instance).  

There is an increased focus on, and investment in, developing e-learning content to support SCM in the areas of user onboarding and ongoing training, and to support proper use of supply chain applications. DAPs can offer a layer of support and guidance directly within SCM applications, ensuring that new employees can quickly, easily, and accurately navigate even the most complex processes. They offer personalized, real-time training that adapts to individual employees and supports them in their specific roles. 

Moreover, DAPs can be transformative because they don’t just get people to use SCM software; they get them to use it correctly, lessening the incidence of data quality issues. Procurement applications, for example, are very prone to “dirty data” because of improper use, and we all know this in turn can impact confidence in purchasing decisions. In general, clean and reliable data enables better decision-making and analysis across the supply chain, including logistics, partner management, and predictions.  

However, there are additional benefits from DAPs.  

These include realizing the full value of your software. By implementing a DAP as part of its SCM solution, an organization can ensure its staff makes full use of the investment. Any time a major SCM implementation occurs, members of the C-Suite — who are often the biggest influencers regarding the decision to purchase any SCM software — are at risk of being held responsible for financial losses and impacts to the enterprise. By implementing a DAP as part of their SCM solution, organizations can make full use of this investment, and as a result, the entire organization will likely see higher numbers in overall SCM ROI. 

DAPs are also good for proactively pinpointing places where users struggle. Fortunately, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) make it possible for organizations to analyze SCM app usage, and identify common problem areas, such as where users are running into difficulty, experiencing frustration, and abandoning the application. AI-derived insights also allow businesses to discern which teams, regions, departments, or users across the extended enterprise are having the most difficulty adopting certain workflows. Additionally, AI will ease digital adoption by automating repetitive and mundane tasks, providing tailored recommendations, accelerating the learning curve for users and enhancing efficiency.  

With these insights, learning content creators can earmark these areas as priorities for the development of educational tips and “mini curriculum.” Going a step further, organizations can identify trends and patterns in user behavior — what modules seem the most intuitive and easiest to use, and conversely, which ones seem the hardest — helping them prioritize the development of learning content as modules are updated and SCM initiatives expand. 

From user onboarding and ongoing training, to supporting proper application use, to realizing the full value of your software to proactively pinpointing trouble spots, digital adoption platforms are an essential part of the future of SCM. As these tools continue to evolve to be more proactive, more accurate, and more analytical, there’s never been a better time to incorporate them as a foundation strategy for employee productivity. 

 Matt Palackdharry is chief strategy officer at Apty.