See why investing in software training is good for business with Jayva Global
Back to school, anyone?
At the end of summer and beginning of the autumn school term, it’s timely to talk about training. After all, training is just as beneficial in workplaces as it is in schools, right? The focus here is practice management software (PMS) training.
Don’t settle for average
You don’t need us to tell you that buying new PMS costs time, effort and money. Once the transition to your shiny-new system is complete, everyone in your practice is using your PMS and your business is sailing along nicely. But, could you be utilising your PMS better? And, are you reaching the fullest-possible return on investment (ROI)? Or, are you coasting rather than sailing?
Your industry’s never still
Today’s digital legal landscape is fast paced and ever evolving to keep up with the changing needs of the marketplace, cater for newly introduced rules and regulations, and tackle growing cybersecurity risks. Because of this, your PMS is regularly updating even if you may not notice due to automatic upgrades which apply to most cloud-based applications. When enhancements, improvements and additions to your software functionality occur, you need to know about each-and-every one of them. The best way to address this challenge is through continued training.
Multiple benefits of software training
To convince you fully, we’ve compiled some of the key advantages of consistently refreshing and expanding your software skills:
Increased productivity and profitability – Regular PMS training enables your staff to gain a deeper understanding of the tools and features available at their fingertips, whether they fall under the end user, bookkeeping or super user category. It’s likely that when the initial training took place, everyone was overwhelmed with the amount of software-related information they needed to take on board while still doing their day job and progressing through a backlog. It’s a well-known fact that people only retain a fraction of training they’re given. That’s why regular refresher training is so important, to provide a deeper insight into functionality, and identify handy shortcuts and time-saving techniques – to get more work done in less time which your bottom line will thank you for.
Streamlined collaboration – Many PMS systems offer collaborative features which allow teams to work seamlessly and closely together. Strong team working is a significant factor to success. Collaboration with clients is equally vital. To quote a few examples of collaboration tools, there’s document sharing , email integration, task management and defined workflows – but it’s likely your software will contain much more collaboration assistance with colleagues and consumers than this.
Improved problem solving – As with most software packages, PMS systems evolve to solve new challenges and demands as and when they arise. A formal training programme ensures you stay abreast on the latest features along with modifications triggered by the introduction of new-and-revised legislation. Training also exposes you to different scenarios as well as case studies where similar issues to those faced have been resolved – simply by using PMS in a live setting. Your staff are empowered to act quicker and iron out problems independently when they happen.
Optimised client satisfaction – There’s an unfortunate tendency for only a fraction of the capabilities on offer actually being used as staff are unaware of the complete range of functionality at their disposal. Training unlocks your PMS’s full potential so your employees discover features, tips and tricks that revolutionalise processes, permitting you to deliver the highest-quality services and achieve superior outcomes for your clients. Happier clients not only bring repeat instructions in the future, they also recommend your law firm to their peers for substantial business development benefits.
Confidence and personal growth – There are always going to be people in your practice who are hesitant about their ability to understand and use something new – including their software. Additional training instils confidence as your people’s self-belief soars and they become more proficient in the tools they use daily. Ongoing learning also keeps your staff up to date with hot-new trends, best practices and innovative solutions – that’s continued professional development at its finest.
Staff retention – The ‘Great Resignation’ is impacting law firms the length and breadth of the country, with attrition being as high as 28% in some of the UK’s largest practices and talent being in short supply. Showing staff you’re investing in them via training has a positive knock-on effect on retention thereby lessening the strain on your entire workforce (with no short-staffing problems) and reducing the workload of your HR department (from a recruitment perspective).
Maximised ROI – Reflecting upon the introduction above, after spending valuable business funds on purchasing your new PMS, the sooner you experience ROI, the better. It just makes good financial sense. ROI comes about by your staff engaging wholly with your software, tapping into its complete catalogue of functionality and working at their most productive levels.
Inflated self-reliance – It’s widely known in training circles that if your people miss training sessions, the volume of calls made to your vendor’s technical support helpdesk rises. Support calls are reactive and relevant to that particular moment in time. But, just because the caller is free, it doesn’t mean the support technician is free. The person in need, therefore, may not receive help immediately and, as a result, can feel as if they’re not being serviced correctly. Instead, by being proactive and attending training at the scheduled time, this unnecessary situation can be avoided as there’s a better chance of navigating your software without the involvement of technical support.
Heightened cybersecurity – Cyber risks are a real-and-present danger. With home-and-hybrid workers across multiple offices, your weakest link is your employees. When your software undergoes development to become more cyber robust, make sure your staff are given training on this functionality so your infrastructure is less vulnerable to cyber threats.
Stronger brand creation – As a services business, you’re dependent upon your people. With happier, engaged, motivated and loyal employees, your staff effectively become your brand ambassadors and your branding is strengthened – the combination of which gives you a marketing boost and competitive edge that’ll make your rivals green with envy while simultaneously elevating your revenue.
Invest in training for rockstar employees
As software technology advances, often at a very rapid pace, staying up to date and expanding skillsets through training is an investment that pays numerous and varied dividends which we’ve spotlighted. Conversely, the risks of not investing in training comprise everything from disrupted operations and falling efficiencies, to missed deadlines and excessive staff turnover – not the markings of a thriving legal business.
At Jayva, we pride ourselves on delivering training services that help practices reach their transformational efficiency goals. Discover more about our training services and see what businesses like yours have to say about our trainers. Please get in touch to ask for further details, pricing and availability by emailing info@jayvaglobal.com.
