Organizations today need managers and employees who can contribute to financial success. That’s why many of them are offering financial literacy training. However, a Finance 101 course that focuses on terminology and financial statements isn’t enough. Instead, developing the business acumen of employees — going beyond financial literacy to a true understanding of what it takes for a business to make money — is the key to producing real results. In this white paper, you’ll learn what business acumen is and how two of the country’s leading companies used business simulations to help managers and employees impact the bottom line.

By Raymond D. Green, Paradigm Learning

In my 20 years designing and developing management tools for learning executives, one constant I have observed is the ongoing quest to get the learning function on the same footing as Operations, Finance, Marketing and other key organizational functions. CLOs know their success hinges on being in on the upfront planning for the organization’s initiatives that require learning to enable success. And, that means being in on the executive strategy meetings where decisions get made on which initiatives to pursue.

A Zeroed-In Technologies White Paper by Chris Moore, February 2008

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The need for an organisation to track and monitor training that each of its employees undertakes, is not a recent innovation. Before e-learning became available many IT systems existed, often called training management systems, which held records of the training courses that its staff had undertaken, on subjects such as health and safety. This was to prove to anyone that subsequently needed to know, that a person had been trained and hence no culpability by the company could be admitted in the event of litigation following for instance an accident. Now, most industries in the UK or the USA have a regulatory body who are empowered by law to enforce rules and regulations on numerous separate issues. Organisations must therefore keep accurate and detailed training records should an inspection take place or a breach of the regulations be detected.

A Cobent White Paper, December 2007

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Let's strap ourselves into the time machine and go back. Back to May 20, 1957, when F. E. James, Dallas director of the Texas Employment Commission said this about the shortage of skilled workers: "Companies around here still scream at us for every available skilled man.…[M]ost companies on their own have hunted the U.S. over and couldn't find the people they wanted." The article goes on to say, "The chief responsibility for obtaining skilled workers and constantly upgrading their skills rests on industry itself."

An Adayana, Inc. White Paper

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The largest single expense for training organizations is the cost of instructors, both full-time staff instructors and contract instructors. Therefore, it is vital to thoroughly understand these instructors’ true and complete costs, how to compare staff and contract instructors, and when and how to use each of them. This is particularly important not only because of the increased frequency of contractor use, but also because of the many misconceptions about outsourcing contract trainers. These vital considerations can result in important strategic decisions that can significantly reduce costs and risks, but also increase sales and provide better levels of customer service.

By Victor J. Melfa, The Training Associates

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Your employer has decided to acquire a company with more than 5000 employees. These new employees should not complete the two-week orientation training you provide to new hires who do not have experience in the industry, but they will need training as they become a part of your company’s unique culture and as they fill new roles and learn to use your company’s proprietary information systems. You need to present a plan to senior management by the end of the week. How can you quickly analyze the needs of the learners and design a blended solution that will meet their needs?

By Ben Hughes, Allen Communication Learning Services, August 2007

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Did you know that Intellectual Property theft costs U.S. businesses alone an estimated $250 billion per year ? Intellectual property is one of the most critical resources of any business. Loss of any information that gives a company a competitive edge can be disastrous. Companies that have had their product's intellectual property stolen have lost product sales, lost market share, and reduced margins.

Due to the standardization of software engineering processes, pricing pressure, margin compression, and increased enterprise customer expectations (total cost of ownership and return on IT investment), software companies are faced with the task of accomplishing more complex product development with limited and decreasing time frames. Yet, few properly understand and mitigate the associated security and intellectual property risks when developing an offshore sourcing strategy.

This white paper discusses the existence of security and intellectual property risks and vulnerabilities in the distributed software development environments. It also addresses critical business issues to mitigate those risks with qualified risk management techniques, team collaboration tools, and, critically, a verification and audit process resulting in greater visibility of the software development process, improved security, and reduced risk of IP exposure.

An Altoros Systems Inc. White Paper, August 2007

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As technologies have become more complex, it is often difficult to find qualified IT professionals who have the desired knowledge, better skills and specialization capabilities. Successful organizations will recognize the critical importance of effectively managing the skills of their current IT professionals. They will also recognize that the first step in managing those IT skills is to have a detailed, objective and accurate inventory of the skills of their current staff as well as the skills required for their future projects. With the proper evaluation of detailed IT skills, organizations will be able to save time, money and optimize their hiring, training, project staffing and career development initiatives.

An IKM White Paper by Ken Strauss, 2007

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Reorganization around processes has led many organizations to develop a clearer sense of their own identities. As increasingly leaner organizations identify “what we are best at,” and, more significantly,“what generates profit,” financial and management responsibility for non-core functions becomes less appealing. As organizations sharpen their focus on so-called “core” competencies, such as “making chemicals” or “miniaturizing communication devices,” a new trend is in the making. Management consultants have raised the battle cry,“Do only what you do best and outsource the rest.”

A Developmental Dimensions International, Inc. White Paper

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Most organizations that outsource one or more training functions do so to achieve cost savings. And most accomplish this objective. According to a 2005 survey, firms that outsource  training reduce total per learner costs by 31%. But too often, these savings come at a big price – the satisfaction and customized support of business units. And without the backing of these critical stakeholders, any outsourcing initiative is likely to fail. This paper will discuss how to make sure your outsourcing initiative succeeds and even exceeds the expectations
of all.

An Expertus White Paper

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The primary focus of this white paper is on the impact of SOX requirements on an organization's IT systems, practices and controls. Specific IT areas that have relevance to SOX compliance activities include data center operations, system software maintenance, application development and maintenance, business continuity and application software integrity.

A Global Knowledge White Paper

Alison Massey assigns her lieutenant training managers ever greater stretch goals. They respond by producing more web based content thinking it will minimize training delivery costs. Massey reviews the numbers and wonders if the promise of rich-media learning is more hype than hope.

A Clear Crisp Communications White Paper

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Members may click here to read full white paper

Corporate Training is in the throes of a major change driven by the rapid globalization of the corporation. The traditional model for training, centered on classroom-based instruction is being challenged by the need for rapid scale up and global coverage. Training needs to be delivered to thousands of people at hundreds of locations in tens of cultures. The problem is further compounded by the demand to demonstrate a high rate of return on investment in training dollars. Corporate training is required to deliver more and more for less and less.