Simulation software is the affordable answer to otherwise prohibitive training costs that will soon become the legal obligation of every company in South Africa, says Bryan Hattingh, MD of Bryan Hattingh Independent Services.
For this purpose, Bryan Hattingh Independent Services (BHIS), a member of the Advtech Group, has been awarded the exclusive distribution rights for Adacel Multimedia`s simulation training software, an internationally accredited training system which has grown directly out of real-time market place experience. Adacel Multimedia is a wholly owned division of Adacel Technologies Limited.
"South African companies have less than two months to go before the April 2000 implementation of the Skills Development Act. In terms of this law, recognised and accredited training must be provided for employees, failing which penalties in the terms of fines, starting at 0,5 percent of the total payroll, and increasing to one percent by April 2001, will be imposed," says Hattingh.
Announcing the deal between BHIS and Adacel, UK-based Alastair Shakeshaft, general manager, Adacel - EMEA (Europe Middle East Africa), says "the cost of one-on-one training has become prohibitive and for this reason we are proud to be entering the simulation training software market in South Africa, particularly in the light of the Skills Development Act and its implications for South African Industry."
Adacel`s simulation software is designed to be of use in those industries that have the potential for mass training exercises and applications, such as call centres, or for specific niche professions in middle or senior management training. Currently the software offers simulation training in call centre operations; negotiation; project management; and debt collection.
The software works by providing a graphical interface for the user. A student is confronted with a given set of problems or queries and has to choose responses, using either a keyboard or a mouse. The purpose is to recreate, during a set period of time, any number of potential circumstances with which an individual may be confronted in any particular job.
During that time, random problems plus consequential problems (caused by poor initial decisions) are presented to the student, along with a series of possible options, so the student has to choose which is the most appropriate option as they work through the simulation
"The idea is that they will be exposed to virtually all the issues they will face in the real world, and, having been exposed to them where there is no face-on customer interaction, the employees will be better able to handle such issues in the live environment," explains Shakeshaft. The student - and the company - can then afford the luxury of mistakes without it harming company image. Furthermore, in the real world, the employee is then equipped to make the right decision, faced with similar circumstances. The subject is broken down into key performance measures and as the student works through the program, each action is measured against these performance indicators.
This enables the software to identify any particular area of weakness where additional help or tutelage may be required.
"Another feature is the production of a coaching and mentoring report, which shows the student`s progress through their training, and the consequences of their actions. This methodology enables students to become more productive, more quickly, with fewer mistakes," says Shakeshaft. "According to figures released by the American Society for Training, research into learning styles shows people remember 20 percent of what they hear; 30 percent of what they see; 70 percent of what they say; and 90 percent of what they do.
The benefits of training through recreating a real work environment are therefore obvious, as it forces a student to actually do a job, as opposed to theorising about it," he continues. "The software is also of application to consulting firms, as it enables them to test out the working environment of their potential clients and thus learn the practical ins and outs of particular industries and thereby gain a greater understanding of the relevant issues. One of Adacel`s largest foreign users in this vein is PriceWaterhouseCoopers," says Shakeshaft. Adacel has a strong background in aviation simulation technology, with software developed by Adacel dominating the world Air Traffic Control industry. Originally developed as real-time high-end training software for avionic and military applications, the high specification technology developed in this way has been turned to non-military and non-avionic applications such as conventional workplace training. "The problem with simulation software in the past has been that it was the preserve of the very rich few - usually only where it was mission critical. As a result, it has generally not been available to the masses. Adacel have a vision to bring the benefits of simulation to the individual user," says Shakeshaft.
"BHIS chose to enter into the distribution agreement with Adacel because it meets our intent, which is to have a holistic set of resources within the group," says Hattingh. "We see this as being integral in terms of the assessment of people, their training, development and retention.
"Combined with the whole back-end of Advtech training solutions and distance learning capabilities, we can now provide a total skills and capability development program to individuals and clients. Our history has always been to offer only a best of breed world class entity, and we are happy that the Adacel simulation training software easily surpasses our rigorous standards," Hattingh concludes.
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