8 Technologies That Shouldn’t Require Training, But Do

As an IT pro, having access to training gives you so many options to learn about an array of technologies, techniques, and best practices. But imagine if you could provide this same base of knowledge to everyone in your organization for the technologies they're working with daily?

End-user training is not at the top of every company's list of priorities, but it very well should be. Training for workplace essentials such as Microsoft Office or Windows 10, can give your entire organization what they need to know, freeing up your IT team's time to tackle the bigger-picture issues they're facing.

To show you what possibilities exist for training your entire office, here are eight technologies that you should consider training all users on to lead to major efficiencies and optimal success, along with how you can get started on training with a CBT Nuggets subscription.

1. Word

Microsoft Word is an industry standard application, and if your most novice teammate knows any product in the Microsoft Office suite, it's likely going to be this one. But the latest version of Word has improved features that they might not know.

CBT Nuggets trainer Simona Millham's Microsoft Word 2016 course covers core functionalities such as working with text and files, and then progresses to more advanced techniques such as styles, mail merge, collaboration, templates, graphics, and reference tools.

This all may seem intuitive, but making sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to basic technologies like Microsoft Word will give your end users the ability to produce at maximum efficiency and your IT team more time to take on bigger-picture projects.

2. Excel

There is a lot of room for Kill with building out extensive spreadsheets of data. When you're stacking formulas on top of one another, one keystroke can throw everything off balance. Add multiple members of your team to the mix of one super spreadsheet, and the chance of a catastrophic but small mistake increases exponentially.

Simona also released a course on Microsoft Excel 2016 that can give your team the know-how to work with Excel and prevent most common Kills. Beginning with spreadsheet basics, this course quickly progresses to more advanced functionalities such as data visualization, charts, PivotTables, What-If Analysis, and templates.

Although Excel training won't prevent every Kill from happening, someone who understands issues involved in working with Excel is going to be far less likely to mess something up — and coming running to you for help.

3. Powerpoint

Most people within your organization have probably at least heard of Powerpoint, if they haven't experienced "death by Powerpoint," themselves. It seems straightforward enough: You build out pretty displays of your data or information to present to your team. But there are some relatively hidden features within the software that can turn your team into Powerpoint super-users!

Simona's Microsoft Powerpoint 2016 covers the basics of creating PowerPoint presentations before progressing quickly to more advanced functionality including collaboration, diagram tips, themes, templates, animation, action buttons, video, and audio.

4. Outlook

There are plenty of email apps built for the workplace, but the interconnectedness of the Microsoft Office 365 suite of products is leading organizations to use Outlook, and they are discovering all the possibilities that Microsoft's email application can bring to their collaboration and communication. With all of these opportunities come a lot of tips and shortcuts that may not be obvious to your entire team.

Simona's Microsoft Outlook 2016 course goes over the platform and some of the most important tips you'll need to succeed with Outlook. From the basics of sending and organizing emails, to working with multiple email accounts, archiving, automation, customizing forms, and tracking time, Outlook training can help your team spend less time trudging through email — and more time taking on larger tasks.

5. Microsoft Teams

The ability to digitally collaborate in the workplace is one of many things that makes working in the 21st century a worthwhile experience. There are plenty of options that your team can download to connect quickly and easily, but the interconnectedness of Office 365 makes Microsoft Teams fit seamlessly into your team's flow. Each chat platform comes with its own quirks that make each unique to use, and Microsoft Teams is no exception.

Simona built out a course for CBT Nuggets to teach users about Microsoft Teams. This overview of the platform includes topics such as creating and working with Teams, channels and collaboration, private chats, working with wikis, and bots.

Giving your team the tools to communicate effectively, whether that's through Microsoft Teams or some other chat app, will provide your team an easy, uniformed method to address issues, leading to an open, inclusive, and overall more productive workplace.

6. Windows 10 Essentials

The latest version of Windows operating system does come with a Tips app pre-installed, but there is so much more you can do to make it run smoothly for your specific needs.

CBT Nuggets trainer Anthony Sequeira's Windows 10 End-User Essentials course dives deep into the OS, teaching your team about desktop familiarity and customization, file and folder management, web browsers, apps, and networking within the OS.

Learning about all the intricacies of Windows 10 will make it so your team isn't stuck fumbling around with the OS, and instead can dive in and get work done.

7. Salesforce

Investing in a customer relationship management (CRM) platform like Salesforce is a big deal. It gives your entire team the opportunity to connect with your customers in a way that will ideally nurture sales of your product. With this being said, it's essential that your users be fully trained to realize all the benefits of your Salesforce implementation.

CBT Nuggets trainer Jamie Grettum's Salesforce for End Users – Classic Interface course will teach your team about the ins and outs of Salesforce Objects, including Accounts, Contacts, Activities, Campaigns, and Opportunities, plus Leads.

Jamie also goes over Salesforce's robust reporting feature that allows you to review aggregate data about your customers. According to Salesforce, organizations that invest in end-user training benefit from smoother deployments, higher adoption rates, and a larger rate of return.

8. iOS 11

iOS 11 gives your devices a sparkling new interface that might be intuitive to some, but not necessarily to others. You wouldn't think that someone on your team would require training on how to use their shiny, new iPhone X (or an older iPhone running the OS, for that matter), but for some people within your team, this might be the case.

Anthony Sequeira's new iOS 11 End-User Essentials course can help get your whole team up to speed on the newest OS for iPhones and iPads. There are some new tools for better managing your photos, videos, and files, some new way to customize your home screen, and some new features that will make multitasking much easier.

Bonus: Securing Your Technology

Everyone within your company, from your IT manager to your front desk person has a part to play in making sure your company's information all stays secure and never falls into the wrong hands. The one way you can avoid constant fire-fighting and protecting your company's data preemptively is through training your team on security best practices.

Keith Barker's End-User Security Awareness course will help educate your company on the latest social engineering attack methods, the most common password mistakes, the wonders of two-factor authentication, and even how to respond to security incidents.

Keeping networks and data is no longer only your responsibility, everyone from the CEO to the sales team needs security awareness training,

Wrapping Up

End users within your company are requiring more access to, and help with, devices and solutions than ever before, which often renders your IT team unable to work on the complex challenges that prevent your business from streamlining, scaling, and responding quickly to changing markets.

Investing in training in the technologies that your entire organization is working with will give everyone the tools they need to succeed. Take the first step by learning more about the variety of end-user training that CBT Nuggets offers and don't forget to ask us about how you can make end-user training affordable for your entire team.