ComputerAided_Design_Engineering_amp_Manufactur.pdf

Although researchers appear to agree upon the list of advantages and disadvantages regarding how
training is conducted, there is not a consensus as to which type of training is better. Engleke, for example,
recommends having the training done on-site, without vendors, 18 while Hubbard feels that the best
training sessions are highly structured and relatively formal classes taught by professional instructors at
off-site locations. 23 Majchrzak found that 45% of the firms she surveyed had in-house company-sponsored
training programs. 29 She also found that larger firms generally chose to use the in-house, more
focused training, while smaller firms did not.
Another type of training method is the informal transfer of training. This method allows some users
to learn in the classroom and then return to the workplace and act as tutors in training other employees.
Thus, training is transferred from the classroom to the work setting. 5 This method is effective only if the
relevant knowledge is actually transferred. A critical factor in the successful transfer of training is the
time interval that elapses between the classroom training and actual hands-on usage of the new technology.
Beatty provides a case example of a company that trained its employees six months in advance of
the implementation of a new CAD system. 6 Not surprisingly, most of the material taught in the training
sessions had been forgotten in the period between training and actual usage. It is critical that a minimum
amount of time elapse between CAD training and routine usage. Engelke estimates that the half-life for
advanced software training is about two weeks if it is not used immediately. 18
The timing dimension of CAD training does not have an obvious solution. If training is provided in
advance of system installation, the worker is prepared to use the system once it is implemented, and,
hence, the usual productivity loss due to “getting up to speed” is reduced. However, scheduling problems
often arise. For example, the purchased equipment may arrive later than anticipated, or it may not run
properly immediately after installation. In the meantime, the employees forget what they have learned.
In contrast, some firms opt to wait and train the worker after the system has arrived and is functional,
even though there will be unavoidable downtime while workers learn the system.
In addition to establishing the timing of the training program, it is also necessary to choose the
appropriate training methodology. A thorough needs analysis should be undertaken to identify the design
task, the personnel, and the desired type of training. The choice of the appropriate training method
should consider learning objectives, trainee characteristics, current knowledge about the training process,
and practical considerations such as constraints and costs in relation to benefits. 43 It is important that
the selected method provide a good fit between the needs of the trainee relative to the design tasks which
will be performed. 21
Selection of training methods reinforces the development of different skill sets. Training programs can
be classified as formal (e.g., classroom settings with lectures) or informal (e.g., tutoring, “hands-on”
learning). Formal training reinforces the development of implicit skills which are generally acquired
through formal engineering education or a technical training program. With respect to CAD, studies
conducted by Beatty concluded that formal training is the prevalent method used in CAD environments. 6
Informal training, while less common in CAD environments, encompasses all other types of CAD
knowledge transfer, including apprenticeships, tutorials, and location of workers who are knowledgeable
of the CAD system with their less knowledgeable counterparts in the same work area. Some types of
informal training tend to reinforce the development of tacit skills that largely are developed through
experience. In addition, some types of informal training also have the benefit of being unencumbered
by many of the environmental barriers to learning (e.g., fear of failure, boredom, negative reinforcement
for asking questions, and lack of application to the work situation) which are often associated with formal
methods. 10 In reallocating design work from professionals to less skilled employees, tacit skills diminish
in relative importance when compared to implicit skills. 3 Although the quality of design work has
traditionally been based on the tacit skills possessed by the designers, the acquisition of these skills may
be de-emphasized through the choice of the training/education process.
Vendors of CAD software packages often provide training (usually formal) to firms that purchase their
software, a feature which may play a significant role in making the training decision. Firms often assume
that the vendor-supplied training that accompanies the software will suffice to bring their employees “up
to speed” on the new system. Internal training (conducted by in-house personnel) is the norm for