Why registration software is also accountability software
Accountability has reached buzzword status in nearly every industry. However, accountability is old hat to the training industry, which spends billions of dollars each year on content development, delivery methods, materials, and instruction. But the most important part to any training program is the tiny segment of those billions it it responsible for. Just as it’s important for trainees to get the most value possible, any program must prove its value to its funding sources.
ROI
The most straightforward form of accountability is financial return on investment (ROI). The cost of delivering training content should be less than registration income. That’s easy to gauge. Conversely, programs that provide training and other educational offerings at no charge must show ROI in other ways. For organizations beholden to government agencies, accurate reporting going back years is a must. Therefore, a registration management system should quickly produce detailed historical information on registration, attendance, certifications, and re-certifications.
Beyond the basics
Beyond reporting however, a registration system plays a role in actions before, during, and after a class. It tracks specifics like attendance for multiple days of a course; issues evaluations and tracks responses; monitors training income and expenses; tracks continuing education credits; and provides a testing component.
Accountability software
Registration software is no longer just a registration tool. It is, in a way, accountability software. Using built-in budgeting, a program administrator can view up-to-the-minute expenses and income any time. They can even use such data to choose whether to proceed with a training. Similarly, records can be exported and sent to participants’ employers to verify attendance and course completion. Those organizations can use the data, for instance, to track if trainees tend to sign up for a lot of courses but then fail to show up. Supervisors can see who is short on meeting learning plan requirements.
Professionals can track their own progress toward meeting CE requirements. Other trainees can bring transcripts with them to performance reviews. Such transcripts can also include professional development completed through outside sources.
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