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By Terrence
O'Hanlon, Reliabilityweb.com
More
and more MRO professionals are seeing the value of Internet use in
the workplace. Employers realize that there are tremendous resources
available on line and that, if used properly, the Internet can boost
productivity significantly.
With the current need for more detailed and
sophisticated worker training and the increased cost of employee
travel, the Internet can deliver yet one more solution for MRO
professionals: distance learning.
Once scoffed at by the most venerable academic
institutions, almost every major university now has a distance
learning initiative in place. Furthermore, the selection of courses
and quality of education continue to improve.
Early efforts in distance learning were
CD-ROM-based training courses made available on the Internet. New
software and better bandwidth now allow instructor-led courses that
include live voice transmission, question-and-answer sessions, and
testing and review capabilities.
Recently, several companies began to offer
industry-related courses over the Internet. For instance, Virtual
Workshops was created by Dupont to deliver training throughout their
worldwide operations while keeping costs extremely low. They found
the method so effective that they decided to roll out the service as
an independent business unit. Their Web site -- http://www.virtual-workshops.com
-- now offers courses about reliability, maintenance,
manufacturing, energy, and safety. The well-organized courses are
taught by an impressive group of instructors.
Smaller companies are providing Internet
learning, as well. For instance, combustion safety training courses
are offered at http://www.combustionsafety.com
through CEC Consulting. Also, Plant Support & Evaluation -- http://www.plantsupport.com
-- offers steam system training. Both Internet sites provide
training to individual clients for specific applications.
In a tight job market, companies that offer
on-going training have significant advantages over those that do
not, because most employees view training as a desired fringe
benefit. Kelly Paffel, president of Plant Support and Evaluation,
states, "We have seen companies cutting back on employee
travel, especially for operators and maintenance staff. We are
committed to using whatever technologies are available to ensure
that our audience continues to receive the highest quality training
available."
Many companies are using on-line training for
customer support. One example is http://www.mpulsecmms.com
-- MPulse Web Tutor's training site. MPulse is a CMMS software
company that now offers courses delivered on demand and scheduled to
fit into the client's agenda. This new interactive method of
teaching allows the instructor to present the information using live
software, while answering questions as they arise.
Try using http://www.trainingnet.com
to locate broader course listings. They have a wide variety of
engineering, facilities, and maintenance courses in a well-organized
format. Another on-line training clearinghouse is http://www.edupoint.com
-- Edupoint's Web site. However, we find their site to be a
little more difficult to use. If you're interested in accessing a
directory of industrial course providers, http://www.reliabilityweb.com
deserves a visit.
Computer-related courses abound on the
Internet and range from http://www.click2learn.com
-- Click2Learn's free site -- to http://www.knowledgenet.com
-- KnowledgeNet's sophisticated site.
You can even arrange to deliver your own
training at http://www.placeware.com
or http://www.webex.com for
free or at a very low cost. The entry-level services are basic and
easy to use. To deliver more sophisticated workshops, you can
subscribe on a per-attendee basis.
The advantages of Internet learning are clear:
time savings, travel cost reduction, wider and more focused global
student interaction, and often one fee for as many people as you can
fit into your conference room! Internet training is here to stay,
and as bandwidth increases to allow better voice and video
transmission, you will see even more on-line training courses.
Simple computer-based training, usually run
directly from a CD-ROM on a local computer, offers many of the same
advantages as Internet training. Coastal Skills Training -- http://www.coastal.com
-- offers a huge library of industrial training courses.
Likewise, Universal Technologies -- http://www.unitecinc.com
-- offers courses on condition monitoring, alignment, and other
mechanical subjects, as does http://www.vibeassist.com
-- Vibe-Assist LLC, and http://www.vibcons.com
-- Vibration Consultants.
If you know of a good on-line training
resource, please e-mail
it to us so we can post it on our Web site.
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article index page
Originally published in the
November 2000 issue
of Engineer's
Digest. Used by permission.
Copyright © 2000 Adams Business
Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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