System Training That Sticks: How to Make IT Rollouts Engaging and Effective

You’ve got the green light on a major system rollout. The technology is in place, the timeline’s tight, and you need to train thousands of employees across various locations on the new technology. The only thing standing between your launch and success? Human behavior.

No matter how powerful a system is, it only works if people use it and use it well.

This is where many IT training efforts stall. The team rolls out the system, launches the change communications, but then users lag in adoption. According to Gartner, 70% of business transformation efforts fail due to a lack of user adoption. The main reason for this is that the system training wasn’t effective.

So, how do you deliver an effective system training that builds confidence and sets your rollout up for long-term success?

Here is what it takes to make system training resonate.

Training for Change, Not Just Features

One of the biggest traps teams fall into is treating system training like a feature walkthrough. Yes, users need to know what buttons to click. They also need to understand why the change is happening and how it impacts their role.

System implementations often come with major workflow shifts. Training that fails to acknowledge the context behind those shifts can feel disconnected, and worse, disposable.

To make system training meaningful and memorable, connect it to real work and real outcomes. Help learners understand the broader purpose behind the change and how it will impact their day-to-day responsibilities. Ask questions like:

• What’s changing and why now?
• How does this affect what I do every day?
• What’s expected of me in the new system?
• What support will be available if I get stuck?

Framing the training around the learner’s day-to-day experience makes it far more relatable and memorable.

Focus on Retention from the Start

In the rush to meet a go-live date, it’s tempting to cram everything into a single training event. But if learners are overwhelmed, retention drops.

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve shows that people forget up to 70% of new information within 24 hours. That’s a massive loss if your training doesn’t include reinforcement. To increase retention:

• Break training into digestible modules
• Provide short simulations or walkthroughs post-session
• Reinforce learning with quick reference guides or job aids
• Offer follow-up office hours or chat support during go-live

Designing with reinforcement in mind gives your training staying power. It also gives your learners the confidence they need to adopt the new system quickly.

Make Learning Interactive and Practical

People learn best by doing. Yet many system rollouts still rely on static slides, lengthy manuals, passive webinars, or prerecorded walkthroughs. Prioritizing active learning can make your training more engaging and speed up competence. Some ways to make your system training more interactive:

• Simulated environments where learners can safely practice
• Scenarios and use cases tied to actual job tasks
• Gamified checklists to walk through post-training
• Peer-based learning or buddy systems during rollout

In fact, a study by IBM found that participants in eLearning with interactive content learned nearly five times more material without increasing time spent training.

The key is to tie learning to real tasks and give people the space to try, fail, and try again.

Know Your Audiences (Plural)

Enterprise rollouts impact a range of roles, including end users, supervisors, system administrators, and support teams. Each group interacts with the system differently and needs training that reflects their responsibilities.

Effective programs are structured by audience:

• End users: Focus on core functionality and common tasks
• Managers: Train on approval workflows and reporting
• Support teams: Prepare for FAQs, troubleshooting, and escalation paths
• Admins: Dive into system configuration, integrations, and advanced tools

When training speaks directly to each group’s daily work, it becomes more relevant and easier to retain. It also reduces confusion and builds trust by designing the training with learners in mind.

Plan for the Moments That Matter

Rolling out systems training is a process with multiple stages that align with the learner journey.

Here’s a sample structure that works well:

• Pre-Training Communications
  • Explain the change and training goals
  • Set expectations for timelines and participation
• Live Training or eLearning
  • Deliver job-relevant, interactive training
  • Include built-in knowledge checks
• Post-Training Reinforcement
  • Share quick-start guides, videos, or cheat sheets
  • Set up “drop-in” support channels
• Go-Live Support
  • Deploy floor walkers or virtual office hours
  • Use feedback loops to flag recurring issues
• Sustainment Plan
  • Provide refresher content and updated materials
  • Track system usage and skill gaps for targeted support

This approach ensures that training doesn’t end when the session does and that adoption continues to build long after go-live.

Real Results: How Dominion Energy Delivered SAP Training at Scale

When Dominion Energy prepared to launch a new SAP billing system, they needed a training partner who could move fast to set their employees up for success. Over eight months, TTA provided a team of 45 expert trainers along with project managers, a learning strategist, and an SAP expert to support the rollout. Together, they trained 2,000 employees across customer service, billing, and credit teams through a mix of in-person and virtual sessions.

The result was a smooth system launch and strong learner readiness, with positive feedback from business leaders across the organization.

Want the full story? Read the complete Dominion Energy case study.

Measure What Matters

Good training moves people. Great training measures how.

To show the value of your rollout efforts, it’s important to track learning effectiveness and business impact. Some metrics to consider:

• Pre- and post-training assessments to track knowledge gains
• Behavioral data such as system login frequency or task completion
• Support ticket volume by category
• Employee feedback via surveys or focus groups
• Time-to-proficiency benchmarks by role or region

According to McKinsey, companies that leverage behavioral and learning analytics in system rollouts are twice as likely to meet their business objectives.

The takeaway? When you measure what matters, you can improve what matters.

Build a Bench, Not Just a Plan

Here’s the truth: even the best-designed training plan can fall short if you don’t have the right people to execute it.

A smooth rollout depends on having the right talent in place. Facilitators who know how to translate change into action, instructional designers who can turn technical workflows into digestible content, and project managers who can keep everything on track.

When internal teams are stretched thin, this is where contract learning talent becomes indispensable. They bring fresh eyes and deep experience. With increased capacity, you can keep things moving without burning out your existing team.

Key Takeaway: Adoption Is the Goal, Training Is the Strategy

Technology doesn’t drive transformation. People do.

And when it comes to an effective system training, your people need the right content and support to move forward with clarity and confidence.

By creating system training that is effective, engaging, and focused on the audience, you help people adopt the system faster. This leads to better performance and a smoother go-live experience.

If your team is preparing for a system implementation and you’re looking to build a training program that drives adoption from day one, TTA can help.