Extending the reach of training to empower your extended enterprise

Overcoming geographical boundaries

Using a digital platform enables you to deliver consistent training and messaging to everyone across your extended enterprise, regardless of their location or time zone. This gives them access to the same high-quality learning materials and experiences, fostering cohesion and ensuring they are well prepared.

For example, a global technology company can leverage a digital training and development platform to deliver comprehensive training on its proprietary software or product integration processes to its network of partners around the world. This ensures they’ll always have the most up-to-date information and can contribute effectively to the company's success.

Supporting the needs of your learners

A digital training and development platform offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing everyone across your extended enterprise the opportunity to access your training materials at a time and place that suits them best. This is particularly beneficial for stakeholders with busy schedules, those with hybrid or remote employees, and even those in different time zones.

Additionally, digital platforms enable personalization, allowing you to tailor learning pathways and content to the individual needs and preferences of your learners, increasing engagement and effectiveness. For example, a civil engineering firm could offer flexible, on-demand training for their subcontractors, enabling them to learn at their own pace and according to their business needs, to ensure a cohesive approach to safety practices.

Facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing

Facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing across your extended enterprise is also much easier with a digital training and development platform. Such platforms often incorporate social learning features, such as forums, messaging, and file sharing, so your stakeholders can connect, share experiences, and learn from one another. This sense of community and collaboration can enhance relationships within your network and contribute to the overall success of your organisation.

To illustrate this, a renewable energy company with a network of suppliers, installers, and service providers could use a digital training and development platform to create a collaborative learning environment, where stakeholders can share best practices, discuss industry trends, and solve problems together.

Ensuring compliance and maintaining quality

You can also use your digital training and development platform to monitor and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations across your extended enterprise. This can help you improve product and service quality, reduce risk, and enhance customer satisfaction – all of which, of course, contribute to your organisation's overall success.

For example, a medical device manufacturer could use a digital training and development platform to deliver training on regulatory compliance and quality assurance to their suppliers and partners, helping to ensure the safety and efficacy of their products.

Supporting continuous learning and skill development

Fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development within your extended enterprise is significantly more straightforward with a digital training and development platform, since this can provide access to a vast array of learning resources, including courses, webinars, articles, and more, enabling stakeholders to upskill and stay current in their respective fields. This continuous learning environment helps ensure you remain competitive, agile, and therefore successful.

A company in the automotive sector, for example, could use a digital training and development platform to provide their suppliers and partners with access to the latest training materials on emerging technologies, such as electric vehicle development or advanced manufacturing techniques, ensuring that the entire network remains up-to-date and competitive.

Measuring the impact

Naturally, you’ll want to measure the impact of the training you’re providing to your extended enterprise. A modern training and development platform will make this easier to do. This data-driven approach will help you identify areas for improvement and allow you to demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) you're achieving. As a result, it’ll be much easier to secure ongoing support for extended enterprise training.

For example, a logistics company could more easily evaluate the sales performance of their third-party sales representatives and partner agencies. By analysing the data collected, they can pinpoint areas where additional training is needed to improve sales techniques, product knowledge, or customer relationship management. Taking this approach will support the entire network to consistently meet or exceeds sales targets and maintain strong customer relationships.