Product Training
Although small software development teams often don’t even consider how their customers will learn to efficiently use their software until they have completed deploying it, large and experienced teams may be implementing features within the software as they develop it to automatically produce documentation and promote ease of use and discovery of feature as well as integrated links to documentation online. Some companies sell optional training with their software, but others provide resources for free as much as they can. Training is often an under-appreciated aspect of the solution. Customers provided with complex software and little training may come to dislike the software simply because they can’t figure out how to use it to improve their productivity. For customers that install the software, lack of good installation and configuration documentation along with a sophisticated install process can lead to dissatisfaction with the software and the abandonment of it. In short, poor training and documentation can drive customers away from great software. Consideration for training and documentation early in the SDLC can allow for opportunities to produce training content earlier and integrate it into the solution. Such additions affect some of the processes used to develop the software when training and documentation are included as part of the solution.