Knowledge
Lab
Knowledge Lab enables the easy creation of a training management system for use by those responsible for training within an organisation but it can be easily adapted for use by a training business by the addition of a clients' screen.
Knowledge Lab can be downloaded here.
Course
Details
The system will
record information on all scheduled courses (including completed
courses), detailing course name, course reference, course venue,
course provider and course timings, etc.
Documentation
associated with courses - joining instructions, course invitations,
course contracts, course agendas, course material, etc. - can be
recorded within the system as Microsoft Word templates. Template versions
of these documents, provided with the system, can be generated
and printed as required with the
system automatically merging in the required details. Microsoft Word templates
can be added and modified as required.
Delegate
Details
Details
of delegates attending each course are recorded by the system.
It is possible to record details of when a delegate registered,
any previous examinations, etc. Entries indicate that employees have attended
- or plan to attend - individual training courses and these are managed from the
perspective of the courses themselves (i.e. the delegates attending
a particular course are detailed together in one screen). The
delegate entries relate to employee records (see below).
Delegate
Course Evaluation
On
return from courses, individuals complete evaluation forms and these
can be recorded within the system and may include general comments and an overall percentage rating.
Using reports is it possible to analyse course
evaluation entries for all courses by, for instance, a particular course
provider or a specific venue. Report templates can be provided for
these purposes.
Although not included in entry-level Knowledge Lab the facility for
evaluation by the course facilitator or
the employee’s supervisor can be added if required, as can a web
interface to provide course evaluation using an on-line form.
Employee
Details
The
system records details of all employees. It details employee
name, staff number, office, start date, function, appraiser, etc. It
is possible to select an employee’s appraiser from the
existing list of employees recorded in the system.
If
employees have just one principal qualification, this will be
recorded within the employee record. If however it is possible for
employees to have any number of qualifications (and there are
additional details to be recorded for each), then details of these
should be recorded in a dedicated qualifications screen. An
additional screen also enables users to manage
details of employee’s competencies.
Details
of employee appraisals are recorded in a further screen and it is
possible to record the date when the appraisal form was sent,
when it is returned, the next
appraisal date, appraisal action plan notes, etc. Appraisal screen
details may be printed using a report (for all employees or for a selection of employees).
Alternatively, a Microsoft Word template can be created to include automatically
information from appraisal records. Details of courses attended,
future courses and course evaluation forms may be viewed or
printed.
Records
of any correspondence with employees may be retained in the system
(and if required, copies of the letters themselves). The
correspondence itself will be generated as required using standard
Microsoft Word letter templates with system information merging
automatically.
Office
Details
The
system will record details of all the organisation’s offices. Each
employee will be assigned an office. This
separate area of this system is only required if additional details
of offices need to be recorded and used in the system (for example
office address). Recording information in this way means that it is not necessary to enter an
address in each employee record. Using
reports it is possible to analyse all aspects of the
information recorded within the system categorised by office.
Venue
Details
The
system will record details of all venues used for training: hotels, address, size, contact names and general
comments. If
various different rooms are used at a particular venue and details
are required within the system, it is recommended that an
addition screen is added to detail the various rooms.
If
it is necessary to record elements of costs for individual venues this can be recorded in an addition screen. If
however there is a single cost or a simple selection of costs, e.g.
room costs, tea/coffee costs, lunch costs, dinner costs,
accommodation costs, etc., for the venue, then it is recommended that details
are recorded with the venue details.
Course Provider
Details
The
system will record details of all training providers: names, addresses, contact names, telephone
number, fax number. It is possible to view details of when a provider was used by
running reports and report templates are provided.
Contact
Details
The
system will record details of all general contacts: names, addresses, telephone number, fax number
and comments. Contacts
are also recorded in the course provider and the venues screens. It is possible to keep details of all contacts centrally
and select the normal or default contact to display details in
provider and venue records.
General
Functionality
Data is recorded using Microsoft SQL Server 2000
- regrettably it is not possible to use
older versions of SQL Server. The
system will generate correspondence and other documentation using
Microsoft
Word templates. Users can generate templates for memos, invoices,
letters (including headers for headed stationery) etc. Attached
documents can be recorded within the system and these may be search
for by key words. Emails may be sent to employees, training
providers, etc., using Microsoft Outlook (but not GroupWise).
Basic
report templates are provided for all screens and customer custom reports
can be provided for all information recorded
within the database. Data from these reports may be saved in a
variety of formats and can then be manipulated with tools such as
Microsoft
Excel.
While
the number of concurrent sessions will be determined by the user
licence, any number of user accounts can be defined. Security
profiles can be added for all users, detailing the areas of the
system and database to which they have access.
Screen,
report and letter-template design tools are provided with the
system enabling users to modify and add to the system as required.
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