QAD PARTNERS FIND THE PERFECT TRAINING PARTNER IN QAD DIGITAL LEARNING

The Challenge:

QAD PARTNERS REQUIRE SCALABLE, ACCESSIBLE TRAINING TO KEEP PACE WITH EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY

QAD partners Digitus, Kontext-e and SIT Consultores operate in different regions, specialize in distinct areas and are in various stages of their journey within the QAD ecosystem, yet share a common goal: mastering QAD technologies as they continue to evolve to deliver exceptional service and value to their customers. As QAD continues to expand, these partners recognized the need to upskill their teams, standardize learning and make training more accessible to both new and existing employees.

“All partners share a common objective. We want to be one of the top QAD partners and provide successful services either in implementation or support services to our global clients,” explained Ranganath BK, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Digitus. The company, which was established to serve as a dedicated boutique partner for services, wanted to grow hand-in-hand with QAD and recognized a need to scale training and expertise with QAD solutions.

“Deep expertise is important for meeting customers where they are, regardless of the version of QAD they’re using or level of customization required,” stated Hareesh Venkitachalam, Delivery Director at Digitus. “Having knowledge of the solution as it is evolving with new features really helps us be updated when we are in front of customers,” but training programs were limited in some of Digitus’ geographies.

Similarly, Kontext-e needed a structured approach to training to ensure its consultants remain at the forefront of innovation within the QAD ecosystem. The company has been a QAD partner for more than two decades and supports customers across Europe, but recognized a need to standardize training as both its organization and QAD grew. “Finding and accessing the right training at the right time was difficult,” explained Theo Kleijkers, Managing Director at Kontext-e. “Training was available, but also error-prone. It depended on the individual.”

SIT Consultores, like Digitus and Kontext-e, recognized that upskilling was critical to maintaining service excellence as QAD evolved. “QAD is agile. They’re continually updating the technology and adding new solutions, so our people have to learn what’s new,” explained Jaime Saenz, CEO of SIT Consultores. “We are the consultant and we are the ones who bring QAD to customers. Being up to date is a must.”

“One of the biggest challenges for any company is that technology is always changing,” agreed Enrique Sierra, Services Consulting Manager at SIT Consultores. “Our consultants need to be aligned with our customers, know what they can deliver and be prepared to do it.” The company wanted to develop a training path for each of its specialists, but needed a program that would be implemented flexibly to accommodate tight schedules and different languages.

The Solution:

QAD DIGITAL LEARNING STANDARDIZES TRAINING AND ACCELERATES UPSKILLING FOR PARTNERS

For all three partners, remaining competitive in the QAD ecosystem meant investing in training, talent development and continuous learning. They found the solution they were looking for in QAD Digital Learning, a structured, flexible and on-demand training platform that provides partners and customers with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed with QAD solutions. 

Each partner respectively used the program’s wide range of courses to procure targeted training for QAD solutions and best practices, upskilling new and existing talent and ensuring their organizations can continue delivering best-in-class service to customers while growing alongside QAD.

Digitus has 40 team members actively enrolled in QAD Digital Learning and relies on the platform to keep new hires and experienced consultants up to date with QAD’s latest enhancements. Ranganath and Venkitachalam shared that QAD Digital Learning’s on-demand format has been transformational, allowing employees to learn at their own pace without disrupting their work schedules. 

“The flexibility for each individual to attend the trainings at their own pace makes a big difference,” stated Venkitachalam. Internal support for QAD Digital Learning has been overwhelmingly positive, with employees reporting the training content is extremely relevant and effective. “The structured learning experience, sandbox environments and access to the latest QAD features have been game-changers for our team,” added Ranganath.

Kontext-e leveraged QAD Digital Learning to train 22 employees, and the team has completed 499 courses to date. “The courses are extremely structured and divided into buckets that ensure Kontext-e’s consultants can receive the training they need to support the latest QAD advancements without becoming fatigued during the process,” explained Kleijkers. 

The Learning Manager Experience feature has been especially helpful because it provides visibility into employee progress, eliminating the need for managers to track training manually. “The dashboard gives us a snapshot of individual learner progress, making it much easier to manage and support training efforts,” added Kleijkers.

For SIT Consultores, QAD Digital Learning has been crucial for keeping consultants, developers, and support and sales teams updated on the latest QAD capabilities. It uses personalized learning paths for different roles, with Saenz explaining the approach “ensures that time is invested effectively to reach the knowledge and skills demanded by our market.” 

For the support team, that means using QAD Digital Learning to stay ahead of the curve. “We can review new topics in advance and put what we’ve learned into practice even before being requested by our customers,” expanded Antonio Ramirez, Support Manager at SIT Consultores. The consulting team relies on QAD Digital Learning to balance training with dynamic client schedules, while preparing for demos has never been easier for sales.

Having the flexibility to select courses and take them at our own pace gives us an advantage,” said Enrique Sierra, Services Consulting Manager at SIT Consultores. A wide variety of certifications within QAD Digital Learning have also provided a structured way for the team to advance and demonstrate their expertise.

The Benefits:

PARTNERS ENHANCE EXPERTISE, STRENGTHEN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND GROW WITH QAD DIGITAL LEARNING

With QAD Digital Learning, each partner has gained the ability to upskill seamlessly and continuously to achieve the ultimate benefit: delivering the best service and value for their customers. 

“Having access to training and knowledge within QAD Digital Learning makes us feel more empowered in terms of suggesting how our customers’ problems can be addressed. QAD Digital Learning makes us think in a different way,” explained Ranganath. 

Digitus has used QAD Digital Learning to enhance its ability to guide customers effectively, which is critical because many are beginning their journey toward the latest version of QAD ERP. “Our customers are equally excited as all of us in the QAD world about the new improvements and versions,” added Venkitachalam. “Enabling them with proper consultancy and advisory services to get them onto the latest environment and convert their customizations into platform-based solutions is critical.”

For Kontext-e, QAD Digital Learning not only helped its consultants keep pace with new technologies, but also encouraged standardization and excellence across the QAD partner network. “We live as a company with our customers, and from our customers,” stated Kleijkers. “That means we implement customers, but we also support them afterward—and with QAD, that never stops.” 

“It’s important for QAD partners to be able to work together, but doing so can be difficult when businesses use different training or standards,” continued Kleijkers. “I would advise all partners to follow QAD Digital Learning.” 

“SIT Consultores continues to unlock greater value for its customers with QAD Digital Learning,” explained Saenz. “QAD Digital Learning is helping us to keep our consultant and developer team updated on QAD and what’s new in order to bring the most valuable proposal to our customers.” 

“QAD Digital Learning is so valuable for our job,” agreed Sierra. “This is one of the tools we use to refresh our knowledge and as a reference when a customer wants to learn about a new topic. The hands-on environments improve the way the team acquires new knowledge.”