How To Create A Software Training Plan Instantly [Using AI]

by Prasanna Vaidya

Marvin Gechman wisely states in his book Project Management of Large Software-Intensive Systems,

“The best tools are of little value and a waste of resources if no one knows how to use them.”

He further says that, when it comes to software training, even the most carefully planned and well-funded initiatives can fall short without proper execution.

As an example, he takes a high-tech company. Despite their confidence in its software training strategy, the company missed an important rating due to low participation in its training programs.

It’s tempting to believe that simply allocating a budget and scheduling sessions will suffice, but reality often tells a different story. As we read into Gechman’s insights, it made us rethink how software training plans can truly support your employees.

And so, we’ve gathered tips and ideas powered by the rapid advancements in AI to help you create your plan quickly & make sure your users feel confident navigating any new software.

What will be covered in this blog?

  1. What is a Software Training Plan?
  2. Why Software Training Plan Matters?
  3. Types of Software User Training
  4. What Common Issues Hinder Software Training?
  5. 8 Key Steps For Creating a Software Training Plan
  6. Software training plan template (AI Prompt)
  7. Heard of Smart Training Plans?

Excited heh? Let’s get over the basics first

What is a Software Training Plan?

A software training plan is a structured guide that organizations create to help end-users learn how to use software, improve their technical skills, and become more productive with it.

Most often, HR managers, IT supervisors, or Training and development leaders are responsible for creating a software training plan. They have to assess user proficiency and (likewise) provide digital resources for application learning.

A software training plan should aim to engage end users. The organization will only get the maximum application ROI if those users adopt the new software quickly and show tangible business results.

Why Software Training Plan Matters

You’ve spent a lot of time and money researching, testing, and choosing the perfect software for your business. After all that effort, you finally roll it out.

But then, the unexpected happens: your employees don’t fully understand how to use it, and instead of making things better, productivity drops.

Do you know where it all went wrong? You didn’t take the time to create a solid plan of action. Or if you did, it wasn’t well thought out.

A weak or rushed software training plan can lead to everything falling apart simply because your employees weren’t trained properly.

In a nutshell, it matters because:

“Not-so-good” software training plan = Failure of whole software implementation

But, but, but… if you can crack the code and provide your employees with useful software training, you’ll see benefits such as:

  • Efficient Tech Users: Not everyone is naturally tech-savvy, but skills can be developed. With a proper software training plan, you’ll see your employees' proficiency in using software improve, leading to increased productivity.
  • User Satisfaction from Getting Work Done: When employees know exactly what to do, they can accomplish more and make fewer errors. This clarity will lead to greater job satisfaction.
  • Stronger Decision-Making with Applications: As employees become familiar with each feature and its capabilities, they can use the software more effectively for detailed decision-making. For example, a sales rep who understands CRM’s advanced settings for custom deals can offer better deals to customers.
  • Reduced Support Costs: A comprehensive software training plan decreases the likelihood of employees needing frequent support, easing the burden on IT and support teams.
  • Quick ROI Maximization: You want a good return when investing in software. If your training plan is on track, you’ll notice increased adoption rates, meaning more users are utilizing more features, and you’ll reap the long-term benefits of your software investment.

Types of Software User Training

Decades ago, software training primarily involved user manuals—those printed books filled with screenshots and instructions that employees would painstakingly flip through to learn the software.

We're far from the 1900s now, and modern times have introduced more research-backed training methods. Here are some of the most common types:

  • Instructor-led Training: This involves a live instructor who teaches users about the software either in a classroom setting or online. It can also include long videos where an instructor shows processes in real time.
  • Hands-on Training: This allows users to practice using the software in a safe environment where software, code, or applications can be tested, experimented with, or executed without affecting the main system or network.
  • eLearning: This digital training method needs an LMS platform to host online courses, modules, or videos that teach users about the software. Learners can either choose on-demand learning or follow a fixed schedule with a set duration.
  • In-app Product-led Onboarding and Training: With this approach, learning is integrated right within the software application with the help of a Digital adoption platform (DAP) that hosts walkthrough guides and help resources as a user learns how to use the software.

The best type of training for a particular software will depend on several factors, such as its:

  • Complexity of software
  • Users' experience level
  • Available budget

What Common Issues Hinder Software Training?

Let's start from the top:

  • Change is Challenging for Most

Introducing new software into an employee's daily routine can be tough. They're used to knowing exactly which app to open and how to use it. So, even though most employees will adapt to new software, there's often an underlying question: "Why do we need to change?" or "Why should I disrupt my schedule?"

It's natural for your employees to feel this way, and it's important to address this resistance both on an individual and organizational level. One key approach is to keep an open mind, acknowledging these concerns, and addressing them transparently.

Source
  • Balancing Training Across Different Skill Levels

Each employee learns differently. Some prefer video tutorials, while others thrive with in-person instruction. So, when planning the content, there has to be balance. The training material can’t be too basic, as advanced learners may lose interest. At the same time, if it's too complex, beginners might feel overwhelmed or discouraged.

To overcome this, consider flexible content delivery methods, using tools like DAPs or Learning Management Systems (LMSs) to create personalized learning paths suited to various proficiency levels.

  • Drifting Human Touch With Remote/WFH Trend

Since COVID, organizations have pivoted to virtual onboarding and training to maintain smooth operations. Previously, software training often included in-person sessions (human touch), but these had to move to Zoom or other video conferencing platforms.

Also, relying on Sharepoint presentations, however, didn't guarantee knowledge retention—employees were constantly switching between tabs, making the experience less interactive and less fruitful. Fortunately, modern tools are helping bridge that gap, making virtual training more engaging and efficient.

  • Lacking Leadership Support

Leadership may not see software training as a top priority compared to other pressing business goals, such as sales, operational efficiency, or market expansion. If leaders do not directly connect the training to these priorities, they may deprioritize it.

If L&D teams don’t involve leaders early in the process, it can result in a lack of buy-in. Leaders need to understand the reasons behind the software transition and how training will enable successful adoption and further complete application ROI.

8 Steps For Creating a Software Training Plan

A good software training plan is all about creating a clear outline of:

  • what needs to happen,
  • when it needs to happen, and
  • who’s responsible at each stage.

To make this process even faster, we’ll also share some AI prompts.

Before we begin, here’s a fact: On average, a department uses 40–60 tools, with sales, marketing, and IT leading the pack. L&D professionals often face the challenge of juggling multiple training needs(and we get it!), so we've addressed how to prioritise which software needs training first in steps below.

Step 1: Conduct a Training Needs Assessment (TNA)

What Needs to Happen:

A Training Needs Assessment (TNA) is your starting point for identifying software knowledge gaps and understanding specific training requirements. Here's what to do:

  1. Tailor assessments for each employee based on their role and department.
  2. Use surveys, interviews, or AI tools to identify software knowledge gaps.
  3. Analyze results to segment employees needing foundational versus advanced training.

Here’s a template that would help you: Template by Gyde | TNA

When It Needs to Happen:

  • Timeline: During the first week of the project.

Who’s Responsible:

  • Training Coordinator: Design and run TNA.
  • Employees: Complete the assessments honestly.

AI Prompts:

  • “Create a survey to assess employee familiarity with [specific software]. Include questions on features, usage, and challenges.”
  • “Draft an email template inviting employees to complete a training needs survey.”
  • “Analyze results from [survey tool] and group employees into basic or advanced training categories.”
Take the time to understand your team’s needs, and you’ll build a training plan that works for everyone!

Step 2: Analyze Business Impact

What Needs to Happen:

Take a closer look at how software inefficiencies affect your organization. To get a clear picture:

  1. Assess how poor software usage affects departmental and organizational performance.
  2. Identify specific issues like customer complaints or missed deadlines linked to software inefficiencies.
  3. Prioritize training for software directly impacting customer satisfaction or operational efficiency.

When It Needs to Happen:

  • Timeline: Within the first week of the project, alongside the TNA analysis.

Who’s Responsible:

  • Training Coordinator: Analyze business pain points and connect them to software gaps.
  • Department Heads: Share insights on departmental inefficiencies linked to software use.

AI Prompts:

  • “Analyze the correlation between poor software usage and [specific business outcome, e.g., missed deadlines].”
  • “List common issues caused by improper use of [software name] and suggest training solutions.”
  • “Generate a report summarizing the business impact of software inefficiencies for [department].”
Taking the time to analyze the business impact ensures your training program is focused on what truly matters—solving problems and driving results.

Step 3: Identify & Prioritize Software

What Needs to Happen:

Now that you’ve assessed training needs and analyzed business impact, it’s time to zero in on the software that matters most. Here’s how to approach it:

  • List out all the software tools currently used by each department—CRMs, HRMSs, POS systems, or any other essential applications.
  • Rank them based on their criticality to daily operations and the knowledge gaps identified during the Training Needs Assessment (TNA).
  • Collaborate with department heads to understand which tools are most crucial for their teams and where the biggest usage challenges lie.
  • For instance, if your CRM is causing customer service delays or your HRMS is complicating payroll processing, these tools should take priority. By aligning your priorities with the TNA insights and business impact analysis, you can address the software that most urgently needs attention.

When It Needs to Happen:

  • Timeline: Complete this step during the first week of the project, alongside TNA and business impact analysis.

Who’s Responsible:

  • L&D Manager: Gather and consolidate information.
  • Department Heads: Share software and gap details.

AI Prompts:

  • “Generate a priority list of software based on criteria like business impact, frequency of use, and knowledge gaps identified in the TNA.”
  • “Summarize survey responses to rank software tools by their importance to operations and training urgency.”
  • “Draft a report template for comparing software tools by their impact on KPIs such as customer satisfaction, productivity, and compliance.”
By focusing on the most impactful tools first, your training efforts can address pressing gaps while setting the foundation for ongoing, well-planned software training plan throughout the year.

Step 4: Set a Training Objective

What Needs to Happen:

  1. Use the SMART framework to make sure you align training outcomes with business objectives. Your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example:
  • Specific: Train employees to use the CRM’s reporting feature to create accurate sales forecasts.
  • Measurable: Achieve a 30% reduction in CRM-related errors within three months.
  • Achievable: Provide hands-on training for 100 employees in the first phase.
  • Relevant: Focus on improving data accuracy to support decision-making.
  • Time-bound: Complete the first training phase within 60 days.

2. Objectives should reflect the specific needs of different teams. For instance, sales teams may need CRM training for lead management, while HR teams require guidance on using HRMS for onboarding.

When It Needs to Happen:

  • Timeline: Finalize objectives during the second or third week to align with TNA and business impact analysis.

Who’s Responsible:

  • L&D team, who align goals with organizational needs
  • Department heads and managers provide input on team-specific skills
  • Instructional designers craft actionable objectives.

AI Prompts:

  • “Create an elaborate software training goal (according to SMART criteria) for (add company name). Here’s what we have found in the needs assessment of this (add department name), and we want to create it for (mention purpose).”
  • “Draft a purpose statement linking [software training goal] to business outcomes like [e.g., improved productivity or customer satisfaction].”
  • “Create a list of success metrics for [training program name] that align with organizational KPIs.”
  • “Suggest role-specific training objectives for using [software feature] effectively.”
Every software training plan must have a goal—it acts as the roadmap that guides employees through learning the software system. Without clear, measurable objectives, the training lacks direction and purpose.

Step 5: Choose Training Methods & Platforms

What Needs to Happen:

  1. Consider the complexity of the software and your employees' learning preferences to choose the best training methods. Once you’ve identified the method, the platform becomes easier to select. For example:
  • An LMS would be the right fit if your employees prefer learning through videos.
  • If the software is complex and users need flexibility, choose an in-app, on-demand training platform like DAP.
  • If employees are beginners who frequently turn to IT for support, a Knowledge Base (KB) with FAQs would be helpful.

2. You can also opt for different training methods, a strategy known as blended learning. This approach helps keep learners engaged and reinforces knowledge over time.

When It Needs to Happen:

  • Timeline: During the fourth week, making sure methods and platforms are set before rolling out training.

Who’s Responsible:

  • L&D Team: Evaluate and select the best training methods and platforms.

AI Prompts:

  • “Compare the effectiveness of [training methods] for teaching [software feature].”
This step is super crucial—you're picking software to train on another software. The irony would be unbearable if the training platform had its own steep learning curve, right? So, make sure you choose something so easy to use that even your most tech-averse employees will love it!

Step 6: Assign the Creation of Engaging Training Content

What Needs to Happen:

This step focuses on assigning the creation of training materials that employees will use to learn and master the software. Here’s how you can approach it:

  1. Delegate the task to trainers or subject matter experts who deeply understand the software. They’ll create resources like how-to guides, manuals, or courses tailored to employees’ roles.
  2. Work with instructional designers to make sure training materials uses principles of human psychology—like simplifying concepts, adding visuals, and promoting active learning.
  3. Make sure to build step-by-step training modules that simplifies complex software concepts and make navigation easier.

When It Needs to Happen:

  • Timeline: Begin content development immediately after you've decided on the training method and platform. This step might take some time.

Who’s Responsible:

  • Trainers/SMEs: Provide content expertise.
  • Instructional Designers: Create engaging and user-centric materials.

AI Prompts:

  • “Generate a content outline for (software) training modules that breaks down navigation, data entry, and reporting.”
  • “Suggest ways to incorporate principles of psychology (e.g., chunking or storytelling) into training content.”
  • “Draft step-by-step instructions for [specific software task] using an active tone and clear language.”
  • “Create a character design concept to represent the software training mascot.”
Once your training content is ready, you can plan a schedule that rolls out each module step by step. This way, it’s easy to avoid overwhelming your employees while aligning perfectly with their work timings!

Step 7: Create a Training Schedule

What needs to be done?

Now is the time to create and align the training schedules with employee availability. Here's how you can do that:

  • Begin with foundational skills, then progress to advanced features. Build in flexibility for unexpected delays while ensuring completion within a set timeline.
  • Send calendar invites and pre-book time slots in advance so employees can prioritize training and commit to attendance.
  • Integrate training into daily routines by scheduling shorter sessions or offering on-demand modules employees can access anytime. Schedule tasks employees can complete during regular workflows using in-app guides for support.

When It Needs to Happen:

Timeline: After completing the first six steps, use insights to design a training schedule tailored to your organization’s needs.

Who’s Responsible:

  • L&D Manager: Oversees the overall schedule and ensures alignment with organizational needs
  • Trainers/Facilitators: Execute training sessions and assessments.
  • Employees: Commit to attending sessions and completing assignments.

AI Prompts:

  • "Provide a role-based responsibility chart for creating and managing a training schedule. Include roles for oversight, delivery, and administrative support."
  • "Generate a training schedule for [Software Name] over [Number of Weeks]. Include recommended milestones for onboarding, mid-training assessments, and final evaluations, ensuring time for revisions or delays."
  • “Suggest methods for integrating training sessions into daily workflows.”
Once Step 7, now comes the exciting(and for some, nervous) part—execution! After the training is launched, you can proceed to Step 8, where you’ll monitor employee engagement, gather feedback, and tweak your plan based on what they say.

Step 8: Monitor Progress & Iterate

What Needs to Happen:

  1. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the analytics of whichever tool you're using.
  2. Track training effectiveness using surveys, quizzes, and performance metrics.
  3. Use employee feedback to identify areas for improvement in the training process.
  4. Offer refresher sessions or additional resources for challenging software features.

When It Needs to Happen:

  • Timeline: Ongoing, starting from the completion of initial training sessions.

Who’s Responsible:

  • L&D Team: Monitor progress, gather feedback, and iterate on the plan.
  • Employees: Participate in evaluations and provide input for improvements.

AI Prompts:

  • “Create a survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the [specific training module].”
  • “Analyze training feedback from [tool name] and identify improvement opportunities.”
  • “Generate suggestions for refresher courses based on user performance in [module].”
With this iterative approach, your software training plan is bound to be a success!

Software Training Plan Template (AI prompt)

In just a few seconds, you can complete this long prompt and prepare your plan!

“You’re an experienced instructional designer specializing in software training solutions for [add department name]. With over 15 years of expertise in developing comprehensive training programs, you excel at creating engaging content that simplifies complex concepts and enhances user adoption.

Your task is to create a software training plan for my [name] department. The team is currently facing challenges with [mention your challenges]

Here are the key details to consider:

- Software Name:

- Specific Issues Faced:

- Number of Training Modules:

- Main Objectives for Each Module:

- Preferred Training Format (e.g., videos, interactive guides, quizzes):  

Please ensure the training plan uses a [platform chosen] to facilitate learning and retention.”

Remember → Sure, you’ll get a quick baseline, but keep questioning and refining the AI’s output to get the best results. Trust your instincts and stay focused on your learners' needs. Use AI to speed up your process, but don’t let it take over—always keep that personal, human touch alive!

Smart Training Plans? One Those Equip Learners With In-App Support, Anytime, Anywhere.

Make the whole planning much smarter. Plan it with a DAP. This tool is the present and future of training, bringing your guidance directly into the app itself. Imagine all your training efforts internalized—accessible right where your users need them most!

Let’s take Gyde, for example. This DAP offers in-app, audio-visual walkthroughs that guide users through each step right on their screen. It’s like having a trainer beside them, explaining the importance of every feature and ensuring that data fields are filled out correctly.

But that’s not all—Gyde also provides context-sensitive help articles that act as an in-app knowledge base. Employees get the exact info they need based on where they are in the app—no hunting through manuals or scrolling endless slides. Your team stays focused and frustration-free.

For training admins, Gyde’s a total time-saver. Simply click through the process you want to capture, and Gyde’s no-code walkthrough creator develops an walkthrough in seconds(with its AI capabilities).

Plus, you can instantly turn those walkthroughs into bite-sized videos—perfect for quick microlearning sessions.

If you need multilingual support, Gyde’s all training materials can be translated into any language your team prefers—making it inclusive and global-ready.

Now, you see why we were calling the DAP way – the smarter way to train! It’s not just about supporting your employees where they are—it’s also about making training creation easier for you!

FAQs

  • What is software user training?

Software user training is all about helping people get the most out of a specific application. It aims to boost users' skills and confidence, making them more efficient and reducing errors.

Training covers everything from navigating the software to mastering its advanced features, and it can take various forms—like hands-on workshops, online courses, or quick video tutorials. Tailoring the training to different user groups ensures it’s relevant and effective.

Plus, using feedback and assessments after training helps measure how well users are grasping the material. Ultimately, good user training empowers individuals to use software fully, driving productivity and success for the whole organization.

  • How do you write a training plan?

To create a training plan, identify specific training needs and set SMART goals. Choose the best delivery methods for in-app support, such as in-person sessions or Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs). Develop engaging content and establish a timeline with key milestones while allocating necessary resources.

As you implement the training, foster participant engagement and evaluate its effectiveness through feedback and performance metrics. Finally, provide ongoing support and regularly review the plan to ensure it aligns with your organizational goals.

  • What software is used for training?

A variety of software tools are essential for good training, including

  • Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Moodle and Blackboard for centralizing materials,
  • Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) such as Gyde and WalkMe for in-app guidance,
  • eLearning authoring tools like Articulate Storyline for creating engaging content.
  • Video conferencing tools (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams) facilitate live sessions,
  • Collaboration tools (like Slack and Trello) enhance team communication
  • Performance support tools (e.g., Confluence) provide quick access to resources,
  • Simulation software offers realistic practice scenarios, and gamification platforms (like Kahoot!) engage learners with game-like elements.
  • Assessment tools (like SurveyMonkey) evaluate training effectiveness, and
  • Microlearning platforms (like EdApp) deliver bite-sized content for quick refreshers.