Importance of Education/Training Management System(EMS)

The modern day training and teaching fraternity is fortunate to have Software or even Technology as a perfect enabler.It increases the efficiency of the trainer/teacher manifold.The other benefits derived out of a Education Management System (EMS)or Training Management System (TMS)is generation of reports, comprehensive Management Information System(MIS),resulting in understanding the developmental curve of every trainee/student, end to end management to name a few.My first hand experience in leveraging EMS, both in the Indian subcontinent and in the Middle East compelled me to think on a few issues.They are-
(1)EMS should be implemented only after the conventional training approaches have been firmly inculcated in the existing system
(2)The innovation, creativity of a trainer/teacher should not be limited or compromised at the cost of automation
(3)While MIS is important for following up on the performance of the trainee/student, it is also important for the EMS to evaluate the contribution of a trainer/teacher
(4)Complete automation of the training process should not be done as areas like training plan, delivery mechanisms, tools and techniques to be adopted, evaluating criteria, resources to be used should be left at the discretion of the trainer
(5)The performance review should not only consider the details generated by the EMS, rather the performance of a trainer should also take into consideration on the basis of direct one-one observation along with other key factors, which are not being reflected by the EMS
(6)Periodical analysis of the functioning and benefits of the EMS should be understood so as to realize its impact on the training process
(7)Feedback from all the stake holders should be taken periodically so as to understand the actual benefit dervied by the concerned stakeholders involved in the training process
(8)TMS or EMS is better if the number of trainees are more and training is monitored by people from distant locations
(9)A cost benefit analysis and feasibility study should be conducted before EMS or TMS is incorporated.
Inspite of all these, I can see the EMS/TMS providing tangible benefit to the training and developmental domain, however a word of caution is not to get too obsessed with technology at the cost of human element.Technology may have simplified things, but human touch can only improve it.So complete substitution of human element by machine is a strict No-NO, when it is training or education.