2008 Upgrade Training

I'm planning an upgrade from 2006 to 2008. I know the UI has changed
quite a bit. Do you think it's changed enough to require some type of
formal training. Maybe 1/2 day or full day?

 

I wouldn't think formal training would really be necessary. Perhaps time
to set up the UI to how it was in 2006 or real close to it would
probably be more beneficial than formal training. It can be customized
and changed to just about how it was in 2006 or 2007. Or just give the
users some extra time for a week to get used to the new UI. The initial
shock of the UI is something that makes the power user say WTF was SW
thinking and changed it the way they did. After using it with some minor
customizing, it actually isn't all that bad and in some places faster.
Pick a plane or face in a part and a pop up menu has a sketch command on
it as well as some other menu items that would be possible with the
mouse pick you just did.

 

My plan here is to have a sit-down session with everyone at the same time.
There new UI is different enough that most people will hate it at first.
But as others have mentioned, once you learn it a bit, you can most probably
be faster with it. I figure that my demonstrating some things for an hour
or so will cut their discovery time way down.

There will still be slower times to start, no doubt, but I feel that to
right away change it to look and act as close to 2007 is a mistake. The
changes were not arbitrary just to screw with the users, but were done with
improved usability as the goal. The fact that more commands are available
quicker with less mouse travel and clicks does offer a working improvement.
To refuse to give it a chance is short-sighting yourself and your users, and
in effect, admitting that learning a possibly faster method is not worth the
effort.

I always remember a cartoon that I saw years ago about a gladiator type
soldier being tapped on the shoulder while in the thick of fighting a
battle. His comment was that obviously he was busy with a fight - he didn't
have time for any pesky salesmen. Off to the right we see that the salesman
was holding a Gatling gun.

WT

 

Well said Wayne....

I am thinking of a lunch and learn session with the guys. An hour or
so to show them the basics of the new UI and how they can customize it
and then we will cut them loose.

The new UI is a shock but if you give yourself some time to use it and
customize to take advantage of the new features I believe it is worth
the effort.

Cheers,

Anna