9.4 Training

Training programs are at the heart of the implementation of any new program, as well as the orientation of new employees to existing programs.

...to give them a very high level overview on how what they do is critical to Asset Management. --Stacy Gallick, Johnson County, KS

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Since Asset Management, as a formal program, is unfamiliar to most utility employees, it is imperative that the utility establish robust training programs for all employees. There will likely be new software to be learned, new procedures to be mastered and new concepts to be incorporated.

It is important to stress, however, that Asset Management is a common sense approach to doing business and that many of its techniques are already in place in a well-run utility, even though they may not be in a structured formalized program. In addition, Asset Management is a scalable process, so that it may be implemented in small increments. Understanding these two points is important in the determining what types of training programs will be needed, as well as in allaying fears and the natural resistance to new programs or activities. If training programs are put in place from the beginning at appropriate levels and if all employees are given a chance to participate in decisions, the process of implementing Asset Management is likely to proceed smoothly.

...a way for operators to...go into their training with the idea that they would try to maximize energy savings. --Russell Batzel, St. Peters, MO

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