How VEDPs can prepare for sudden increases in training demand

Every business wants to scale. More customers – or in the case of online training, more learners – is the dream. But like all dreams, you need to be ready for when they come true.

The fact is that spikes in demand are rarely telegraphed. They tend to come out of nowhere and all at once. This means it can be hard to get your ducks in a row in good time.

It's mainly a case of flexibility. Do you have a flexible pool of trainers, flexible schedules and flexible course materials? If the answer is "no", you may struggle when it's time to onboard a bunch of new students.

Technology matters, too. Chances are, your courses are only possible because of underlying infrastructure. And if this infrastructure is incapable of adapting to increased demand, it's your learners who'll feel it the most.

This is where we can help. Our lab hosting services are highly secure, highly reliable and highly flexible. This means we can scale with you – not days or weeks after the need arises.

More on that later. First, here are eight concrete steps you can take to ensure you're ready for sudden increases in training demand.

1. Build a flexible pool of instructors

When building an online training company, it's always tempting to cut costs wherever possible. Of course, the dream is to have a wide selection of instructors on demand – but is that economically viable?

The biggest argument for having a flexible pool of instructors is that it means you're ready for increases in demand. It means you can deliver the goods without postponing courses – a key factor in learner satisfaction (or dissatisfaction).

At the same time, it's well worth cross-training instructors so they have the knowledge to deliver a range of VMware courses. This trainer flexibility makes it far easier to adjust schedules as demand increases.

Finally, you should ensure your instructors' certifications are current. That way, you can be confident they can deliver the latest course versions without any impediment to your online course provision.

2. Prioritise lab hosting quality

The quality of your lab hosting infrastructure is a bit like running water – you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

You may be working with a lab host that works for you now. But when you're suddenly confronted with a bunch more learners, will it be able to follow you into the big time?

This is a key reason why it's so important to use cloud-hosted virtual labs that can be provisioned and scaled quickly.

Your hosting provider will be able to monitor lab use, maintain reserve capacity and be on hand to deal with any gremlins when it's time to scale.

They'll also have the skills required to test lab environments to ensure they can handle a spike in demand.

It's all about mitigating risks – an insurance policy, if you will. You need to work with the right lab hosting services before you scale, not after.

3. Forecast demand

In the world of online education, there are no crystal balls. Or are there?

Well, there are forecasts, not predictions. These tell you how things will probably be – and they give you the information you need to plan ahead.

By tracking customer enquiries, trends and changes in the online learning space and software releases, you build up a picture of the future landscape.

The same goes for reviewing enrolment patterns as a way to anticipate demand. You will also want to make time to identify any upcoming projects whose organisers may be looking for large-scale training.

4. Standardise your courses

Your courses need to be ready to hit the ground running. This means investing in reusable materials, lab guides and student resources – and ensuring your pool of instructors all follow consistent standards of delivery.

You essentially want each course to be one of those pop-up tents that can be up in seconds – not a confused assemblage of poles, ropes and pegs.

As well as standardising your courses for easy implementation, you should standardise the onboarding process for instructors and learners. This will help create a frictionless enrolment experience – good for people and good for business outcomes, too.

5. Optimise your schedules

Optimal scheduling is one of the hardest parts of providing education, whether online or offline. It takes a lot of mental bandwidth and a lot of patience. But done well, it can vastly improve the reputation of your company.

That's why you should invest in centralised scheduling tools – a single dashboard that covers instructors, classrooms and labs.

Scheduling is about what's booked in, but it's also about leaving wiggle-room for contingencies. Waiting lists and blocked-off contingency dates are essential for smooth operations when you're experiencing a surge in demand.

7. Plan for contingencies

As well as leaving aside contingency dates, your business should be ready for contingencies of all kinds – from instructor assignment to lab provisioning to customer communications.

This can't be busked, especially when you're juggling rapid changes in student enrolment, teacher availability and course provisioning.

Like so many aspects of online education, it's all in the planning. You should have playbooks in place for when backup instructors or alternative lab resources are needed at a moment's notice.

8. Stay on top of VMware developments

The world of virtualisation is changing all the time. It's important to keep on top of VMware developments so your courses stay cutting-edge.

The way to achieve this is by making it a regular activity. Once a month, say, you could have a member of your team looking up curriculum updates, certification changes or partner requirements. This keeps you ahead of the curve, no matter how big the spike in demand for your courses.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is an Ireland-based provider of highly secure, highly flexible lab hosting for VEDP courses. To learn more, explore our course catalogue or get in touch with our experts.

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