Every organization knows they need to train their staff, but not all training is equal.

In order to stay on the right track, training needs to be:

• Relevant – Training that doesn’t get used is a waste of time and money. Controls technicians probably don’t need to learn about how to vet a Windows security patch. Project managers probably don’t need to know how to tune a PID loop. Don’t railroad your staff into training modules they can’t apply.
• Timely – The relevance of the training might be great, but if the student doesn’t have a chance to apply their understanding shortly after gaining it, it will fade.
• Repeated – being able to independently revisit material is ideal, but structured review sessions also add value.
• Evaluated – If the students consistently do poorly in evaluation sessions, your training approach is likely inadequate.

There are limited options for quality training related to building automation systems. For miscellaneous training on the general principles of building automation systems, the content offered by Smart Buildings Academy provides a solid foundation. These trainings are, in my opinion, best followed up with more specific offerings. They come with all the bells and whistles you would expect from an established training program, but might also be a little overkill for someone who is expected to only periodically interact with your BAS.

If your building operators need to develop quickly, consider training based on your actual on-site systems. By showing operators how to accomplish typical tasks on their own systems, we can put them on the fast track to proficiency. Things like finding points that are in manual override, identifying failed sensors, and checking alarm histories are good places to start. Capturing these trainings as videos makes them available for reference later, while also providing your operators with information that is immediately useful.