With declining resources available to support training, organizations today are turning to advanced training delivery technologies, seeking efficiencies without compromising training effectiveness. The judicious selection of appropriate training delivery technologies will allow initial investment costs to be offset by longer term cost avoidances. Experts agree that cost avoidances can be anticipated from decreased student travel and per diem costs, reduction of shore-based schoolhouse infrastructure costs, reduction of student and instructor costs, etc., as a result of this infusion of advanced training delivery technology. The question faced by training managers is which training courses are the best candidates for infusion of new training technologies. This paper describes the Navy's Training Delivery Assessment Model (TRADAM) which is designed to assist training sponsors, training managers, course developers, and instructors in selecting the most appropriate advanced training technologies for cost effective training delivery.
The TRADAM process allows a quick assessment of the potential for resource savings through the implementation of appropriate advanced training delivery technologies in a given course. TRADAM views the training delivery technology selection process as consisting of three phases: (1) selecting candidate courses that have the most potential for advanced training delivery technology application, (2) selecting the training delivery technology alternatives that match the learning requirements of each candidate course, and (3) performing an economic analysis of the selected training delivery technology alternatives. TRADAM has been used to estimate training technology infusion potential on over fifty traditional classroom training courses, with 19 of the examined courses being identified as excellent candidates for training technology infusion. Projected payback of the initial training technology investment for these 19 courses was predicted to occur in less than three years after implementation.