The Question posed on LinkedIn:

“Can anyone point me to any studies done recently that show the benefits of having written documentation and/or online video tutorials available for software users? Looking for metrics on average time saved by having v. not having, etc.“

My first reply was this:

“I can not locate any studies. What I can say is that if you want to ensure software users can be trained consistently and effectively then documentation is vital. For on going use, a written manual, tutorials and perhaps training labs all help. It is either this or self learning, online searches and note taking. Which do you think would be a better investment and lead to a consistent outcome?“

The questioner replied with stating that management wanted numbers. To which my response was:

“Alisa S. Perhaps use the “how much will it cost it we don’t take appropriate action” argument. Management will know how much it costs to train employees and that trained and supported staff tend to stick around and losing such staff costs money. Here are some studies related to determining the outcomes from internal training –

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333760163_The_Impact_of_Training_on_Employees_Performance_in_Banking_Sector_With_Special_Reference_to_Bank_of_Ceylon_in_Sri_Lanka
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4282068/ 
• https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Impact-of-Training-and-Development-on-Employees-in-Awan/e4679086dd22b5c6534d9b8a97a00554898516b2

The studies all indicate positive outcomes.

Kind Regards

Paul”