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Training new employees in company-specific processes and operations is a major task for any company, large or small. All sorts of on-line, mentoring and classroom options are available, but often require significant amounts of senior staff time and energy to monitor the results and ensure that the new employee is "getting it".
Education clearly needs to become more focused on individual training needs, time available and mastery. Adaptive learning, an emerging technology that uses a combination of computer science, education and cognitive science, features both desktop and web-based programs that can mimic the interactivity of human professors.
Start-ups like Kwenton and Grockit are pioneers in this area, with current focus on training prospective students for SAT and GMAT tests. The technology could be expanded into company-specific training in areas such as S&OP and inventory management, processes that are often the entry-level positions for supply chain professionals.