Marcus Bode, CEO, SpearMC 

Introductory Note from Gregory Parikh, Vice President Oracle Information Development and Partner Sales Enablement:

“PeopleSoft application and technology training has always been an important part of the software experience. It helps customers maximize the benefits of the application’s features and functionality, in addition to learning all the technical requirements to maintain their system and implement new products.  SpearMC has been a longtime PeopleSoft training partner, and we have asked their CEO, Marcus Bode, to give us an overview of their course offerings and how they have evolved to meet the changing demand and demographics of our customer base.”

Throughout my career as a PeopleSoft professional, I have experienced different training methods and learning tools used to deliver and acquire PeopleSoft knowledge.  My earliest experience in the late-90’s as a young, eager consultant learning PeopleSoft included receiving boxes of hardcopy training manuals mailed to me free of charge.  I also fondly remember taking multiple week-long training classes at PeopleSoft offices in Dallas, Pleasanton, Westchester, and Toronto.  At the completion of every class, I lugged home training manuals, books, and binders full of PeopleSoft wisdom.

I became a PeopleSoft instructor specializing in financials reporting and founded SpearMC in 2004 to meet the growing demand for PeopleSoft Training.  While SpearMC has expanded over the past 20 years beyond just providing PeopleSoft Training, our DNA is still rooted in the concepts of thought leadership and promoting PeopleSoft to the ecosystem.    

As an official Oracle Training Partner, SpearMC offers a variety of PeopleSoft Training options, that deliver an exceptional learning experience incorporating real-life scenarios. Our classes are taught by seasoned experts who are highly proficient in both teaching and hands-on implementation.

PeopleSoft Live Virtual and On-Demand Training

I believe the era of sitting through back-to-back days of on-site PeopleSoft classes is behind us.  Early in the pandemic, our firm embraced the latest remote learning technologies to successfully deliver hundreds of days of PeopleSoft Live Virtual Training (LVT). While we still conduct on-site PeopleSoft training, it’s typically combined with hybrid LVT classes.

Over the last several years, one of my biggest “a-ha!” moments was recognizing that a new generation of PeopleSoft learners, those from the Millennial and Generation Z cohort, have distinct training requirements that include personalized and adaptive learning with role-based content.  These learners demand shorter, more concise topical classes with access to online training content available on a 24/7 basis.  We quickly embraced this mindset and re-configured the majority of our PeopleSoft and PeopleTools Public Classes into one-or-two days of sequential or non-sequential training.  In fact, many of our LVT classes are delivered in half-day segments to better align to student work commitments.

Another paradigm shift we observed early in the pandemic was the need for on-demand learning options. This inspired us to create our most successful learning product –  PeopleSoft All Access Learning Pass, a 24/7/365 on-demand product that allows students to access our full PeopleSoft training repository.  With this option, students learn on their own schedule, making use of our rich library of recorded training videos and materials, with new content being added on a regular basis. 

PeopleSoft Bootcamp and Delta Training

As the PeopleSoft continuous delivery and selective adoption model has been enabled, the customers stay current more frequently, and the demand for our “delta” training classes for PeopleTools and application images has increased significantly. These delta classes provide an efficient means for current PeopleSoft practitioners to get familiarized with the newly released technology and application features. 

Due to the macro trends in workforce transition across industries, we have also seen an increase in demand for PeopleSoft training that is focused on day-to-day operational activities, performed by administrative users in back-office departments like HR and Payroll.  To address this need, we offer job role-based “boot camp training” that provides both PeopleSoft foundational knowledge and expertise in daily operational activities. These boot camps are typically 2-3 days long and provide the quickest way for administrative users to attain a well-rounded knowledge of PeopleSoft.

Oracle Guided Learning for PeopleSoft

Finally, SpearMC has partnered with Oracle University to market and resell Oracle Guided Learning (OGL) for PeopleSoft, the next generation of online guided processing for PeopleSoft.  I am impressed with how OGL has revolutionized the way users interact with PeopleSoft.  Oracle truly stepped up with next-generation technology that offers in-application guidance without having to refer to an offline training manual.  The no-code software seamlessly integrates with PeopleSoft and provides walkthroughs, helpful tips, self-help menus and task lists for a more intuitive experience for employees, students, customers and suppliers.

In conclusion, SpearMC offers customers a variety of PeopleSoft training options, tailored to individual learning styles.  We expect our PeopleSoft customers to continue to explore new and modern ways to train their workforce.  This is extremely exciting for us, as it will motivate our team to create and offer new, innovative training products.