Ever handed someone a 200-page software user guide and said, “Here, learn this software”?
If so, you probably saw their soul leave their body. That and they’re not likely to learn a thing since software user guides are one of the worst ways for someone to learn company software.
Traditional training methods often feel like reading IKEA instructions without the pictures: confusing and frustrating. That’s why software simulation tools are so essential and ensure employees learn and don’t just ignore the huge document that’s confusing and overwhelming. Bespoke digital learning simulation development is critical when IT rolls out a new software tool.
No matter what generation an employee is, new software can be overwhelming if no structured training is available. Not to mention some younger generations were brought up on iPads and Chromebooks. That doesn’t always translate well to business computers (Windows) and the applications that go along with them.
That’s why the creation of quality software simulations won’t quickly fade. They’re important, and using the right tool to create them is also essential. But what tools are available, and which one should you use to get the job done?
If you’re not going to read any further, at least take this with you: The software you make a simulation with won’t make it good or bad, so it’s not as much the tool as the process and time that go into creating quality software training.
The Role of Simulations in Employee Success
Explaining things on the screen and having users click next is never effective. That goes for soft skills, technical skills, software training, or training on how to be a karate black belt. Learning different things requires different types of training.
Learning software effectively requires software simulations. PowerPoints with screenshots aren’t helpful, user guides aren’t helpful, and not even someone sitting next to you showing you things is always helpful. No, real context as to what you’re doing, how it works in a real system, and having a place to practice safely is what it takes for really learning software.
And being able to revisit parts of the training or finding resources for the part you forgot is also important. That’s why software training paired with performance support is essential.
Software simulations are a vital part of employees feeling comfortable using company software correctly.
Software simulations play the role of helping employees use company software for their role in the right way. That will almost definitely lead to employee success in using the software and feeling like they’re prepared to do so. We can’t speak for the rest of their job, though.
Simulations let employees practice in a safe, risk-free environment. No accidental database wipes, no “Oops, I deleted the CEO’s calendar.” Instead, they click, explore, and learn by doing, because muscle memory beats theory and vague screens on a PowerPoint every time.
When employees can practice real workflows without fear, confidence skyrockets, onboarding speeds up, and productivity improves. It’s like giving them a flight simulator before they fly the plane, except the plane is your company’s software.
Key Features to Look For
While the tool won’t make or break software training, it does matter at least on a basic level. So, while the best paintbrush in the world won’t make you the best artist in the world, it does matter at least on a basic level. Just keep in mind that there’s a lot more to software simulations than the tool. The tool won’t make your software simulation successful or better; it’ll just let you get the job done.
There are some things you need to ensure a tool has before you pick it, though. Here’s some of what you should look for:
- Interactivity: It should allow for creating content that’s fully interactive and allows clicking through screens and creating feedback/hints, not just watching videos.
- Real-Time Feedback: “Oops, wrong button” beats “Oops, wrong department.”
- Scalability: Works for 10 employees or 10,000.
- Branching: Software isn’t always one path to success, nor is everything required for every user. It should allow you open-ended access to jump wherever.
- Publishing: Whatever you create in your tool needs to be exported into a format that’s usable without special tools.
If you’re using a tool that allows for all of this, then you’re likely already most of the way (if not all the way) there. Yes, even PowerPoint could potentially be a tool that can be used for software simulations. The problem is that you’ll also need to be able to export it to a location and format that can be used with no special software. PowerPoint isn’t always great at that without an add-on.
You’ll see that some of our top choices for software simulation tools can be published into HTML5, which works similarly to a web page. That means it can be used in any browser. They’re also able to be published directly to a learning management system (LMS), which is a great place to make software simulations available. That would also enable more analytics that are likely essential for tracking how well employees are doing in their training.
The right features won’t make a good software simulation, but they sure won’t hurt!
Mobile-friendliness might also be something that matters to some. While it’s not always essential because a lot of company software is still desktop only, some might be mobile, and that means training might need to be mobile too for that mobile workforce.
Now that you know a few of the basic things to look for, it’s time to get into the part you probably care most about. What are the top simulation tools for corporate training?
Top Simulation Tools for Corporate Training
When it comes to finding the best tool to build custom corporate software simulations for employees, there’s one top contender and then a handful of other options. The top contender offers the most flexibility and power to create an amazing course that’s interactive, dynamic, and can provide a realistic simulation when done well.
Of course, these are just tools, and they can all create poor-quality simulations as well. Yes, even the best tool can create software simulations that provide poor learning. No matter what tool you choose, keep in mind that some do have tools built in to create simulations, but don’t use them.
Ready for the lineup of the best software simulation tools to build corporate software training? Here you go!
Articulate Storyline (Best Overall)
If software simulation tools were a talent show, Storyline would win with a standing ovation. It’s versatile, powerful, and loved by instructional designers everywhere.
- Why It Rocks: Drag-and-drop simplicity, branching scenarios, triggers to make things happen, and endless customization.
- Pros: Huge community support, exports to common LMS formats and even directly to a web page, and gives you the power to build excellent quality simulations.
- Cons: Advanced features take time to master (but are worth it), and cost a lot ($1,200 at minimum per year as of this writing).
We use Storyline to build every software simulation, but we definitely don’t use the screen recording tools to capture what we need. Everything is built custom with quality screenshots and storyboarding to make the course come to life. Storyline makes it all possible when used the right way, which means don’t use the built-in simulation feature.
Want to see something we put together in Storyline? Check out this short course to help people learn the basics of starting a meeting in Microsoft Teams. Now, for some other options that might fit your pricing requirements a bit better, though they may not provide quite the power.
iSpring Suite
iSpring Suite has been around for quite a while, but it’s not as powerful as Storyline. But, given that you can create a software simulation in PowerPoint, iSpring can export it for you in more formats that will work well in an LMS. That means it can transform a software simulation you created in PowerPoint into a more palatable format for users.
Here are some reasons why it might be a good choice for you.
- Why It Rocks: PowerPoint-based authoring, branching scenarios, and interactivity.
- Pros: Beginner-friendly, quick setup, exports to common LMS formats, and costs as little as $720 per user per year.
- Cons: Less flexibility for complex simulations.
While you can’t build as much power into software simulations with iSpring Suite, it will suffice for simple simulations that don’t require too much complexity.
Adobe Captivate
Captivate still has some of the things that made it a good software simulation creator. Though not as good as it once was, it can still be used in a pinch. Yes, they even retained a software simulation tool to create them quickly. While this tool does work better than Storyline’s automatic tool, it definitely leaves a lot to be desired.
When Captivate changed things to a responsive scrolling format for content, it became a less better option for software simulations. So, while it can help you create things fast, it doesn’t have the power you need for high-quality software simulations with the flexibility necessary to make them really good.
- Why It Rocks: It has a native Mac version and is very affordable for as little as $34/month.
- Pros: Easy tools to help you capture quickly.
- Cons: Not much power for creating really good simulations.
Yes, Captivate isn’t the best option, but it’s there in a pinch if money is an issue and quality isn’t the most important. If you’re not training many employees and need something quick and dirty, Captivate is still a great option.
What Should You Choose?
While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, there are some easy answers depending on your needs. If you aren’t trying to train a lot of employees and the financial goal for you is negligible, it may not even be necessary to provide a software simulation at all. Sometimes it’s perfectly fine to show someone the software one-on-one and then answer any questions or show them again if they forget.
Showing someone is going to be the cheapest method when the number of people needing to be shown is low. But when the number of people who need to learn gets high, it won’t be cost-effective in the long run. But, there must also be a financial reason to invest a lot of money in software simulation training that works.
If the cost of employees not using software correctly and there’s a large number needing to be trained (thousands rather than hundreds), then investing in better software simulation training will likely be worth it.
Choose the right tool for what you need, which might not be any tool at all.
Not all software simulations are created equally, as the outcome for how well employees feel prepared could be vastly different. A low-quality simulation will likely not help employees learn better and instead be a waste of money. A tool like Articulate Storyline, while expensive to purchase, gives more power to design quality training that helps employees learn.
It all comes down to a good process for designing the software simulation, though. All tools can produce something equally as bad, but only the best tool lets you create the highest quality simulation possible. So, the tool must be paired with a solid instructional design process that’s focused on changing performance. That’s the only way to produce something beneficial and impactful.
The right tool for you will vary. If you’re not sure and would like to discuss, we’re always happy to answer questions; just reach out.
Wrap Up
For any organization that values employees and needs to help them learn company software fast, software simulations are the best tool. They deliver a great foundation of knowledge to help employees work with the company’s software more confidently and correctly.
The right software simulation tool is important and can revolutionize the way software training is built. But it’s only one part of the puzzle. Having a robust training process is even more important.
A good software simulation helps upskill employees while offering immersive, risk-free environments that accelerate learning and drive consistency. By selecting the right tool, designing intuitive user experiences, and following best practices in implementation, companies can build training that delivers results with real financial impact.
As businesses continue to adopt new software and digital workflows, interactive simulations will continue to play a vital role in building employee confidence and productivity. Embracing the right process to make quality training and choosing the right tool will help software innovations actually work.
Whether you go with the powerhouse Articulate Storyline or other more affordable options, you’ll still be moving in a direction that allows you to create software simulations more realistic than non-interactive videos os PowerPoints. They’ll transform learning software from “ugh” to “aha!”
Ready to ditch the PDFs, PowerPoints, and user guides to give employees hands-on learning? Your future self (and your employees) will thank you. We specialize in building software training that changes the way employees work with technology. Schedule a free consultation to discuss how we can really change the impact that training has on how employees use company software.