The Electronic Performance Support System, or EPSS, is one of the key ingredient of future eLearning and Knowledge Management systems. A key feature of the EPSS is that it provides electronic access to information while a task is being performed as opposed to accessing the information before or after performing a task. This notion is not new, however, it is becoming more widely available and increasingly sophisticated.
One well-known example of the EPSS concept is the Global Positioning System, or GPS. The GPS has become a common feature in automobiles, allowing travelers to access step-by-step guidance as they travel from point A to point B.
Similar technologies are now available for software application training and performance support where the user is given step-by-step guidance on how to perform one or more applications or complex tasks. For example, an employee working on a spreadsheet can use an EPSS tool to walk him/her through each step in completing the spreadsheet. Similarly, a loan officer could use such an application to plug in factors like income and credit history and go through all of the steps to determine the correct loan amount and type of loan to provide to a customer.
What’s unique about sophisticated EPSS tools is their ability to gauge the context of the tasks that the person is performing and then provide very specific content or information to address those tasks. Since the EPSS has the ability to reach out through the web, related information can also be provided. The situation is ideal because the proper information is provided without overwhelming the user with other information that isn’t relevant at that exact moment.
As more and more individuals carry mobile devices this kind of support through such devices is becoming more common as well, and may be best described as Mobile Performance Support, or Mobile EPSS. With immediate access to the internet available through these devices, users can have access to the exact guidance and information needed, anytime, anywhere.
GPS and other automated mapping tools show us what future EPSS tools may look like in the web and mobile internet world. The EPSS has merits in a variety of fields for a variety of tasks ranging from claim processing or business process automation to healthcare procedures to digital coaching while playing the game of golf
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