Silent Knight training 'just in time'

MAPLE GROVE, Minn.—Some new five-minute training videos clips produced by Silent Knight by Honeywell provide short, direct explanations about popular topics such as programming an IP Communicator and troubleshooting ground faults.

And the videos aren't just useful; they also have a touch of humor to keep them interesting.

The Just-in-Time-Learning video clips, introduced in October, are designed to lend a helping hand to technicians on the job, maybe after-hours when tech support may not be available, said Shawn Burke, a Silent Knight training supervisor based here.

“They're a tool to help them when they're stuck out there in the field,” Burke said. “We're hoping that video and audio at the same time will be a little bit easier than calling tech support or maybe can complement tech support.”

The video clips cover topics deemed to be the most popular, based on calls into Silent Knight's technical support team, and include titles such as “Programming a 5600.”

Six videos were available online in early November and more are in the works, Burke said.

In addition to helping viewers, the video clips aim to make them smile. For example, in the video on programming an IntelliKnight 5600, one of the trainers cautions viewers “don't try this at home.”

But the other trainer reminds him that the whole point of the video is for techs to try what is being shown.

Burke said that the video clips' target audience is a hands-on type of person who might be turned off by something long and boring. He said he and the Silent Knight technical trainers shown in the videos, Scott Schuette and Phil Sengchanh, felt “that in order for this to be successful … it has to be to the point, short, but at the same time it can't be boring.”

So far, about 100 people have watched the free video clips, Burke said in late October.

The videos are just one part of Silent Knight's recently ramped-up training efforts. The efforts include a series of free, basic, fire-alarm courses and more advanced training on the IntelliKnight line of fire alarm systems.