For self-training, there are several points of assistance:

The demonstration program.

This gives an excellent overview of how SAM tackles its various tasks, and leads you through a standard sequence of events. The objectives of this are that you become familiar with the new system without having to work "blind"; that it can be done "off-line" (say, at home); and that you can follow the demonstration step-by-step. If you do not have a copy of the demonstration program, please ask for one: it is freely available and is easily copied for your colleagues.

The manuals.

You will find the manuals in the sam directory as you will find the program file SAM2000.exe, normally in C:\Program Files\SAM\SAM. They are called "samus.pdf" (sections and girders) and "samsus.pdf" (analysis). Each is about 350 pages in length and you can print off a hard copy.

At the back of the manuals there are a number of examples for you to work through.

'Help' messages.

Context sensitive help messages are available for each data entry screen and each data entry field within the screen.

SAM's support team.

We are available during normal office hours to answer your queries no matter how little or large. You may contact us by phone, fax, letter or email. We want you to gain maximum satisfaction from using SAM, and will do our best to assist you.

Most customers are able to become conversant with SAM by using the tools above. However additional training is highly beneficial:

• When you need in-depth appreciation of the finer points of SAM: even our "expert" users have commented on the value they have derived from our courses.
• When you have licensed SAM for a fast-track project, and there not sufficient time for self training: our "hands-on" approach has you up and running in short order.
• When you have taken on new engineers, and they need to learn SAM quickly.
• When you have licensed many SAM modules, and there is just not enough time to learn about all of them by yourself.

For these reasons training courses for each module are available. They take place at your offices on your equipment, for up to eight people at a time. The duration is variable in units of a day (a day could cover most of the Sections modules and two Beams modules, or just the Refined Analysis modules). The modules to be covered by a course are agreed with you in advance.

The emphasis of the courses is always "hands-on" with an absolute minimum of theory, since we have found that this is what our delegates have valued most. Therefore it is best if you can supply a suitable room and at least one computer per two delegates (and preferably one computer each). We supply the presenter, the course notes and sample problems on disk.