Aftermarket Insider Issue 73 - (Page 18)

I N D U S T R Y N EWS INVESTING IN EDUCATION 2011 Head of the Class Award Winning Programs Tenneco, Inc. Monroe, Mich. During Town Hall at AAPEX, AAIA recognized the recipients of its inaugural Head of the Class Award, honoring five aftermarket companies that continually invest in employee education and training. The award is administered by the AAIA Education Committee on behalf of the association, and was created to highlight and recognize companies that continually invest in employee education and training and to promote the value and benefit that this investment provides to the employees and their companies, and also the entire aftermarket industry. To the right is information on all five winning companies and their innovative education programs. Future issues of Aftermarket Insider will include further insight into these award-winning initiatives. For more information, visit www.aftermarket.org/education. Tenneco was selected for the manufacturer category because of its wide range of employee education and training programs. Tenneco requires that all its employees complete an annual Individual Development Plan, which identifies an employee’s strengths and areas for improvement. With supervisor guidance, an action plan is subsequently developed to promote continuous learning. The company has a corporate training policy, an annual training budget and a tuition reimbursement program for higher education programs directly related to an employee’s job. Tenneco also supports the University of the Aftermarket and enrolls high potential employees each year in the Leadership 2.0 program. The company partners with colleges such as Northwood University to employ students in summer internship programs. Recently, the company introduced a structured six-month sales employee orientation program that includes field and corporate mentorships with measurable objectives and feedback. Upon successful completion of the orientation, employees are rewarded with a bonus. Tenneco partners with a college business department for in-depth sales training, and offers instructor-led, web-enabled and self-learning modules. All sales professionals are required to take annual training courses in areas important to customer service. What is Tenneco’s ROI? Susan Ulrey, Tenneco executive director, sales, operations and e-commerce, notes that Tenneco has seen a 100 percent retention rate since implementing the new sales orientation training program. Additionally, the company’s corporate education and training programs have resulted in increased internal promotions, lower turnover, improved sales and better succession planning. KOI Auto Parts Cincinnati, Ohio As KOI Auto Parts grew, it became apparent that it was getting nearly impossible to bring employees to headquarters for training programs. A vendor’s employee, Denny Shroats, noted to KOI leadership that technology was available to provide education and training to employees at all locations, as well as the fact that employees could benefit from a more standardized curriculum, and was hired to lead employee development. KOI purchased publishing software to upload PowerPoint and other programs provided by manufacturers and other resources as well as sessions created by the employee development officer. A learning management system (LMS) was purchased to be able to track employee progress. With the availability of this software, courses have been and continue to be uploaded into the LMS. In addition, KOI purchased webinar software enabling staff and other resource personnel to deliver webinars. The webinars are recorded and are accessible by employees during the day, in the evening or even at home. All stores have a dedicated computer located away from the counter to access the courses. KOI makes available ASE’s P2 exams, as well as the AIA Import Parts Specialist exams to staff members recommended for these certifications. KOI has also conducted week-long programs with the University of the Aftermarket. The employee development officer continually surveys employees to get their feedback on the courses and content. What is KOI’s ROI? The employee development officer notes that the capabilities he has created in-house make it easier to provide to employees access to information and processes they need to better serve their customers. He notes as an example that after a course offered to employees on a particular product, sales of this product increased 30 percent. 18 | AFTERMARKET INSIDER | VOLUME 73 http://www.aftermarket.org/Education.aspx http://www.aftermarket.org/education

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aftermarket Insider Issue 73

Aftermarket Insider Issue 73
Contents
President's Message
AAPEX News
Success Happens When YOU ARE HERE!
AAPEX 2011: A Show to Remember
Member Profile
Toolbox: What’s Your Sign?
Association News
Market Intelligence
Segment News
Technology Update
Hot Dates

Aftermarket Insider Issue 73