Why are people signing up for training at headquarters?

Managers and operators of plants and facilities, as well as service personnel, have many choices as to how to receive training.  They can use Web-based models, computer-based CD packages, remote videoconferencing, regional-site, or in-factory training.

“At this juncture, beyond 9/11, we are seeing end-users feel safer about flying.  They are signing up for in-factory training that lasts up to three days,” said Dave Polka, a training manager for ABB Low Voltage Drives (LVD) and Controls. “Such training affords attendees a host of benefits,” he noted.  They include:

1. Captive Attention – Students can better focus on training programs, services, and demos when traveling to a vendor site.

It is a “very focused timeout,” notes Polka, “and that frees students to learn a lot; being released from distractions and interruptions maximizes the experience.”

2. Funded Support – LVD offers Market and Development Funds that support channel personnel to help defray travel and hotel expenses. ABB pays for all tuition fees and meals during training.

3. Dedicated Facilities, Equipment – There is an array of equipment, particularly at headquarters, including training tables, presentation equipment; and demos and serial communications networks that provide students immediate access to a variety of drive models and configurations as they move from curriculum to hands-on training.

4. Subject Matter Experts – Training classes include subject matter experts from other areas of LVD, such as application engineering and serial communications.

5. Access to Personnel – Students can visit contacts, experts, and engineers throughout LVD when they are on break, after classes end, and during social hospitality sessions. This is a unique opportunity to talk with factory personnel across the organization..

6. Dyne and Testing Equipment – Students also see the dynamometer and lab and testing equipment used for competitive evaluations of other drives in the market. Information from these evaluations is available during training.

7. Full-plant Tours – Production cells, lines, concepts, and product finishing are ever-changing in the factory. Students have the unique opportunity to watch how the drives that they install, start-up, and service every day are made and tailored for customers.

“The factory has been literally re-invented over the last 18 months,” said Polka, “so students are surprised and very curious to see everything when we conduct tours as a complement to the classes. These tours are a favorite. It is so impressive, that we know our channel partners who come for training vow to bring customers back just to see the production facility.”

8. Update Certification – Students can stay an extra half-day and update their certification for drives’ start-up. Students and their employers can charge for drives’ start-ups, and Drives’ users who purchase their services receive a one year extension on the drive’s warranty.

9. Technical Sales Assistance – Students receive sales training.  This includes watching a mock sales call; and presentations on growing a business and expanding a market or market segment.

10. Add-on Training Courses – Web-Based Training (WBT) curriculum for ABB Low Voltage Drives’ distributors is available, including courses on drive basics and drive products.

“Every course is built to respect that users may be very sophisticated in what they know about drives or might be sitting down to learn for the first time,” said Randy Stevens, the E-learning specialist at ABB LVD who developed the initial coursework.