CARY, NC, May 23, 2014 – Training Industry recently announced its 2014 Readership and Editors’ Awards at the Training Industry Conference and Expo in Raleigh, NC.
The Training Industry Readership Award honors 10 of the most-read articles published on TrainingIndustry.com and Training Industry Magazine from the past year. The nominees were selected based on readership appeal and attention, and act as a barometer for what is trending in the marketplace and the topics that are most important to TrainingIndustry.com readers.
Here are the 2014 Readership Award recipients selected from Training Industry Magazine:
“Collaborative Leadership for Building Trust & Driving Business Results” by Linda Stewart, Interaction Associates
“What the Latest Brain Research Tells Us about Designing Learning that Sticks” by Sam Herring, Intrepid Learning
“Delivering on the Promise of Social Learning” by Carol Cohen, Hewlett-Packard
“Motivation: The Key to Learning Transfer” by Karen Sieczka, GP Strategies Corporation
“Building Strategic Learning Linkages: Mapping & Measuring Your Learning Strategy” by Ajay M. Pangarkar & Teresa Kirkwood, CentralKnowledge.com and LearningSourceonline.com
Here are the 2014 Readership Award recipients selected from TrainingIndustry.com:
“Identifying High-Potential Talent” by Kip Michael Kelly, UNC Executive Development
“Building Trust and Collaboration in the Training World” by Paul Burgess, Link-up International
“Why Are Leaders Failing?” by Dr. Tasha Eurich, Author & Speaker
“First Time Managers: It’s Not Me, It’s You” by William Gentry, Center for Creative Leadership
“Do We Really Need Responsive Web Design?” by Sanjay Ahuja, Cenveo
The Training Industry Editors’ Award recognizes articles that captured the attention of both the readership and the Training Industry editorial team, had a unique perspective on the topic area, and displayed diligent research and quality writing.
Here are the 2014 Editors’ Award recipients:
“Identifying High-Potential Talent” by Kip Michael Kelly, UNC Executive Development
“Delivering on the Promise of Social Learning” by Carol Cohen, Hewlett-Packard
“This group of standout thought leaders represents some of the best contributions to Training Industry Magazine and TrainingIndustry.com,” said Ken Taylor, Editor in Chief and Chief Operating Officer, Training Industry, Inc. “It’s the quality of our community of contributors that makes Training Industry’s publications what they are today, and we felt it was important to formally recognize them.”
Chief Executive Officer Doug Harward agreed.
“We are proud of the quality of the content Training Industry brings to the world of corporate training,” he said. “Our congratulations go out to all the winners.”
About Training Industry, Inc.
TrainingIndustry.com spotlights the latest news, articles, case studies and best practices within the training industry. Our focus is on helping dedicated business and training professionals get the information, insight and tools needed to more effectively manage the business of learning.
2014 Training Industry Editorial Awards Announced
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Cornerstone OnDemand's Latest Software Helps New Hires
SANTA MONICA, CA., May 27, 2014 — Cornerstone OnDemand, a global leader in cloud-based talent management software solutions, recently announced the upcoming release of Cornerstone Onboarding, featuring capabilities to help organizations provide rich, personalized experiences for new hires that translate into stronger engagement, deeper understanding of company culture and faster time to productivity.
Built organically to enhance Cornerstone’s unified talent management suite, including Cornerstone Recruiting, Cornerstone Onboarding unifies the talent acquisition process to deliver a simple, holistic approach to the new hire welcoming process for improved efficiency and collaboration between new employees, colleagues, managers and hiring teams.
Available in June, Cornerstone Onboarding features include:
1. Personalized welcome portals. Engage new hires before day one by offering social, self-service portals where employees can learn about the company and access critical information, take courses, make internal connections and communicate with their team.
2. Real-time task and training management. Keep track of the entire onboarding process and time-to-productivity metrics with the ability to set goals and reminders, track milestones and report on task progress.
3. Centralized onboarding documentation. Generate, assign and route new hire forms from one centralized location. Upcoming functionality will enable integration with eVerify and other services to manage critical compliance information.
4. Socially engage new hires. Drive new hire engagement by establishing virtual communities and connecting new hires with their colleagues.
About Cornerstone OnDemand Cornerstone OnDemand is a leader in cloud-based applications for talent management. The company’s solutions help organizations recruit, train, manage and engage their employees, empowering their people and increasing workforce productivity.
Based in Santa Monica, California, the company’s solutions are used by over 1,700 clients worldwide, spanning more than 14.5 million users across 191 countries and 41 languages.
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New Book Explores Steps in Helping Leaders Achieve Change
GREENSBORO, NC, MAY 27, 2014 – Though most organizational leaders desire to learn new skills and change behaviors in themselves and their teams, turning those intentions into reality can be daunting.
In the new book, "Change Now! Five Steps to Better Leadership", researchers from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) distill the theory and tactics behind personal transformation into a hands-on, step-by-step guide that enables leaders to evaluate their current situation, identify potential areas of improvement and make the changes that matter most.
“The skills and knowledge that got leaders where they are aren’t the same as those that will take them where they need to go,” said Peter Scisco, CCL’s manager of publication development. “Successful leaders must embrace the ever-changing business environment, but many of them are unsure where to start. With [this book], we’ve created an accessible, easy-to-use workbook based on proven tactics that will help leaders at all levels change how they act and what they can accomplish.”
Scisco added that the book takes readers through a five-step process to identify where to focus their development energy, how to create goals, how to craft a plan for achieving those goals, how to learn to anticipate and overcome obstacles, and how to stay on course.
“To be successful, leaders must commit to a well thought-out plan, keep their eyes on the finish line and meet challenges head-on,” said co-author and CCL Senior Fellow Cynthia D. McCauley. “[This book] allows leaders to cut through the theory and focus on improvement.”
About CCL
The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) is a top-ranked, global provider of leadership development. By leveraging the power of leadership to drive results that matter most to clients, CCL transforms individual leaders, teams, organizations and society. Our array of cutting-edge solutions is steeped in extensive research and experience gained from working with hundreds of thousands of leaders at all levels. Ranked among the world's Top 10 providers of executive education by Bloomberg BusinessWeek and the Financial Times, CCL has offices in Greensboro, NC; Colorado Springs, CO; San Diego, CA; Brussels, Belgium; Moscow, Russia; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Singapore; New Delhi-NCR, India; and Shanghai, China.
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TrainingIndustry.com Announces Content Development Companies Watch List
CARY, NC, May 29, 2014 – TrainingIndustry.com has announced its Content Development Companies Watch List, as part of its mission to continually monitor the training marketplace for the best providers of training services and technologies.
View the 2014 Content Development Companies Watch List
Selection to this year's Top 20 Content Development Companies List was based on the following criteria:
- Industry visibility, innovation and impact
- Capability to deliver multiple types of training services
- Company size and growth potential
- Depth and breadth of subject matter expertise
- Strength of clients
- Geographic reach
“The strength of 2014 Content Development Companies Watch List demonstrates the growth this segment has been experiencing,” said Ken Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, Training Industry, Inc. “The selected companies offer superior custom content services for all in-demand training subject areas.”
“This year’s Content Development Watch List showcases an expanded list of companies that are striving to provide their clients with quality, inventive, custom content to fully maximize their training investments,” added Doug Harward, Chief Executive Officer, Training Industry, Inc.
Email info@trainingindustry.com for thoughts or feedback regarding the list.
View the 2014 Content Development Companies Watch List
About Training Industry, Inc.
TrainingIndustry.com spotlights the latest news, articles, case studies and best practices within the training industry. Our focus is on helping dedicated business and training professionals get the information, insight and tools needed to more effectively manage the business of learning.
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Raytheon Study Confirms Positive Impact of Learning Technologies
MILTON KEYNES, England, May 30, 2014 – Raytheon Professional Services (RPS) today released results and analysis from a comprehensive study of the impact of learning solutions on European automotive sales and service. The study conducted by Towards Maturity, reveals that 50 percent of automotive original equipment manufacturers respondents said innovative learning technologies improved business performance.
The Towards Maturity report, “Driving Innovation in the Dealership Training for the Automotive Sector”, is a foundational piece of research compiled through telephone interviews and online surveys with 52 automotive respondents representing 44 manufacturing organizations from 19 nations. They included Fiat, Jaguar, LR Mahindra, Opel, Seat, Volkswagen, GM, Kia, Maserati, Renault, SsangYong, Volvo, Honda, Lexus, Nissan, Skoda, Toyota, and others.
"This research clearly shows that the opportunity for technology-driven learning innovation exists, with 45 percent of respondents agreeing that learning technologies have made a significant contribution to increasing revenue," said Mark Oliver, EMEA managing director at RPS. "In addition, top learning companies are four times more likely to report improved staff motivation and engagement, as well as increased speed of response to business change."
Commissioned by RPS, the research also found that automotive manufacturers are focused on seeking results across a broad range of business goals, and training expectations are high for technology-enabled dealers. As well, the study indicates that learning technologies potentially can inform customers and suppliers about new products and services, and facilitate implementation of new information technology systems. Additional benefits include flexibility, business goals alignment, training efficiency, workforce productivity, and customer satisfaction.
"Today, sales and service professionals in almost every industry, including automotive, are grappling with an array of problems -- expanding global markets, rapid proliferation of new technologies, skill gaps in critical positions, and increased productivity demands," said Laura Overton, managing director of Towards Maturity. "Partnering with global training solutions provider RPS, this study shows that learning innovation, applied strategically, is delivering real business results in the automotive sector."
The automotive sector like many others are looking for ways to work smarter, deliver value added training and ensure learners aren't being held back because of lack of access to resources. This benchmark study shows linkage between dealer training and positive automotive customer experiences. Additionally, "This thorough study shows that learning innovation is taking off in the sector and is supporting change and growth in the industry," said Sann Rene Glaza, senior manager, Customer Service Training at Toyota Motor Europe. "However, there is more to be gained if we build on the existing foundations and enthusiasm for leveraging technology to support dealership training."
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass.
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Qstream Mobile Platform Boosts Sales Rep Knowledge
BURLINGTON, MA, May 30, 2014— Qstream today announced that its scientifically proven, game-based mobile platform is being used by American Medical Systems (AMS), a subsidiary of Endo International, to help sales reps remember what they need to know for effective selling. As AMS launches its sixth Qstream initiative this week in support of the company's successful prostate health product line, the ongoing results highlight the power of Qstream's minutes-a-day approach to preparing customer-facing teams for the kind of dynamic, value-added conversations they need to succeed in today's complex selling environments.
"Very few times do you come across something so simple, intuitive and valuable to helping sales reps change their game," said Ryan Casey, Manager of Global Curriculum Design and Development at AMS, which provides world-class medical devices and therapies to restore pelvic health. "After just nine months, Qstream is now built into our culture as a way of going beyond the fire hose of product information we give to sales reps during Plan of Action (PoA) sales meetings. It's fun, non-intrusive, works on mobile devices, and helps reps to have the level of conversations that clients require to make purchasing decisions. Even previously skeptical reps are now asking for more Qstreams. I certainly don't get that sort of response from other initiatives."
For years AMS found that sales rep recall of foundational information for sales success would decline in as little as two weeks following a sales meeting -- and initiatives to boost recall such as post-event email quizzes were less than effective. In a highly competitive marketplace where the physicians and hospital decision makers are increasingly more difficult to reach, AMS sales managers needed their reps to differentiate quickly and sell consultatively -- not simply deliver product details -- while adhering to regulatory guidelines. During their initial pilot last fall, Qstream was able to drive post-event mastery score from a baseline of 68 percent to upwards of 92 percent, with more than 96 percent engagement.
In January, AMS debuted three new Qstream initiatives, one for each of its three business units (women's health, men's health, and prostate health) following the annual kickoff meeting to make sure reps retained the information related there. AMS also debuted a separate international program in seven languages. The program achieved over 90 percent engagement and sizable improvements in post-event retention. Every two days reps respond to simple, scenario-based Q&A challenges in just minutes using any smartphone or mobile device. Game mechanics make the experience fun and engaging as reps compete for points on the leaderboard based on their responses.
"While we love that Qstream provides us with data on what reps know, the real proof are the sales reps who say, 'I know this information now and used it while selling because of Qstream.' That's success," Casey added.
Developed at Harvard, Qstream offers a powerfully simple (and highly scalable ) approach to driving sales effectiveness. In nearly two dozen randomized trials, Qstream has been clinically proven to increase long-term retention and durably change on-the-job behaviors. The platform's sophisticated analytics engine captures dozens of critical data points and instantly transforms them into actionable insights for sales managers, such as opportunities for tailored coaching.
About Qstream Today Qstream's mobile SaaS solution is used by six of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical companies, and by industry leaders such as Oracle, Charles Schwab and SunGard, as well as a growing network of industry solution providers who deploy engaging Qstream-powered programs to transform their clients' enterprise sales teams.
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JPL Provides Online Training to Combat Human Trafficking
HARRISBURG, PA, June 2, 2014 – Human trafficking is growing in Pennsylvania. To help combat this crime, Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association is training officers with a new online course created in collaboration with JPL.
“Investigating Human Trafficking” includes four training modules: Defining Human Trafficking; Types of Human Trafficking and Indicators; Assessing the Crime Scene; and Communicating with the Victim and Available Resources.
According to a PA Joint State Government Commission Report, the two most common forms of human trafficking are sex trafficking and labor trafficking. The report says that Pennsylvania is a source, destination and pass-through state for trafficking people.
“The human trafficking course is a much-needed addition to our arsenal of online learning offerings. The police officers can take this training on demand and spend more of their valuable time protecting their communities from crimes such as human trafficking,” said Chris Braun, technology coordinator for the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.
“Investigating Human Trafficking” is designed to help increase awareness and understanding by exploring the types of human trafficking, indicators of victims and traffickers, steps for assessing the crime scene and tactics for communicating with the victim. More than 11,000 Pennsylvania law enforcement officers are currently registered to take the online class. Content contributors include: PCPA; PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD); PA Coalition Against Rape (PCAR); PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV); Delaware County District Attorney Pearl Kim and the Polaris Project.
There are more than 20 courses currently offered on PAVTN.net, a virtual training network created by JPL and operated by the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, with more scheduled to be launched in the coming months.
About JPL
Learning solutions from JPL help improve performance – on the front lines, in the back office or out in the field. For 20 years we’ve partnered with regional and global clients to deliver smart, practical solutions that help organizations reach their goals.
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Miller Heiman and Others Merge to Form World’s Largest Dedicated Sales-Performance Company
SYDNEY, June 4, 2014 – Five sales-performance companies recently merged to form MHI Global, the largest dedicated sales-performance company in the world. The proven methodology, expertise and measurable results of Miller Heiman, AchieveGlobal, Huthwaite, Impact Learning Systems and Channel Enablers consolidate as MHI Global, to provide businesses with an expanded approach, strategy and holistic view of the customer life cycle — pioneering an estimated global $1.2 billion sales- performance industry.
“The merger brings together the best global intellectual property and collective sales expertise to help clients grow & retain profitable sales,” said MHI Global Director Martin Sparkes. “Our goal is to be the key resource for sales leaders around the world and help empower growth for organizations by leveraging sales best practices developed by proven research.”
Miller Heiman (Reno, Nev.) and its two divisions, Impact Learning Systems (Reno, Nev.) and Channel Enablers (Littleton, Colo.), acquired AchieveGlobal (Tampa, Fla.) and Huthwaite (Arlington, Va.), to form MHI Global (Littleton, Colo.) and expand on its vision of becoming the world’s key resource to all sales leaders. Under Miller Heiman’s management team, the companies will operate independently, while being led by a cohesive senior-executive team. They would also get to keep their individual company names, retain local managing directors and teams, continue partnering with their individual customers, and expand their worldwide capabilities within the framework of MHI Global.
“Customer-based strategies are a competitive advantage during an economic turning point, and meaningful customer experiences are guiding every sale and purchasing decision,” MHI Global CEO Sam Reese. “And today, we are excited to launch our competitive business solutions, locally, nationally and globally.” About MHI Global MHI Global is a leading worldwide company devoted to improving sales performance and customer management excellence. Our unrivaled capabilities and solutions come from the combined expertise and experience of powerhouse brands that make up MHI Global – Miller Heiman, AchieveGlobal, Huthwaite, Channel Enablers and Impact Learning Systems. Together these companies have taken an uncompromising stance that the best approach to every client engagement is one that is collaborative and is driven by each client’s specific needs and challenges. For more information, visit www.MHIGlobal.com.
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NetDimensions Announces Integrated Compliance Management Solution
HONG KONG, CHINA, June 5, 2014 — NetDimensions, a global provider of performance, knowledge and learning management systems, announced the availability of an innovative solution that brings the best-in-class learning management capabilities.
This new integrated solution enables organizations to control all of their compliance management and all of their training requirements using a single platform. NetDimensions is currently on enterprise compliance solutions provider, QUMAS’ platform.
Users access the capabilities of the NetDimensions’ award-winning learning management system seamlessly through MyQUMAS, a unified interface that provides access to all QUMAS compliance management capabilities in one view.
The combined NetDimensions-QUMAS solution provides a highly scalable and configurable environment for launching, tracking, and managing interactive corporate compliance training. In this solution, employees can access corporate policies, company training modules or any SCORM-compliant content by simply logging on, registering for courses, and launching the modules. In addition, supervisors and managers can track operational compliance, view dashboards, and export reports detailing user progress, grades, course enrollments, course completions, and time spent taking courses.
The NetDimensions-QUMAS solution also dramatically reduces the time needed to create and deliver critical training. Within NetDimensions Learning, QUMAS compliance content and documents can be viewed and converted easily into effective and measurable training. Similarly and just as easily, popular third-party courseware can be imported, launched, and tracked.
"Organizations can now proactively manage their training programs with this combined solution," said QUMAS CEO Kevin O'Leary. "By taking a proactive approach, organizations minimize the risk and consequences of noncompliance before violations occur."
About NetDimensions
Established in 1999, NetDimensions is a global provider of performance, knowledge and learning solutions.
NetDimensions provides companies, government agencies and other organizations with talent management solutions to personalize learning, share knowledge, enhance performance, foster collaboration, and manage compliance programs for employees, customers, partners and suppliers.
Recognized as one of the talent management industry's top-rated technology suppliers, NetDimensions has been chosen by leading organizations worldwide including ING, Cathay Pacific, Hunter Douglas, Chicago Police Department, Geely Automotive, Fugro Group, and Fresenius Medical Care.
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Tata Interactive Systems, KnowledgeAdvisors Develop Strategic Partnership
MUMBAI, INDIA, June 11, 2014 – Tata Interactive Systems, a global provider of learning solutions, and KnowledgeAdvisors, Inc, a CEB company, signed a teaming agreement to co-market products and services in the North American and Indian region. By combining TIS’ expertise in design, development, consulting & delivery with KnowledgeAdvisors' extensive learning benchmarks and analytics platform, both entities are uniquely positioned to help organizations optimize the impact of L&D investments on corporate performance.
TIS will distribute the KnowledgeAdvisors product ‘Metrics that Matter®’ as part of a larger learning analytics solutions to clients in India. Metrics that Matter® is an on-demand software and a web-based Human Capital analytics tool that streamlines the data collection and reporting elements of measurement for all human capital processes - recruitment, engagement, talent, performance, learning and leadership. Further, it combines data from multiple enterprise systems (including LMS) with information collected through evaluations and assessments to paint a complete picture of learning and business performance.
Gajanan Kasbekar, a senior vice president at Tata Interactive Systems, said his company has a strong reputation for offering customized learning solutions.
“Our ability to design and deliver quality products consistently is complemented by the maturity of our business processes and systems,” he said. “In this new strategic partnership, we will leverage on our expertise and experience in L&D consulting services.”
He added that his company has extensive experience in the learning consulting space.
“Our consultants advise many organizations on learning strategy, competency analysis, training needs assessment, as well as L&D process design,” he said. “As a founding sponsor for other initiatives like center for talent reporting, TIS has also invested effort & funds in the area of Learning Evaluation and measurement. This alliance with KnowledgeAdvisors takes us to the next level of learning analytics, business impact measurement and eventually help set up governance processes and business offices for clients.”
Jeffrey Berk, a senior vice president of operations at KnowledgeAdvisors, agreed.
“KnowledgeAdvisors helps organizations that utilize learning and development drive business outcomes by applying the analytic rigor they need to achieve their goals,” he said. “Our Metrics that Matter platform allows companies to realize substantial returns on their strategic investments in development and training.”
The partnership with KnowledgeAdvisors’ represents part of TIS’ track record of offering effective learning solutions that enable key organizational initiatives. Further, this interactive knowledge sharing with KnowledgeAdvisors, is expected to accelerate TIS’ pursuit to further advance its offerings in the learning space.
About Tata Interactive Systems
Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a part of the US$ 100 billion Tata group, is the world's leading developer of learning solutions. TIS's learning solutions are designed to enable organizational initiatives across industry verticals including Education; Government and Defense; Telecommunications and ICT; Pharmaceuticals and Health Care; Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance; Airlines, Transportation, Logistics, and Hospitality; Consumer Package Goods; and Manufacturing, Energy, and Construction.
With a team of over 800 multi-disciplinary specialists, TIS creates 5000+ hours of learning content across 220+ concurrent projects every year. TIS's solutions have proven their effectiveness at more than 60 Fortune 500 companies, leading educational institutions, and government departments.
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TrainingFolks Recognized as One of Canada's Top Firms
TORONTO, ONTARIO – June 12, 2014 – TrainingFolks has once again been recognized as part of the annual PROFIT 500, the definitive ranking of Canada's fastest-growing companies by PROFIT Magazine.
Ranking Canada's fastest-growing companies by five-year revenue growth, the PROFIT 500 profiles the country's most successful growth companies.
TrainingFolks reported a five-year revenue growth of 157%.
Matthew Davis, CEO and Co-Founder of TrainingFolks, said it was excited to be included on the list for the third straight year.
“Our ability to help our global customers with their employee training needs around the world has helped us achieve great recognition in the marketplace,” he said. “These customers are in a constant need of change that requires re-skilling of their employees either in classroom, virtually or leveraging eLearning. We will continue to strive to help organizations worldwide achieve their strategic goals.”
About TrainingFolks
TrainingFolks is a global provider of custom eLearning solutions, consulting and contingent workforce services. Over the past 15 years, our team of training consultants, facilitators, project managers and instructional designers has collaborated with Fortune 1000 organizations to implement a world-class adult learning experience with a proven engagement methodology.
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Raytheon Study Confirms Positive Impact of Learning Technologies
MILTON KEYNES, England, May 30, 2014 – Raytheon Professional Services (RPS) today released results and analysis from a comprehensive study of the impact of learning solutions on European automotive sales and service. The study conducted by Towards Maturity, reveals that 50 percent of automotive original equipment manufacturers respondents said innovative learning technologies improved business performance.
The Towards Maturity report, “Driving Innovation in the Dealership Training for the Automotive Sector”, is a foundational piece of research compiled through telephone interviews and online surveys with 52 automotive respondents representing 44 manufacturing organizations from 19 nations. They included Fiat, Jaguar, LR Mahindra, Opel, Seat, Volkswagen, GM, Kia, Maserati, Renault, SsangYong, Volvo, Honda, Lexus, Nissan, Skoda, Toyota, and others.
"This research clearly shows that the opportunity for technology-driven learning innovation exists, with 45 percent of respondents agreeing that learning technologies have made a significant contribution to increasing revenue," said Mark Oliver, EMEA managing director at RPS. "In addition, top learning companies are four times more likely to report improved staff motivation and engagement, as well as increased speed of response to business change."
Commissioned by RPS, the research also found that automotive manufacturers are focused on seeking results across a broad range of business goals, and training expectations are high for technology-enabled dealers. As well, the study indicates that learning technologies potentially can inform customers and suppliers about new products and services, and facilitate implementation of new information technology systems. Additional benefits include flexibility, business goals alignment, training efficiency, workforce productivity, and customer satisfaction.
"Today, sales and service professionals in almost every industry, including automotive, are grappling with an array of problems -- expanding global markets, rapid proliferation of new technologies, skill gaps in critical positions, and increased productivity demands," said Laura Overton, managing director of Towards Maturity. "Partnering with global training solutions provider RPS, this study shows that learning innovation, applied strategically, is delivering real business results in the automotive sector."
The automotive sector like many others are looking for ways to work smarter, deliver value added training and ensure learners aren't being held back because of lack of access to resources. This benchmark study shows linkage between dealer training and positive automotive customer experiences. Additionally, "This thorough study shows that learning innovation is taking off in the sector and is supporting change and growth in the industry," said Sann Rene Glaza, senior manager, Customer Service Training at Toyota Motor Europe. "However, there is more to be gained if we build on the existing foundations and enthusiasm for leveraging technology to support dealership training."
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass.
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Starbucks Offers Full Tuition Reimbursement for Employees
New York, June 15, 2014 – Starbucks and Arizona State University (ASU) announced the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, a powerful, first-of-its-kind program designed to unleash lifetime opportunity for thousands of eligible part-time and full-time U.S. partners (employees).
Starbucks chairman, president and CEO Howard Schultz will host the first Partner Family Forum in the U.S. in New York’s Tmes Center and will join ASU president Dr. Michael M. Crow and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to officially launch the Starbucks College Achievement Plan. This significant investment creates an opportunity for eligible partners to finish a bachelor’s degree with full tuition reimbursement for juniors and seniors, through a unique collaboration with ASU’s research-driven, top-ranked degree program, delivered online.
Through this innovative collaboration, partners based in the U.S. working an average of 20 hours per week at any company-operated store (including Teavana®, La Boulange®, Evolution Fresh™ and Seattle’s Best Coffee® stores) may choose from more than 40 undergraduate degree programs taught by ASU’s award-winning faculty such as electrical engineering, education, business and retail management. Partners admitted to ASU as a junior or senior will earn full tuition reimbursement for each semester of full-time coursework they complete toward a bachelor’s degree. Freshmen and sophomores will be eligible for a partial tuition scholarship and need-based financial aid for two years of full-time study. Partners will have no commitment to remain at the company past graduation.
“In the last few years, we have seen the fracturing of the American Dream. There’s no doubt, the inequality within the country has created a situation where many Americans are being left behind. The question for all of us is, should we accept that, or should we try and do something about it,” said Schultz. “Supporting our partners’ ambitions is the very best investment Starbucks can make. Everyone who works as hard as our partners do should have the opportunity to complete college, while balancing work, school and their personal lives.”
Starbucks investment is designed to support the nearly 50 percent of college students in the U.S. today who fail to complete their degrees due to mounting debt, a tenuous work-life balance and a lack of support. The Starbucks College Achievement Plan is created specifically for the company’s partners and aims to provide an excellent academic foundation along with the flexibility, financing and comprehensive support that working students need to complete their degree.
“ASU is pioneering a new university model focused on inclusivity and degree completion, and Starbucks is establishing a new precedent for the responsibility and role of a public company that leads through the lens of humanity and supports its partners’ life goals with access to education,” said ASU president Dr. Michael M. Crow. “We are very pleased to collaborate with Starbucks, who has impressed us with its strong commitment to its employees by providing this unique opportunity for a first-class college education. ASU has the vision, programs and scale to deliver it to Starbucks employees in every part of the country.”
The alliance between Starbucks and ASU was inspired by participation in the Markle Economic Future Initiative, co-chaired by Howard Schultz and Markle President Zoë Baird, with Dr. Michael Crow as one of its members. The Initiative is committed to expanding opportunities that help Americans succeed in the global digital economy and reignite faith that the American Dream is achievable.
“This pioneering collaboration between Starbucks and ASU is exactly the kind of innovative action this country needs to help Americans reach their dreams,” said Zoë Baird. “This is a break-through in using online learning backed by the financial resources that make it possible to participate. America urgently needs leadership to help people successfully transition to today’s economic realities. Howard Schultz and Dr. Michael Crow understand the challenges we are facing as a nation. Their commitment to the Markle Initiative and to embracing a more hopeful vision of America’s economic future is a path I encourage all leaders to follow.”
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup.
About ASU
Arizona State University is one of the nation’s leading public research universities and is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world. Known for innovation and entrepreneurism, ASU has pioneered the model for a New American University with a focus on accessibility and quality education, training students to learn for a lifetime.
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Brainshark Rapid Learning Letting Users Import Third-Party Content
WALTHAM, MASS. — June 17, 2014 — Brainshark, Inc., the leader in cloud-based business presentations, today announced two significant product enhancements. The first is the ability to import third-party SCORM-compliant content directly into Brainshark Rapid Learning – allowing quick and easy access to learning content, regardless of format. In addition, users can now sync course enrollment and completion data from Brainshark Rapid Learning directly into Salesforce via the Brainshark Connector for Salesforce.com to gain better insight into their learning programs. With these new capabilities, organizations can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their sales and other training initiatives.
Brainshark Rapid Learning – available with the Brainshark Learning Cloud, Enterprise Cloud and Sales Cloud packages – is a learning management solution that allows organizations to quickly create, deploy and manage eLearning content, courses and curriculums. It is used for sales training and onboarding, formal learning programs, certification, mLearning and informal, just-in-time learning. Using Brainshark Rapid Learning, organizations can manage student enrollment, enable student self-registration, provide open enrollment course catalogs and certify students, as well as track and analyze student and course performance to measure the progress and success of learners.
Importing SCORM Content
With the SCORM Import Module, Brainshark learning administrators can now import third-party SCORM-compliant content created in programs like Articulate, Adobe Presenter and Lectora, for example, into Brainshark Rapid Learning as individual courses or as part of multi-course curriculums. This allows organizations to leverage their investments and expertise in third-party authoring tools or pre-purchased courses – along with Brainshark video-based training content – in one comprehensive eLearning environment.
Brainshark will accept SCORM 2.1, 2004, Tin Can or AICC content. The new module is available to Brainshark Learning Cloud, Sales Cloud and Enterprise Cloud customers with Rapid Learning activated.
Synchronizing Rapid Learning Data in Salesforce.com
In addition to sending and tracking Brainshark presentations from within Salesforce, users of the Brainshark Connector for Salesforce.com and Brainshark Rapid Learning can also take Brainshark-based training courses and curriculums right from within the CRM system. With the latest release, Brainshark has taken this capability a step further, enabling automated synchronization of learner enrollment and activity data into Salesforce.com. With this new capability, Salesforce users can easily access this data to create native reports within their CRM solution, gaining critical insight into learning completion and success. This insight will improve the overall success of their learning programs.
“These new capabilities provide companies greater flexibility and more visibility to into the effectiveness of their learning initiatives, particularly for sales,” said David Klein, vice president of product management at Brainshark. “Through Brainshark’s comprehensive offerings, organizations can easily create compelling video-based learning presentations; salespeople and marketers can send and track the content; and learning professionals can provide a full-featured, integrated learning environment for sales reps and other learners. As a result, organizations all over the world are benefitting from our best-in-class sales performance solution.”
About Brainshark, Inc.
Brainshark enables companies to improve productivity with cloud-based business presentation solutions for sales, marketing and training. With Brainshark’s easy-to-use solutions, customers transform static documents such as PowerPoints into dynamic, mobile-ready content that can be accessed quickly and viewed as on-demand video presentations or presented live – anytime, anywhere. They can also measure the effectiveness of their communications in ways never thought possible and use these insights to take action. Thousands of companies – including half of the Fortune 100 – and millions of individuals rely on Brainshark to increase the impact and reduce the cost of their business communications.
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GP Strategies Awarded Major Contract Renewal Providing Enterprise Learning Services
COLUMBIA, MD., June 18, 2014 – Global performance improvement solutions provider GP Strategies Corporation announced today that it has signed a multi-year renewal agreement with a leading global software company to continue providing managed learning services and custom content development and delivery solutions.
Since 2009, GP Strategies has provided a broad range of services in support of this global leader, including product and device custom content development, training delivery, global training logistics, administration, event management, software applications training, and program and project management.
Dennis Bonilla, Senior Vice President for GP Strategies, stated that the renewal of the enterprise-wide Master Services Agreement is testimony to the success of the partnership.
“GP Strategies has demonstrated its ability to fully support a Fortune 50 company across the widest range of learning and development services needed in order to be a high-performing learning organization,” he said. “Our services have expanded across the client's multiple business groups since the initial content development contract. The GP Strategies team has adapted to market changes that require an agile partner in order to drive successful business outcomes.”
About GP Strategies
GP Strategies Corporation is a global performance improvement solutions provider of training, eLearning solutions, management consulting and engineering services. GP Strategies' solutions improve the effectiveness of organizations by delivering innovative and superior training, consulting and business improvement services customized to meet the specific needs of its clients. Clients include Fortune 500 companies, manufacturing, process and energy industries, and other commercial and government customers.
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Totara LMS Earns U.S. Army Certificate of Networthiness
BEND, OR, June 20, 2014 – Totara LMS has received the U.S. Army’s Certificate of Networthiness, enabling the learning management system software to be used with Army systems.
Totara, a custom distribution learning management software designed to deliver the benefits and cost savings of open source software to government and corporate clients, will work with ASM Research, an Accenture Federal Services Company, on implementation for federal clients.
ASM Research was selected to help develop Totara’s Solution Partner Network within the federal government, providing technical support for enterprise-wide installation and hosting infrastructure. Totara partners are selected based on their ability to deliver end-to-end solutions and ongoing customer support.
“Our entire team is excited to be working with ASM Research to provide Totara LMS solutions to the federal government,” said Willem Boom, vice president, partner solutions, Totara Learning, Inc. “Adding Totara to the Army’s Certification of Networthiness list is a great development that helps affirm the future of open source software.”
The Army’s Networthiness Certification Program manages specific risks associated with information systems by identifying, measuring, controlling, and minimizing security risks and impacts in IT systems. This certification is required of all organizations providing systems support to the Army.
“ASM Research has a long history of integrating new functionality into existing systems and enterprises,” said John Fraser, executive vice president and COO of ASM Research. “The Certificate of Networthiness reassures government and commercial clients that they can have confidence in choosing a Totara solution and partner with ASM, an experienced integrator.”
ASM provides both complete customized and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based learning and training solutions that include consulting, programming, hosting, system design, implementation and integration, course development and customer support services.
About Totara
Totara Learning Solutions, backed by Kineo, Kineo Pacific and Catalyst IT, is a global alliance dedicated to fundamentally changing the nature of the LMS software market. Totara is a packaged distribution of the open source platform, Moodle, and is available on a subscription basis which provides on-going support and enhancements. Totara can reduce a corporate enterprise's learning management costs significantly whilst providing some of the most advanced learning management functionality. Some organizations have made savings of more than 80 percent compared to proprietary systems.
From a simple concept; that open source software, developed with an active community, can deliver real benefits in learning and development for corporate organizations, comes a big vision; to transform corporate learning.
Totara users come from a wide variety of sectors, including finance, retail, energy, health, government and not-for-profit organizations. Customers range from small enterprises to large multi-national corporations with over 200,000 employees - a testament to Totara's robust versatility and scalability. Organizations throughout the world have chosen Totara as their eLearning platform. For more information visit: www.totaralms.com.
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Learning Specialist Hemsley Fraser Partners with Top Leading Financial Services Company
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 24, 2014 – Learning specialists Hemsley Fraser recently announced a partnership with one of U.K.’s leading financial services companies, Legal & General, in training more than 1,300 staff members in its Insurance Customer Service division.
The three-module learning program, called Customer Experience Matters, was created to help the division's staff further develop the way they interact with both external and internal customers. Initially, the program is being rolled out to the contact centre and back office teams who support Legal & General's life protection business. It will then be extended to other parts of the division.
Joanne Hardy, L&D Manager for Legal & General's Insurance Customer Service division, said that insurance can be an emotional business as one is dealing with people who may be planning for later life, buying a home, having children, coping with bereavement or they may have experienced a flood, a fire or a burglary.
“Customers are often emotionally-charged when they contact an insurance company and it can be extremely frustrating for them if the person they’re talking to responds robotically and doesn’t understand or empathize with how they're feeling,” she said. “We've always tried to see things from the customer's perspective. This program builds on that and highlights why it's so important to create an emotional connection with every customer. It reinforces how our staff can apply the right mindset and develop the behavioural skills that will make a difference.”
The program’s three half-day modules cover aspects such as building rapport, matching the energy of the customer, listening and questioning, understanding and acknowledging what matters most to the customer..
To support the learning and portray an individual customer's perspective, Hemsley Fraser commissioned three short films, one for each module. Produced by video production specialist Juice, these films won the 2014 IVCA gold award for best learning & development communication.
“The films tell a fictional, but highly emotional story of one man's tragic circumstances and the mental anguish he experiences when trying to make changes to his insurance policies,” Hardy said. “They bring home the need to empathize with each customer's circumstances and to understand that there's a real person on the other end of the phone.”
Hemsley Fraser has also worked with the Insurance Customer Service L&D team in creating a complimentary one-day program for the division's line managers. This highlights how they can support their staff through the Customer Experience Matters program. It also includes coaching skills development and practice.
About Hemsley Fraser
Founded in 1991, Hemsley Fraser is a market leading provider of in-company and customized learning programs, consulting services, open training courses and managed learning services. Recently ranked for the fourth consecutive year as one of the world's top 20 providers of leadership training, it delivers learning in 50 countries. Since 2008, it has been part of the Demos Group, a global provider of learning and development.
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Skillsoft’s 2014 Impact Analysis Reveals Insights into Learning’s Value
NASHUA, N.H., Jun 24, 2014 – Skillsoft announced the findings of its bi-annual Impact Analysis survey that measures the value of organizations’ learning investments. The Impact Analysis is a low-burden, estimate-based, rapid analysis designed to collect data related to three key areas for learning programs: operational efficiency, content effectiveness and business outcomes. The process delivers both quantitative and qualitative insights into the effectiveness of learning programs and provides a baseline from which to evaluate their impact moving forward. A core service available to existing Skillsoft customers, the Impact Analysis fills a critical evaluation gap for many organizations worldwide.
The comprehensive findings from the meta-analysis reflect 58,800 individual end users from across the world. The latest round of research, conducted over a 24-month period spanning 2012 and 2013, offers fresh perspective on end users’ experiences with Skillsoft learning solutions:
Learners cited better work quality and increased employee satisfaction as the leading outcomes of applying what they learned.
Learners achieved an average improvement in skill of 17 percent, which aligned to an average 44 percent of employees’ current job roles.
Learners indicated career development and continued professional development as the top motivations for engaging with the learning program.
“It’s important for learning programs to be properly monitored and measured to ensure they are aligned with employees’ needs, organizations’ business goals and their original objectives,” said Wendy Duffy, Senior Director, Consulting Services, North America. “Many learning and development teams are already stretched and likely do not have the resources to dedicate to the evaluation of their learning investments. The Impact Analysis gives them a great baseline for thinking about their programs in context of many others like them. It also helps teams package the insights for key stakeholders who are invested in the programs’ success.”
The Impact Analysis findings allow learning and development (L&D) teams to quickly and easily evaluate their current programs, to communicate outcomes internally to other stakeholders, and to create an action plan for achieving even more value in the future. Following the initial analysis, Skillsoft Learning Consultants work with L&D teams to identify the strengths and opportunities for improvement in terms of engagement, alignment, adoption and value, which Skillsoft has identified as the four building blocks of a healthy learning program.
About Skillsoft
Skillsoft is a pioneer in the field of learning with a long history of innovation. Skillsoft provides cloud based learning solutions for its customers worldwide, ranging from global enterprises, government, and education to mid-sized and small businesses. Skillsoft's customer support teams draw on a wealth of in-house experience, flexible delivery platforms and a comprehensive learning e-library to develop off-the-shelf and custom learning programs tailored to cost-effectively meet customer needs. Skillsoft's courses, books and videos have been developed by industry leading learning experts to ensure that they maximize business skills, performance, and talent development.
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Corporate Visions Enhances Customer Conversation System, Acquires Launch International
LARKSPUR, Calif. – June 25, 2014 – Corporate Visions, Inc., the leading marketing and sales messaging, tools and training company, today announced it has acquired Launch International, Inc., a unique communications company specializing in marketing and sales enablement content.
This deal further enhances Corporate Visions’ customer conversation system and expands its market leadership position as the largest provider of consulting, content and training products and services for helping companies improve their selling conversations.
Since its inception in 1992, Launch International has been focused on developing marketing and sales support tools ranging from thought leadership-based campaigns and e-Books to sales playbooks and product launch kits.
Unlike traditional agencies, Launch International has proven experience in delivering both marketing content strategy and frameworks, as well as producing both buyer- and seller-facing content and tools that foster more insightful business conversations with a wide range of decision-makers.
“Corporate Visions applies decision-making science to our message development and skills training programs,” said Corporate Visions CEO Joe Terry. “Launch International is a perfect fit because their content tools are grounded in the unique dynamics of sales conversations. They’ve proven they can create customer needs-centric marketing content that supports the conversations customers want to have, and put that content into the kinds of tools that work the way salespeople need to work.”
Jody Canavan, founder and CEO of Launch International, agreed.
“We’ve been engaged with many of the same clients as Corporate Visions, providing a complementary set of content assets,” she said. “So, this is a very natural decision to finally merge our two businesses and offer companies the most comprehensive, integrated marketing and sales enablement program available anywhere.”
The Launch International acquisition is Corporate Vision’s fourth in a span of less than two years. Previously, the company acquired Executive Conversation, the leader in business and financial acumen sales skills training; BayGroup International, the leading negotiations sales skills training company; and WhiteboardSelling, a pioneer in visual storytelling for improving sales conversations and presentations.
About Corporate Visions, Inc.
Corporate Visions, Inc. helps global business-to-business companies create more sales opportunities, win more deals and increase sales profitability by improving the conversations salespeople have with customers. Companies engage Corporate Visions in three key areas:
· Developing differentiated messages that concentrate on customer needs;
· Deploying tools that support critical steps in the buying cycle; and
· Delivering sales skills training that enables salespeople to create, confirm and capture more value.
Corporate Visions helps clients such as ADP, Motorola, Philips, UPS, Cisco and others align marketing and sales with a repeatable approach for creating and delivering winning customer conversations.
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Aptara Expands Offerings to Include Information Providers
FALLS CHURCH, VA., June 25, 2014 – Aptara, the award-winning digital innovator in publishing and training industries, announced expanding its offerings to provide complete, end-to-end solutions for information providers and all businesses involved in content production.
Aptara’s solutions and services enable customers to find new ways to monetize their content assets, measurably improve performance, and increase revenues across their entire operation.
“Our clients can now rely on us for everything from digital product conception, content creation and multichannel distribution, to post-delivery customer and IT support,” said Aptara President Bill Penders. “As our customers streamline their operations, having a single partner that can meet all of these needs provides them with maximum cost-efficiencies while connecting them with new, digitally savvy audiences.”
Aptara designs and implements solutions capitalizing on new digital and mobile delivery channels for e-Books, employee training, product manuals, financial reports, all types of federally regulated documentation, and other content-intensive products. Its solutions improve the convenience, impact, and value of a company’s content while significantly lowering overhead.
“Aptara expertly navigated our path from print to digital to mobile,” said Dan Green, Senior Operations Manager for Cisco Learning Services. “By transforming and simplifying how we create and deliver product documentation and training, we’ve established new revenue streams and substantially cut expenses.”
Aptara launched a new logo and website this week reflecting its complete content and business support solutions as well as its deep-rooted expertise in the publishing, banking, finance, insurance, legal, IT, healthcare, and pharmaceutical sectors. The website also underscores the leading-edge customer lifecycle management expertise with which Aptara supports the solutions it designs and implements.
In addition to direct relationships with the world’s largest publishers like Pearson and McGraw-Hill, and Fortune 500 corporations such as Cisco and McKesson, Aptara’s content and back-end business support solutions power the offerings of professional service providers, including Deloitte and Xerox.
About Aptara Aptara’s digital content, learning and performance, and business support solutions are in place at market-leading companies worldwide. Our industry specialists design and implement strategies that capitalize on new digital and mobile technologies for information providers in IT, law, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, insurance, financial services, and publishing. Aptara’s solutions uncover new revenue streams, improve operations, and realize cost savings enterprise-wide. Founded in 1988, Aptara is headquartered in the United States and has offices on four continents. Its parent company, iEnergizer, is publicly traded in the UK.
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