Friday
Dec311999
SPECIAL REPORT: Supply Chain Learning - Training Customers & Suppliers
December 31, 1999
SPECIAL REPORT: Supply Chain Learning - Training Customers & Suppliers
(We are tracking an expansion of the learning and training function in
organizations, focusing on training across the entire supply chain. At
TechLearn '99 (http://www.techlearn.com) , I will explore this trend in my
opening keynote. Here is a short article on the subject.)
Supply Chain Learning - Training Customers & Suppliers!
By Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center
Organizations are reaching beyond fences to expand the target for training
and learning. In the past six months, we have met with a dozen Chief
Learning Officers and the topic of "Supply Chain Learning" popped into the
discussion. It refers to the desire to deliver knowledge, skills and even
competency testing to the total supply chain of the organization including:
- Customers
- Prospects
- Suppliers
- Contractors
- Partners
- Regulators
- Employees
Organizations are focusing on the concept of the supply chain as part of
getting a stronger grasp on the variables that impact cost, revenue and
productivity. It is only natural to extend supply chain thinking to
learning and training. And, the rise of the e-learning is pushing this
model into reality, as the internet can serve as the digital gossamer
thread linking each of the points on the supply chain to the learning function.
One example is a regional bank that has recently expanded their on-line
learning programs to employees. They are in the process of completing the
construction of a sophisticated internal virtual university to offer short
and long duration classes on a wide range of topics. They have included
both real-time and asynchronous content plus tools on their site. When
they demonstrated this new functionality for their CEO, his response drove
them right to supply chain learning. "This is great, but when can we get
this up and running to offer it to our customers, suppliers and partners."
He was MORE interested in their ability to touch their supply chain with
learning interventions than he was in the internal offer to employees.
Supply chain learning is being driven from the operating business units of
the organization and many are implementing it without accessing the
centralized training department. One director of procurement said that
they have been doing this for years, on a one-to-one basis, as they train new
suppliers how to deal with them. Now, they are starting to construct an
on-line learning program for new bidders. He is even considering testing
the bidders on their knowledge of their organization before accepting bids.
E-commerce opportunities are a nature for supply chain learning. The idea
is simple. Let's have a learning interaction as a pre-cursor to a sales
interaction. If I can get you to view me as a source of knowledge and
learning, it will be a lot easier to sell you our product. This has
always been a fundamental element in selling. Now, we are seeing the use of
e-learning as a dramatic accelerator of delivering digital content to
prospects and customers. It is a also a great way to drive down the
overhead costs for post-sales support of products.
Watch for the expansion of Supply Chain Learning and the growth of external
portal type sites that will offer and distribute learning in this format.
Look for training product and service providers to add supply chain
learning language to their products. We will see the word "learner" or "user"
dropped from some packages and a shift towards "partnering" language.
And, organizations will invest in building digital collaboration and learning
systems throughout their supply chain to reduce the cycle time for
distributing new knowledge and skills.
We will address Supply Chain Learning at our upcoming TechLearn '99
Conference in Orlando two weeks. If you have any experience with this
phenomena in your organization, send us an email to supplychain@masie.com
Thanks!
(Note: You may distribute this article without permission.)
TechLearn '99 - Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, 1999 - Orlando, Florida
Complete information and on-line registration: http://www.techlearn.com
(We are tracking an expansion of the learning and training function in
organizations, focusing on training across the entire supply chain. At
TechLearn '99 (http://www.techlearn.com) , I will explore this trend in my
opening keynote. Here is a short article on the subject.)
Supply Chain Learning - Training Customers & Suppliers!
By Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center
Organizations are reaching beyond fences to expand the target for training
and learning. In the past six months, we have met with a dozen Chief
Learning Officers and the topic of "Supply Chain Learning" popped into the
discussion. It refers to the desire to deliver knowledge, skills and even
competency testing to the total supply chain of the organization including:
- Customers
- Prospects
- Suppliers
- Contractors
- Partners
- Regulators
- Employees
Organizations are focusing on the concept of the supply chain as part of
getting a stronger grasp on the variables that impact cost, revenue and
productivity. It is only natural to extend supply chain thinking to
learning and training. And, the rise of the e-learning is pushing this
model into reality, as the internet can serve as the digital gossamer
thread linking each of the points on the supply chain to the learning function.
One example is a regional bank that has recently expanded their on-line
learning programs to employees. They are in the process of completing the
construction of a sophisticated internal virtual university to offer short
and long duration classes on a wide range of topics. They have included
both real-time and asynchronous content plus tools on their site. When
they demonstrated this new functionality for their CEO, his response drove
them right to supply chain learning. "This is great, but when can we get
this up and running to offer it to our customers, suppliers and partners."
He was MORE interested in their ability to touch their supply chain with
learning interventions than he was in the internal offer to employees.
Supply chain learning is being driven from the operating business units of
the organization and many are implementing it without accessing the
centralized training department. One director of procurement said that
they have been doing this for years, on a one-to-one basis, as they train new
suppliers how to deal with them. Now, they are starting to construct an
on-line learning program for new bidders. He is even considering testing
the bidders on their knowledge of their organization before accepting bids.
E-commerce opportunities are a nature for supply chain learning. The idea
is simple. Let's have a learning interaction as a pre-cursor to a sales
interaction. If I can get you to view me as a source of knowledge and
learning, it will be a lot easier to sell you our product. This has
always been a fundamental element in selling. Now, we are seeing the use of
e-learning as a dramatic accelerator of delivering digital content to
prospects and customers. It is a also a great way to drive down the
overhead costs for post-sales support of products.
Watch for the expansion of Supply Chain Learning and the growth of external
portal type sites that will offer and distribute learning in this format.
Look for training product and service providers to add supply chain
learning language to their products. We will see the word "learner" or "user"
dropped from some packages and a shift towards "partnering" language.
And, organizations will invest in building digital collaboration and learning
systems throughout their supply chain to reduce the cycle time for
distributing new knowledge and skills.
We will address Supply Chain Learning at our upcoming TechLearn '99
Conference in Orlando two weeks. If you have any experience with this
phenomena in your organization, send us an email to supplychain@masie.com
Thanks!
(Note: You may distribute this article without permission.)
TechLearn '99 - Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, 1999 - Orlando, Florida
Complete information and on-line registration: http://www.techlearn.com
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