There will be some sore, yet no doubt buoyant and optimistic, heads wandering around the British manufacturing industry this week. Closing a new client deal is always something to celebrate, but when the contract is worth something in the region of $40 billion, it’s time to blow the dust off that Champagne bottle that’s been tormenting you for years, patiently waiting for the good news that never seemed to arrive.
What’s interesting for me about the American Airlines deal that has been struck, is the objectives of the airline company – their chief exec was quoted as saying that they wanted to “dramatically improve fuel and operating costs”. Ok, no great surprise there, but the fact is this huge organisation knew that the only way it could meet those objectives was by investing in the best technology and advanced thinking in the world.
There is little resistance to technology in the manufacturing world, it depends on the latest advances that are being designed and tweaked in factories across the world, because machines need to be as slick, powerful and efficient as possible.
So, while on the one hand you have training businesses that not only accept online booking, but also use software to stay in touch with delegates via email and text, while on the other hand you have companies that only accept bookings over the phone or by email. The gaps between companies in the same industry, competing for the same businesses is huge. In manufacturing they wouldn’t survive, because leaner and meaner companies would come along and simply do things better.
But it’s not an exclusive club, other industries will be hit by the need to evolve and change very soon, and for training companies it is now a case of deciding whether they want to be on the inside popping open Champagne bottles alongside the manufacturing big hitters, or on the outside looking in.
Dave Evans
accessplanit - download our whitepaper at Training Management System
One Response
thanks
Excellent post!
Sales Training and Project Management Training