Outokumpu: Stock and Processing sales training teaches how to meet customer’s real need
Outokumpu wants to make sure that their customers will be served fast, flexibly and efficiently. Outokumpu’s online sales training teaches how to use Stock and Processing Network to deliver customers what they want, where they want and when they want.
Outokumpu is an international stainless steel company that operates in some 30 countries and employs 8 000 people. Outokumpu’s vision is to be the undisputed number One in stainless steel.
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- To become the number one in stainless, our key strategic priorities have been set to sales to end-users, stabile customer relationships, growth outside Europe and special grades, tells Mina Legnered from Outokumpu Stock and Processing Development.
Recognizing that not all customers have the facility to either take large quantities of stainless steel or to form certain profiles and sizes from the plants,
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Outokumpu has established a network of service canters capable of providing small batches of high quality tailored material formed to meet their specific requirements. These service centers are called Stock and Processing Network.
How to give the best service to customer
Outokumpu Stock and Processing e-learning was made to increase the awareness of Stock and Processing Network among the Outokumpu sales persons. E-learning trains how to meet customers’ needs and from where to order the steel to serve customer as fast and efficient as possible.
- The “One – Outokumpu” approach strategy enable and require salespeople all over the world to expand their knowledge of the Outokumpu range of products and ability to sell them to customers. Outokumpu Stock and Processing units worldwide are being harmonized and salespeople throughout the company needed to be educated in how to give the best service to customers by using the Stock and Processing Network, Legnered tells about the backgrounds of the e-learning.
- E-learning answers to questions like “where are our multiple Service Centers located” or “what can we do there”.
- Many people within Outokumpu not working with these products and route to market did not have a clue about our Stock and Processing capabilities, what we can actually produce and how high service level we can give the market.
Cost-efficiency and environmental friendly
Legnered is pleased that e-learning was also an economical way to train a big group of people.
- The e-learning was a good option to save on travelling costs if we on the contrary would have arranged a traditional training at a certain location. Some 700 salespeople needed to be reached and e-learning is then easy accessible and a good choice in this purpose.
Screenshot of Stock and Processing e-learning.
The power of word of mouth
Feedback of the e-learning has been entirely positive.
- We have received a lot of positive feedback from all around the organization, not only from sales. Sales were the main target group but also other functions like controlling or production employees are interesting target groups.
- The awareness has increased and people have started to talk more about Stock and Processing. The power of word of mouth is great, says Legnered.
- We involved a lot of people from different countries in the piloting of the e-learning. I think that also helped to spread the word about the e-learning.
E-learning has a great opportunity
Stock and Processing e-learning gives the basic information on Outokumpu’s Stock and Processing Network. E-learning offers great possibility for measure performance besides gathering feedback from users.
- Language barrier is one feedback we got from the users. And now we are looking into making some language versions, says Legnered.
Legnered can see great possibilities to use e-learning more widely in Outokumpu’s organization.
- Other parts of Outokumpu have already shown interest in the e-learning. We have many product categories which are interesting for the salespeople to learn. It might also be an option to create one Outokumpu training in total, illustrating a collection of all our capabilities, Legnered considers.
“Prewise asked the questions nobody dared to ask before”
Stock and Processing e-learning was executed with Prewise Gimlet™ LMS system. Prewise took also care of course administration, invitations and reporting the results.
- The co-operation with Prewise was excellent. Communication was clear and consistent and deliveries were in time. Vesa Heiskanen, Prewises’s project leader, contributed with not only the Finnish humor but great leadership skills which made the Outokumpu team feel comfortable and confident, says Legnered.
- Prewise asked the questions nobody dared to ask before. There are a lot of things we easily assume, but in reality do we actually understand the reason why? For example, finding out about the needs and benefits for the customers. It is so obvious for us that we should be the preferred supplier, but getting that in written is not so easy. Prewise facilitated this in an excellent way and for that we have Eevi Kuokkanen from Prewise to thank.
- In total we are extremely satisfied with the co-operation and look forward to new challenges together with Prewise, Legnered says in conclusion.
For more information on Outokumpu, go to http://www.outokumpu.com/
Text: Enni Haapanen