During the course of this year, Tulikivi introduced a new product range to the markets and a revamped brand. It was clear that the international launch process had to be effective, and this time e-learning had a role in the process. It worked to perfection!
The listed family company Tulikivi Corporation and its subsidiaries form Tulikivi Group. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of heat-retaining fireplaces. The Group has seven production plants and employs over 600 people. Tulikivi exports to thirteen different countries.
For Tulikivi, e-learning was a new experience in staff and distribution channel training. The objective of the exercise was the mobilization of the new model range and revamped brand. A further aim is to provide ongoing network-based product training.
- The principal reason for opting for e-learning was the fact that we export to so many different countries, and even our Finnish workforce is spread all over the country. It is nearly impossible to bring such busy people all together under one roof to receive their training. It is also time-consuming and expensive to haul people from all over the world to attend training events, explains Tulikivi’s Corporate Communications Director, Anu Vauhkonen.
- In terms of the work of the distribution channels, it is important to be able to contact everyone globally at the same time. And that includes the people who are responsible for the day-to-day sales work, says Ms Vauhkonen.
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I think change is vital for keeping on the pulse. I saw e-learning as a great opportunity, says Tulikivi’s Corporate Communications Director, Anu Vauhkonen. |
Speedy progress
The timetable was unambiguous. Everything had to be ready by the beginning of June. The launching of Tulikivi’s new products and brand culminated in June in a “tribal” meeting held in Juuka in Finland. Invitations had been sent to representatives of all the distributors around the world and to the entire Tulikivi staff in Finland as well as to some partners.
Prewise’s project team rolled up their sleeves in January, and the first e-learning events already took place at the beginning of May. The first task was the training of Tulikivi’s own personnel, and that meant everyone from production to management. This was important, in order to ensure that the company’s own staff could pass on the knowledge to our customers at the Tulikivi tribal meeting.
The e-learning aimed to give the trainees a basic understanding of the changes affecting the products and the brand and the objectives sought by the changes. A further target of the training was to encourage the trainees to explore and express for themselves the links between their own aspirations and objectives and the overall goals of Tulikivi.
In content, the training was broken down into three separate modules, with one module constituting 30 minutes of study. Together, Tulikivi’s brand school, product school and sales school formed a “training ladder”, meaning that each information segment was easy to digest in stages. Each module was produced in nine different language versions.
Even the stonemasons melted in the face of e-learning
- The training really suited our own personnel. Many people told me how pleased they were to have the opportunity to choose when to do the training. Even production personnel were excited about doing a training course. You always get the odd dissenting voice, but they were in the very small minority, says Ms Vauhkonen.
- All feedback received has been conveyed to the staff, via the staff magazine, for instance. We now want to extend the training programme to include our new subsidiary, Kermansavi. I am quite sure that there will continue to be a plethora of new subjects for e-learning and it will be on the agenda in the future, as well.
A competent distribution channel sells more
It is important to encourage distribution channels' commitment to common goals. Product training has a certain significance.
- The benefit of training distribution channels is that, as a result, everyone understands our common objectives. Another gain is that everyone is aware of the principal messages. That means that everyone, wherever they are in the world, speaks the "same language". The end result is that the brand is stronger and we sell more, Anu Vauhkonen explains.
- The distribution channel poses its own challenges. For instance, in hardware shops people generally share e-mail and they only have a couple of PCs available to them. Which salespersons should participate in the training? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that the training is carried through? On the whole, it is not possible to force anyone in the distribution channel to participate in the training.
- We employ some people in export sales who have no Internet connection or e-mail. We sent the training material to them as a CD off-line version.
E-learning is a great opportunity
Globally, some 1,500 people signed up for e-learning. At Tulikivi’s request, Prewise administrated the entire training process. Communication with the trainees was in the target group’s own language; this lowered the threshold to training.
- There was an excellent convergence between the objectives and the outcome. In the distribution channel, the greatest challenge was to persuade the right people to undertake the training. On the other hand, our own workers completed the course very conscientiously, Anu Vauhkonen sums up.
- You get the most enjoyment out of creating new and doing things in new ways. I think change is vital for keeping on the pulse. I see e-learning as a great opportunity. Over the years, I have seen how difficult it is to mobilize a modernized brand, or even to make people aware of it, globally – and particularly when it has to happen simultaneously around the world.
- Because it was such a challenge, I found the project truly interesting and we really got the bit between our teeth. The training segment was one component in a major launch operation, and consequently the biggest challenge was keeping to the schedule. With nine different language versions on the go simultaneously, timetables were prone to slip. The e-learning material was produced in parallel with the launch and product development projects. This was a major cornerstone for the project, at least in terms of scheduling. At times, we had to wait for images and technical data.
Focus only on key content
Contemplating the project in the aftermath, what advice would you offer to colleagues who are in a similar situation?
- It is worth including only the absolute essence in the message. What is the key ingredient that you want to communicate to people? Enough time should also be put aside for designing the e-learning course. It is also important that you succeed in engaging the key people in-house, says Ms Vauhkonen.
Trust is an important element in a partnership
- I have known the people at Prewise for years, ever since I worked for my previous employer. I am familiar with their project management style, and it was easy to select Prewise as our partner for this project, Anu Vauhkonen explains.
- It is vital to stick to the schedule in such a project. It is particularly important to have a reliable partner in your corner who is capable of seeing things from the company’s perspective. For example, what is it that we want to achieve? In my opinion, Prewise was very clever in filtering out the core facts from the material that we provided. The technical implementation was good, as well. Although we had a few problems to start with, the problems were always resolved, says Ms Vauhkonen.
Communication plays an important role in the overall process
The e-learning project was one part of the mobilization process that was carried out in Tulikivi. What factors relating to communication should be taken into account in a successful process in Anu Vauhkonen's opinion?
- First of all, you need to communicate what is going to happen, why the decision has been taken to carry out an e-learning project and what its aims are.
- During the process, people must be given information and they must be enticed to take part in the training. Even the people who say that they do not have the time.
- After the training is over, the results as well as the feedback that was received must be communicated. Talking about feedback is important because at this stage it is still possible to address ambiguities.
- The issue itself must be communicated through all possible channels to make sure that all the measures are inter-supportive. In our company, for example, the new products and the brand were discussed over and over at every opportunity: in the staff magazine, in the Intranet, on in-house television, in letters to the traders, with customers in product catalogues, on the Internet, etc.
- Every measure for the launch process must be designed in such a way as to support the whole package. Our product and brand launch culminated in the “tribal” meeting that was organized in the summer. Tulikivi’s own personnel had gone through the e-learning process before the event, in order to be able to enlighten the customers.
- The e-learning process was introduced to our customers and distributors at the “tribal” meeting. After that, they were able to start the e-learning process themselves.
- Enough time must be reserved for change. The Tulikivi mobilization process is ongoing, even though the e-learning project carried out in the launch phase has now terminated.
For additional information on Tulikivi Corporation, visit www.tulikivi.com
Text: Jaana Raaska