Measuring the impact of training is the key objective of any training leader. Recent studies by Brandon Hall Group show that only a small fraction of all training organizations are satisfied with their efforts. Those that are doing the measuring are using stats and data based on subjective measurements like course feedback and general ratings of the course offering — KPIs that really don’t get at the impact of the training.
Partner networks like those represented in the OEM Dealer Model have tons of metrics that are measured every day, and these metrics are used to drive business forward. Too often, these metrics are managed independently from any of the training activities — and dealer training programs struggle, like everyone else, to understand how the training has an impact on the business they support.
But imagine a world where key operational performance metrics are baked into the training model, and maintaining them is known to be a key driver to success. When that happens, you elevate the entire network, starting with the individual technician or sales person, through the dealership management, and then the network overall.
High-performing vs low-performing analytics can be evaluated at all levels of the business and training can become a strategic asset to management, rather than just a cost center or a requirement.
Creating a Clear Path Toward Certification
Every OEM/Dealer network has some version of the “Fixed First Visit (FFV)” metric. For every technician turning a wrench, this number is evaluated and measured. Why? It’s crucial to keep a high FFV score. A fixed first visit describes the likelihood of a technician getting a repair right the first time. For example, you might aim to achieve fixed first visit status at a rate of 95% or better frequency.
To a technician, the FFV is an independent variable that doesn’t mean anything. But making the FFV score and maintaining that high level as part of the technician's training and certification changes that perspective. Therefore, as a technician, you must complete the courseware and maintain this high level of competency and satisfaction in completing your work. It's a measurement and reflection on the quality of the training you’ve received.
By bringing courseware and such success metrics together, you set the table for creating the highest standard an individual can achieve: Certification.
A True Measurement of Dealership Training at Last
What about the aggregate metrics for a dealership? How can you measure success across the board as a team? In this case, LatitudeLearning preserves all essential data for scoring in the aggregate from the individual all the way up the organizational entities they roll up to, like a dealership, region, or service/sales district.
As a result, an organizational entity like a dealership can achieve certification and prove it has the proper mix of talent on staff, and is meeting their performance requirements.
This type of evaluation and rating for certification is unique to the LatitudeLearning LMS. It enables a training manager to approach a dealer operation manager and pinpoint which dealerships are the highest- and lowest-performing.
Converting Data into Powerful Opportunities in Dealership Training
Having a sense of performance is helpful, but the data is only so effective without acting upon it. That’s why Latitude empowers you to tailor training specifically toward lower-performing dealerships with the intent to move them up the chain.
Consequently, dealerships have a baseline to refer to before working with Latitude for ongoing measurement. In the big picture, it’s what makes Latitude a business partner to your entity versus simply delivering training.
Rather than measuring success only by training completion, your environment can know how well you’re moving product, how often you’re performing warranted repairs, if you have essential parts on hand, and the perception of your dealership among customers.
All of this is measured and tracked by LatitudeLearning LMS as your first line of defense.
Let’s face it: By itself, registering 20 people for an instructor-led course, even if they express satisfaction with the course, doesn’t provide insight into the course’s effectiveness and lasting impact on your network.
The ability to incorporate vital data into your training plan goes far beyond knowing whether or not you’re directing the right people to where they need to be from a training program perspective.
Latitude aims to understand how successfully training has moved the needle for the network as a whole. This way, when you roll out a new training program with the help of LatitudeLearning LMS, you’re doing so to move a particular metric that is imperative for success. You are not simply creating a course because someone requested it and has little sense of the goal to achieve.
Transforming the Mindset About Dealership Training Programs
If you move beyond training for the sake of education and incorporate performance metrics for success of the individual and the dealerships, what’s different? For one, the complete mindset about training and all it can be. You move from viewing dealership training as a box to check and instead view your training program as a way to move the needle for your network and increase performance overall.
Now you’re having a direct impact on the bottom line. This approach allows you to draw a direct line from training to improved performance. You can see specifically how your dealership is more profitable and to a particular degree.
This is the new type of elevated mindset and conversation around dealership training you want to have, which Latitude enables you to do. As a result of training, you are more profitable, make fewer warranty repairs, sell more units and more parts, and fix it right the first time.
In a business where even a fraction of a percent can mean the difference in dollars, it makes much more sense to correlate dealership training to what makes for a high-performing dealership. Without this, you risk viewing your training program in a silo and misjudging its true impact.
Fortunately, LatitudeLearning provides a more comprehensive picture to drive your training program forward. It’s about bringing in the correct data in the proper context so that more dealerships understand precisely what it takes to help high-performance dealers maintain high success. All while elevating those lower-performing dealerships that must obtain vital certifications.
There’s no better resource than LatitudeLearning for bringing the custom structure and consultative team to take your dealership training program to the next level. To fully explore what you can expect when partnering with Latitude, download our guide, “Why Choose Latitude.”
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