How to Implement Customer Model

In this time globalization in a tough competition customer model has gain a great importance. With the growing intensity of the competition, the market has become something where each and every action of the company affects the size of its customer base. Moreover, the complexities have grown so much that most of the time, it is impossible for one to anticipate what he might in need of. In other words, depending on the situation training might be the only way to get out of some problems, and with a proper training model that suits the conditions, like corporate university model, faculty model, matrix model, customer model, etc we can overcome a lot of the issues.

Customer mode is also from one of them and is based on the idea of organizing the training departments in accordance with the training needs of one function or division in the company. Rather than faculty model, this makes use of the trainers’ expertise for the purpose of planning the training programs. Customer model focuses on the specific group and its needs and that’s what makes it a better choice for longer runs.

Customer Model Implementation

1. Understanding your Current Position

The first step towards the proper implementation of the model requires one to determine the current status of the subject. It includes their competencies, potential and any other thing that can prove helpful on the way. The main idea behind this is to summarize the current position of the subjects and to determine whether training is needed or not. If there is a chance that everything can start working normally just by some modifications, then it means there is no need for training. But if the case goes opposite then, the step helps you to determine which type of training will do the job.

All this is based on training maturity and its different phases i.e. reacting phase, performing phase, scaling phase and optimizing, where each phase marks the training maturity that’s at the time being. Reacting phase represents the status of just being a starter one and this level goes on increasing while adding even more features on the way.

For the purpose, you need to ask yourself a few questions to assist you in the identification of the goals. For example, at which phase of training maturity lifecycle, your business stands? How far is the level of the desired competency that you expect from the trainees? How critical is this training to your business and what effects will it cast during and after the process?

2. Prioritizing Courses

While keeping an eye on the situations that the company is facing right now, prioritize your selection of the course list. Since it is also possible that unleashing everything at a time, might become a huge burden for the trainee, which will adversely affect the productivity of the trainees. Think of a reason or two, for each of the course and perform a thorough evaluation by focusing on it that what makes a course stand higher on the list than the other. Is it the need of time or are you trying to order them on the basis of their importance or difficulty, just whatever it is, stick with it.

3. Clarification of Roles

The second step in the implementation of the customer model expects one to clarify the roles that each team will do during the training process like course development, training (as a trainer), training coordinator, training manager, etc. Since each goal represents one of the prime elements of the process which means that roles definition is quite an important task in all this.

Course development, also known by the name of instructional designing, refers to the creation of training material. It can be done by anyone from inside the office or an expert hired from outside, who has knowledge about the field and is able to something that can turn the tides of time. Just as the name suggests, the trainer is someone who delivers the training to trainees. And just like course developer, it can anyone.

With the conduction of live training, as the time passes, it becomes more and more important to schedule sessions, respond to the requests made by the trainees and coordinate logistics with students. That’s what goes for the training coordinator. Training managers are the ones who lead and direct the training team as it grows by the time. They are responsible for testing the effectivity of training programs.

4. Measurement of Effectiveness of the Training

Kirkpatrick’s Four Level Model used for the assessment of the effectivity of a training program of the customer model, says Bil Crushard (Head of training at Service Rocket). Because of the contribution from Jack Phillips, this model now makes use of five levels.

Level 1 deals with the assessment of the learners’ satisfaction and makes use of surveys to determine that how much satisfied a learner is. Level 2 focuses on the testing of the trainees to check whether they are gaining knowledge from the training as expected or not. Whereas, level 3 assesses that how much behavioral change has occurred in the trainees that can help them in achieving their goals easily and in lesser time. The expected results are compared with the actual data in the level 4. Of all the levels, level 5 is the only one that is of interest for most of the investors, since at this level they are able to correlate the training effects to the revenue generation.

5. Identification of the next Milestone

Even though this step of the implementation process of the customer model cannot be strictly considered as a step, but it surely is worth you concern that once this training is over, how the trainees are going to use their newly acquired skills and to what extent. Does this new skill or set of skills makes them worthy to be promoted at a level higher, where they can take on even heavier responsibilities and fulfill them with all of their heart.  Furthermore, on the way you can also create a control group which assesses and compares the capabilities of the trainees, before and after the training and finally, compares it with the individuals who haven’t received that particular training.