Johnson Controls

www.jci.com

Company Descripton
Johnson Controls, Inc. Is a global market leader in automotive systems and facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major supplier of seating and interior systems, and batteries. For nonresidential facilities, Johnson Controls provides building control systems and services, energy management and integrated facility management. Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its sales for 2001 totaled $18.4 billion with over 110,000 employees.

Assessment Methods Used Prior
Johnson Controls is currently integrating into our business worldwide a quality program known as Six Sigma. During this time (approx. 4yrs) improved processes have been deployed to over 300-branch locations. The traditional deployment approach has been to deliver the project information initially from corporate using Telephone & Video conferencing. Once communicated to the primary offices, the local quality manager (25 Quality Managers within US) is responsible for implementing the project / process to their respective geographical area which might include several states and offices. The strategy currently being used in each of the areas involves scheduling employees to travel to the closest branch office and attend a training session. While we believe this approach has demonstrated success in the past, we have realized it is very costly since it requires travel expenses, non-billable time, and most importantly time away from serving our customers.

Reasons for Improvement
After careful assessment here in the western region, we have decided to try a new approach that offers improved focus on learning, reduced travel and expense cost, as well as more flexible scheduling for our employees so we can better meet our customers' commitments. In addition, it also allows us to better leverage the investments made in company assets (computers.)

How Quizzes Are Being Used
The current strategy being used utilizes the Hostedware testing solution. Since this approach offers many efficient features to effectively manage the creating and deployment of electronic type assessments, we have called it a Key Learning Points (KLP) quiz with our employees. The greatest advantage of this approach is that it offers us the opportunity to identify, re-enforce, reward, recognize, and measure the most important understood process behavior changes that will offer us the greatest savings opportunity.

Since the majority of our employees in Denver, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana have notebook computers, we are also deploying CD's that offer a multimedia type learning experience that can be viewed conveniently at any time. The CD is also an ongoing information resource for support and re-enforcement of processes going forward.

Since Hostedware also offers the ability to download the quiz results at any given time, we have created an Excel spreadsheet with automated formulas that summarizes results and feedback for all employees and projects. It also flags those employees who might request further assistance and/or coaching on the CD information. Additionally, the spreadsheet offers us the ability to measure the success of each project and evaluate the quality of the multimedia learning materials provided.

In addition, the summary spreadsheet is sent out on a regular basis to supervisors and managers to allow them to better support their people and coach the processes on a regular basis. We are also using the Hostedware email feedback option to immediately give feedback to supporting managers on the quiz results as they are being completed. This feature is very beneficial since timeliness of feedback is always critical.

Project Quiz Success Stories
We currently have 4 projects/quizzes active with an average of around 30 respondents for each. Since the process is very new to everyone, including the supporting managers, we are still working hard to achieve the needed discipline of timely follow-up and completion of the quizzes. However, from a cost perspective we are already realizing the savings or cost avoidance related to the previous deployment methods. In addition, the employees are more receptive to learning since we are no longer requiring them to travel and lose time with our customers.

To date, I would like to state that my experience with Hostedware has been both positive and rewarding. Their support staffs of professionals are extremely competent and willing to assist you in every way. I 'm definitely looking forward to them providing additional improvements to their sites in the future which offer us additional advantages to reduce our cost while increasing productivity.