| Vol. 4, No. 4 | Winter 2009 |
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| Why Topcon University?
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Mark Contino, vice president of product marketing, along with a number of Topcon teammates in a variety of disciplines, have devised a unique educational approach to “level the playing field” for their vendors and end-user customers. “The ‘new normal’ in our business is more technically advanced than ever before,” Contino said. “That doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily harder to use…but it gets more and more advanced as our equipment advances along the technology curve. “This progression not only requires, it demands proper hands-on training. It is no longer a ‘nice to’ option,” Contino emphasized. “Just having the technology is only half the battle. If customers don’t have high quality, hands-on training so they can fully understand and properly utilize the technological advances, they will never realize the full potential of those advances. And the cost will be dramatic: in lost performance, lost business opportunities and lost profits.” And yet there are times when other types of training can provide the perfect complement to traditional classroom and hands-on approaches. To accommodate Topcon’s broad and diverse customer base, a variety of training options and methods are offered to tailor the training to the customer’s unique needs, ranging from: • Simple quick-start guides which can be printed and taken to the field; • Online, on-demand training modules which deliver fast and highly cost effective access – regardless of the customer’s location; to • Off-site, instructor-led training which combines extensive classroom training with hands-on demonstration opportunities. That’s where Topcon University (TU) Online comes in. TU Online will provide streamlined and simplified web access to the wide array of Topcon University’s training and informational resources. It was unveiled at the National Sales Conference in San Francisco. At TU Online, customers will find fast, easy-to-use, one-stop shopping for a number of high-value training and information aids, including: • On-Demand Learning Portal;
• Recorded TU-Live webinar sessions; • Instructor-led training course list; • Product manuals, quick start guides & related information; • TU approved software & firmware downloads; and • TU calendar of events. Topcon University is dedicated to educating and training Topcon customers, dealer representatives and employees on its state-of-the-art technology and systems. Its slogan – Productivity Powered by Learning – underscores its mission: to provide the awareness, understanding and expertise necessary so customers can get the most from their Topcon products and systems. Tony Vanneman, machine control product manager, explained that criticality for his particular market segment. “Training is the key to the contractors’s success with GPS machine control. Not too long ago the most sophisticated tool on the site was a laser level. Today, our customers are using GPS constellations to interface job file data with control systems on earth moving machines and grade management tools. Everyone – from the job foreman to the equipment operators and grade setters – has to be comfortable, confident and knowledgeable with these systems to achieve their profitability targets.” Webinars (training seminars delivered via the Internet) are emerging as a fast, effective and cost-efficient complement to Topcon’s traditional classroom/hands-on demonstration sessions. Webinars are more compressed from a time standpoint – so their scheduling doesn’t have to wait until off season. They can be viewed live or, if customers’ work schedules do not allow, later – simply by accessing the library of recorded webinars. They broaden this critically important training and informational access to more workers within a customer’s workforce, and at a cost less than that required to send all participants to off-site training. Webinars also allow technology or work topics to be addressed in ways targeted to the audience’s specific needs – whether operational, sales or support. The method of delivery – whether via traditional classroom settings and hands-on demonstrations or online training via webinars – can and does vary. But one thing that does not vary is the importance of providing effective training to help to help customers leverage Topcon’s technological capabilities for maximum results. |
