Profile
500-store, publicly-traded casual dining company located primarily in the heartland.
Challenges
Bob Evans wanted to improve the effectiveness of training in several key areas:
- Reduce total training time and improve retention of material.
- Reduce attrition by addressing underlying competency issues.
- Make updating and translation of training content easier.
- Make tracking easier.
- Enable just-in-time training on new product introductions.
- Streamline training for new store openings.
Selection Process
Bob Evans knew of DiscoverLink because of the reputation of its principals within the restaurant industry, and were favorably impressed by the stress DiscoverLink placed on determining which training objectives would have the most impact on the bottom line. “Because they know what works in the industry, they helped us look at training from a total ROI perspective,” says Natalie Ward, director of training for Bob Evans. “That was an insight we didn’t have internally.”
Implementation
DiscoverLink guided Bob Evans through the process of selecting a Learning Management System (LMS), and created an in-store training system connected to the store’s satellite data uplink. Younger employees were especially receptive to the interactivity of the new training courses versus older manuals and videos, and the company benefited from knowing its employees were paying attention and learning critical lessons. “It helps the trainers, too, because they take people to the next level instead of teaching them basic skills,” says Ward.
The initial wave of training delivered on all of Bob Evans objectives:
- Attrition was significantly reduced, due to higher competency and job satisfaction.
- Training time was substantially reduced.
- Just-in-time training for holiday gift cards was widely successful.
In particular, the ability to track which courses have been completed at which stores has become a key piece of intelligence for general managers and area directors which they simply did not have before. As a result of their satisfaction with the initial implementation, Bob Evans sped up the timetable for full implementation of the e-learning roadmap DiscoverLink had developed from a 3-year rollout to 18 months.
Profile
500-store, franchisee-operated casual steakhouse.
Challenges
Golden Corral needed a new partner to revitalize an existing e-learning system and take advantage of the opportunities offered by new technology. In addition to creating two dozen new skill courses, Golden Corral wanted a comprehensive solution that included:
- A Learning Management System for consolidated management and reporting.
- Pre-staged hardware, with 24-hour hardware/software support for franchisees.
- Updating and tracking via the internet.
- Financing options (buy or lease) for franchisees.
Selection Process
Golden Corral was impressed by the strategic approach that DiscoverLink took to planning a total e-learning solution. “Because of their own backgrounds in the industry, Jeff [Tenut] and John [Poulos] approach it as a partner in your business, not just as a vendor,” says Lisa Schweikert, Vice President of Training for Golden Corral. “They said, let’s plan not only for your immediate needs, but for what you’ll want in the future. They really work to try to understand your business, your culture, your franchisees.”
Implementation
DiscoverLink created a first wave of more than 20 courses in both English and Spanish, and connected the system not only to the internet for tracking and updating, but also to the existing payroll system so that measurements like course completion can be accurately tied to current personnel.
Just as importantly, DiscoverLink took the lead role in helping franchisees acquire and implement the technology, arranging everything from technical support to financing and tracking when franchisees went online. “They took charge of that and made it very easy for my team to know how the new system was progressing,” says Schweikert.
The company points to e-learning as one of the key contributors to a significant reduction in attrition and training time companywide, and is now in the process of creating a second wave of courses for both hourly and management employees.