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Contractor Roundtable Highlights
Training: Room for Improvement in Key Product Support Component
 Contractors say training isn't a factor that dictates the selection of a particular equipment manufacturer; rather, the lack of training excludes an equipment maker from the contractor's short list. They consider it an important facet of the product support equation.
Manufacturers should make changes to better address contractors' needs in terms of training topics, availability and format, according to the roundtable. Here's a recap of their main concerns.
- Broad range of training. Contractors want access to a broad range of training, including technician, operator and safety training. Operational training is becoming more important, as well as training that helps workers understand how to keep the machines running or bring them back up if they go down, such as field diagnostic and trouble shooting training.
- Adequate availability of training. This can be a deciding factor in an equipment purchase. Examples of insufficient training resources encountered included one factory school a year limited to 20 participants and training conducted only during certain seasons.
- On-site options. Contractors sometimes find it difficult to spare technicians for off-site training. Interactive multimedia training, either via the Internet or CD-ROM, would be useful in such cases.
- Regional training. This can help reduce costs and increase availability for end users and distributors.
- More timely training. Wanted is state-of-the-art training that best typifies the type of things that are going on with the machinery in today's marketplace. For large contractors especially, a boon would be for manufacturers to provide trainers who can train a contractor's own training staff.
- High quality. Contractors want training that is high quality and substantive, especially since taking the time for training means taking employees out of the field as well as the associated travel costs incurred.
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