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Workshop 3 « Co-operation based on the use of the Internet by SMEs »
SPEAKER : Dr Peter CHATTERTON
Summary
The thinking behind the «Automotive College» goes back to a 1995 report on the competitiveness of the UK automotive supply chain. This concluded that UK firms were being put at a competitive disadvantage by a shortage of suitably qualified engineers. A «Virtual Automotive University & College» was suggested as a possible solution.
The initiative, now renamed the «Automotive College», has been taken forward by a Steering Group including representatives of universities, further education colleges, automotive firms, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Industry Forum (SMMT IF) and the DTI. Its aim is to upskill key groups of employees within the UK automotive components sector through a collaborative approach to developing and delivering training and development programmes – with a top-level aim of improving performance in QCD (Quality, Cost and Delivery) - the essential measures of competitiveness.
To-date, the Automotive College has focused on the development and delivery of training programmes in Project Management and Statistical Process Control (SPC). These programmes are customised to suit the needs of each SME through an initial «diagnostics» process and then delivered in a flexible methodology that overcomes some of the practical constraints that SMEs face in providing sufficient time and resource for their employees to undertake training. Throughout the delivery, constant collaboration and feedback is encouraged.
An Online Information Management (OIM) system has been set-up to enhance the management of the project, the delivery, administration and evaluation of modules and the subsequent dissemination of the lessons learnt. The OIM system, accessible over the Internet in a «closed» Web-based user group, improves collaboration between parties – particularly in sharing best practice/resources and the efficient and cost-effective management of Automotive College initiatives.
The system has been enhanced with the development of an Online Support Forum – designed to play a key role in facilitating contact between trainers and beneficiaries (trainees) - not only during course delivery but also offering «mentoring» support after each course has formally ended. This overall approach allows training courses to be customised to suit each SME whilst also providing an environment for continual dialogue between all the SMEs and course providers during and after each course. The Support Forum includes a «resources» section that provides trainers and trainees with references and links to automotive resources such as Web sites and publications. This will soon be enhanced with new learning materials developed in collaboration between the partners (enabling costs and resources to be shared amongst the partners). It is intended that these learning materials will be made available in many media, including the Web, hard-copy and multimedia CD-ROM. The materials will support face-to-face training sessions as well as encouraging greater adoption of distance learning techniques that will offer increased flexibility in course delivery and thus making it easier for SME employees to undertake training courses.
Over 160 beneficiaries – mostly owner/managers and craft/skilled workers, have been trained in 13 firms (most of them SMEs). Feedback as to the effectiveness of the training programmes is continuously monitored – from the standpoint of improving QCD (Quality, Cost, Delivery). This has included a one-day feedback session with SME managers who have reported significant improvements in performance following the implementation of new procedures.
From the outset, the strategy for adoption of Internet technology was to initially implement practical applications for the development teams – before offering access to SMEs. The rationale for this was to raise awareness amongst course developers of the learning possibilities offered by Internet technologies and to ensure their «acceptance» of the systems - such that they will make best use of the technology in learning applications. A culture of «lead from the top» is being encouraged. Currently, the development team use the Online Information Management system as their primary (electronic) means of communication and information sharing – using applications such as newsgroup discussions, document management, task tracking, meetings management, administration of SME and trainee records and resources and feedback management. By sharing resources directly on the web the need for a secretariat is much reduced and members can access the system at any time – many do so in the evenings, from home. The system has proved highly beneficial for efficiently and cost-effectively managing communications and information flows for the geographically dispersed multi-partner group and it will become increasingly important as the numbers of partners grows.
Currently few automotive SMEs use the Internet as a routine business tool and there is therefore a barrier to the adoption of distance learning. The Support Forum will shortly be introduced to SMEs and it is recognised that encouraging SMEs to actively participate in online systems will require a significant awareness and training programme. This will shortly be implemented in the form of face-to-face training sessions for tutors and SME employees, high quality «Getting Started with the Internet» guides, support programmes and provision of free Internet access. It is anticipated that the integration of Internet applications as a core part of SME training programmes will provide the motivation for SMEs to adopt Internet technologies more widely.
Conclusion
The essential element of
the IT applications within the Automotive College is the creation of «Internet
Learning Communities» – bringing together organisations and people
with shared interests and goals. The key conclusions are that the Internet
applications must be objective-driven, must allow all participants to actively
contribute towards the learning community and must be designed to integrate
with the core functions and working/learning practices of the group. It
has been found that in order to achieve this, considerable attention to
the implementation programme must be paid – particularly to raising awareness,
training and motivating and encouraging participants to adopt the applications
in their everyday activities.