“European companies don’t rely enough on training their clients”

In your opinion, why is customer training a solution for companies to develop their businesses?
Faced with the crisis, companies are looking for new recurring activities that generate high margins. The development of service offerings fits perfectly with this strategy. Among these service offerings, activities related to the education and training of clients hold a privileged place. Not only because they are well placed within this framework, but also because companies feel they are competent in these areas, that they practice through continual education. Many large businesses have moved in this direction: Siemens, General Electric, Airbus, Safran, Thales, DCNS, Airbus, Areva and Total to name but a few.

Is this education market and customer training, according to you, underexploited by companies?
Clearly, yes. According to the Global Strategic Business Report of March 2013, the annual global market for education delivered by the private sector is of the order of € 170 billion. Of this € 170 billion, approximately 29% (50 million) is related to the higher education of adults, and more specifically 7% ($ 12 billion) is related to scientific and technical training for adults. This twelve billion, entrusted each year to the private sector, to train and educate, is incredible! Especially as market growth is strong (the order of 10% per year) and is not only in emerging countries. There are clearly considerable business opportunities which have been largely untapped by companies. This is even truer given that, on top of the value created by the service activity, those who have been trained and educated become potentially privileged prescribers of company that has trained them. Although difficult to quantify the indirect impact, it is very real.

However, is it too complex to implement a service offering of customer training?
Assume that a training policy vis-à-vis the company’s customers is not so complex. This requires precise control of the internal and external supply and demand (especially at the internal processing of the application). Often, it also requires a review of the skills portfolio of the training functions, and the formalization of a clear development strategy, known and widely shared internally. The results are significant (increase turnover by ten) and validate unambiguous opportunities provided by this type of business abroad. This is the work that has been done in particular by Air Airbus Business Academy (ABA), which has succeeded in recent years to reinvent itself and become one of the world players in the training of the airline companies. Beyond supporting the Customer Support function, ABA is now a profit centre in its own right.

–

Find Hervé Borensztejn’s perspectives on current HR topics on Karistem’s blog: http://hrperspectives.net

–

Ecole des Mines, Hervé Borensztejn has 25 years of operational HR experience for major international groups: EADS, General Electric, Vivendi, LVMH, where he has held positions of Group HR Manager as well as HR Development Group. He is also Associate Professor at the Sorbonne (Paris 2) and Certified Executive Coach. Hervé Borensztejn is a Civil Engineer from the Ecole des Mines, Paris and has a doctorate in economics. He is currently a partner at Karistem Corporate Consulting, in charge of HR consulting.

–

Karistem Corporate Consulting briefly
Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC) is a consulting firm specializing in strategy and transformation. Since 2004, KCC develops and implements major transformation projects supported by the Exectutive Managament to improve the competitiveness of the heart of business and / or support functions to align the business strategy. KCC’s approach is results-oriented and puts people at the heart of each transformation. KCC is committed (1) the involvement and ownership of the change by the largest number of people and (2) on fast, major and lasting results.

Find more information on : www.karistem-consulting.com

–

Press Contact
Sebastian Boisfleury
Head of Communications & Marketing
Tel. : 01 44 50 39 12
Mail: sebastien.de-Boisfleury@karistem.com

All our press relaeses

Karistem : Successful integration of Factea teams

Paris , September 24, 2013. Karistem announces the successful integration of Factea group within its organization, twelve months after it was acquired. Indeed, it is now under the brand Karistem Factea. The two teams continue their traditional activities: strategic consulting and management of the sourcing function in the form of Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC), and operational expertise in managing sourcing categories under Karistem Corporate Expertise (KCE ).

“Over the past year, we have focused our operations on two objectives: to take advantage of synergies between Factea and Karistem as well as maximizing the economies of scale that are related to our size” explains Serge Dautrif , Managing Partner and head of the Consulting business at Karistem. “Thus, we decided to show our teams and our clients the relevance of this reunion. This includes maintaining confidence in the historic Factea team. “This success is primarily theirs” he says.

Since the merger between Karistem, Factea and the Sourcing Practice have seen several major successes on subjects as varied as collaboration and innovation suppliers, reducing purchasing costs , the thinning of the procurement process or the implementation of responsible purchasing policies. The team builds on its long experience in the procurement field, combined with the expertise of Karistem in managing large transformation projects.

Via a highly targeted sectorial strategy Karistem also allows current teams to better undertake the specificities of each business client. Strategy gradual refocusing on key accounts and is engaged with the development of long-term relationships, based on the success and confidence with a targeted number of purchasing managers goal.

Moreover, most franchisees of the Factea group, specialized in procurement categories such as IT , telecommunications, energy, personal protective equipment etc. have chosen to pursue their activities with Karistem within the expert Karistem Corporate Expertise (KCE ) network. “We were very motivated by the development of this new business [operational expertise, ed] and the business model developed by Factea immediately appealed to us”, says Saad Bennani, Managing Partner and Head of Expertise at Karistem . “This is a very relevant model for networking with experienced operational professionals. The synergies with the consulting are obvious and our customers immediately acclaim this complementarity”.

Substantive work has been done to enhance the added value of each partner, with a balance between entrepreneurial aspirations of all their operational needs and prudent financial management of investments. Several recent commercial successes have obviously played a decisive role. The presence of Karistem in some large accounts has enabled members of the KCE network to publicize and win quickly major commercial successes.

In the coming months, Karistem will continue to develop its sourcing practice and expert network by sourcing categories. Karistem will also accelerate the development of its other areas of expertise, particularly in HR , Supply Chain and Sustainability.

Karistem Corporate Consulting briefly. Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC) is a consulting firm specializing in strategy and transformation. Since 2004, KCC develops and implements major transformation projects supported by the Exectutive Managament to improve the competitiveness of the heart of business and / or support functions to align the business strategy. KCC’s approach is results-oriented and puts people at the heart of each transformation. KCC is committed (1) the involvement and ownership of the change by the largest number of people and (2) on fast, major and lasting results.

They trust KCC: ALSTOM, AREVA, ASML, BOUYGUES, DCNS, ERAMET, GDF-SUEZ, HEURTEY PETROCHEMICALS, MUSHRIF, PEARSON, SAFRAN, SAINT-GOBAIN, TECHNIP, THALES, TOTAL…

Press Contact
Sebastian Boisfleury
Head of Communications & Marketing
Tel. : 01 44 50 39 12
Mail: sebastien.de-Boisfleury@karistem.com

All our press relaeses

Karistem launches a new network of experts : Karistem Corporate Expertise

Paris , September 24, 2013. Twelve months after the acquisition of Factea Group, a network of franchised offices and specialized in the optimization of several sourcing families, Karistem announces the launch of a new network of experts: Karistem Corporate Expertise (KCE ).

Most franchisees of the Factea group, specialized in procurement categories such as IT, telecommunications, energy, personal protective equipment, etc. have chosen to cooperate with Karistem within a new network called Karistem Corporate Expertise (KCE ) experts.

“We were very motivated by the development of this new business [operational expertise, ed] and the business model developed by Factea immediately appealed to us”, says Saad Bennani , Managing Partner and Head of the Expertise business at Karistem. “This is a very relevant model for networking with experienced operational professionals. The synergies with the consulting are obvious and our customers immediately acclaim this complementarity”

Substantive work has been done to enhance the value added to network members and to simplify the transparence of the offer. “Karistem has found the right balance between our entrepreneurial aspirations, our operational expectations and prudent financial management of investments” says Pascal Auclert, Head of IT Procurement expertise at KCE. “We were impressed by the vision and values of the Karistem management team.” He added, “We had been through a very difficult time and we needed to regain confidence, to be heard and to be involved in key decisions.”

Several recent commercial successes have obviously played a decisive role. “The presence of Karistem in some large accounts has let us raise our profile. We have very quickly seen major commercial successes” says Frédéric Catherin, Head of energy sourcing expertise in KCE.

From now on, all the former entities of Factea will operate under the brand Karistem and continue their two core businesses : strategic and management consulting of the sourcing function under Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC) , and operational expertise in the management of sourcing categories, under Karistem Corporate expertise (KCE ).

“Over the past year, we have focused our operations on two objectives: to take advantage of synergies between Factea and Karistem as well as maximizing the economies of scale that are related to our size” explains Serge Dautrif , Managing Partner and head of the Consulting business at Karistem. “It is thus in both action and success that we decided to show our teams and our clients the relevance of this association.”

In the coming months, Karistem will continue to develop its Sourcing practice and expert network by sourcing categories. Karistem also intends to accelerate the development of its other areas of expertise, particularly in HR , Supply Chain and Sustainability.

Karistem Corporate Consulting briefly. Karistem Corporate Consulting (KCC) is a consulting firm specializing in strategy and transformation. Since 2004, KCC develops and implements major transformation projects supported by the Exectutive Managament to improve the competitiveness of the heart of business and / or support functions to align the business strategy. KCC’s approach is results-oriented and puts people at the heart of each transformation. KCC is committed (1) the involvement and ownership of the change by the largest number of people and (2) on fast, major and lasting results.

They trust KCC: ALSTOM, AREVA, ASML, BOUYGUES, DCNS, ERAMET, GDF-SUEZ, HEURTEY PETROCHEMICALS, MUSHRIF, PEARSON, SAFRAN, SAINT-GOBAIN, TECHNIP, THALES, TOTAL…

Press Contact
Sebastian Boisfleury
Head of Communications & Marketing
Tel. : 01 44 50 39 12
Mail: sebastien.de-Boisfleury@karistem.com

All our press relaeses