Projects...

Dow Corporate Training

ESF began its association with Dow Chemical in the late 1980s in Sarnia, Canada. Doug Butzer, Sarnia's Director of Training, heard about our IDLS Process and asked if he could run the course for his cadre of trainers. Although reluctant to let him do so without being certified, we did send him the Instructor's Guide and Transparencies. During his Workshop, he called several times and we worked him though each of the little glitches he was having.

The next couple of times, we did the same thing and helped him through his presentations. Finally, we recommended that Peter go to Sarnia and co-teach with him. After Doug saw Peter conduct the Workshop, he said rather than being certified, he just wanted Peter to conduct the Workshops in the future. Peter was delighted to do so.

ESF has provided Dow's trainers and developers with training in several of ESF's courses including the following:

• Instructional Development Learning System (IDLS): How to design, develop, and validate instructional materials
• Interactive Teaching Skills (ITS): How to conduct interactive classes
• Training Needs Analysis (TNA): How to analyze performance problems by determining cost/beneficial solutions
• Management of Training (MOT): How to plan, run, and evaluate a training department
• Working with Challenging Learners (CL): How to interact with various types of personalities in the classroom
• How to Conduct Skills Labs (SL): How to transfer the technology learned in the IDLS Workshop to enable learners to perform required tasks both in the classroom and on the job.

SAP: A Radical Shift

From 1990-1995, ESF designed, developed, and validated over eighty instructional modules to enable Dow employees to use a customized version of the SAP software that Dow introduced into its company worldwide.

For Dow, SAP constituted a radical shift from their traditional fragmented business computer systems. They had a diverse hodgepodge of comuper systems in place before converting to SAP. Some of the systems were so antiquated that if the typist made a mistake, she would have to start over completely.

None of the functions were integrated so they could follow an order from inception to delivery. Each business unit or department maintained its own separate computer system which was often incompatible with others in the company. As a result, the prospect of synchronizing processes, sharing information, and communicating results was inefficient at best and often impossible to achieve. Furthermore, resources were wasted on redundant activities.

Corporate-wide Software Solution

SAP provided an corporate-wide software solution that linked the entire organization together with one comprehensive system. That meant that SAP handled a wide range of tasks, from keeping track of manufacturing levels to balancing the books in accounting, and then tied it all together effectively streamlining the data flow between different parts of a business.

Track and Report on Each Step of Order

From Dow's goal was to enter information into a computer once and then have that information available to each step along the path the product took from beginning to the final report.

SAP allowed all the businesses to share information in realtime with employees, suppliers, and distributors no matter what the size of the organization. This kind of streamlining had a direct and positive effect on productivity, customer service, overall quality, and ultimately the profitability of the company.

ESF created training modules for each of these departments:

• Inventory Control
• Invoicing
• Logistics Plus
• Maintenance
• Order Entry
• Order Management
• Pricing
• Scheduling
• Shipping
• Warehouse Management

U.S. & European Customer Service Representative Training Program

ESF designed, developed, and validated a series of instructional modules to enable Dow Customer Service Representatives to use the correct procedures in each phase of the CSR's and the ECSR's job.

Modules in the program included:

• Global Codes
• Logistics Plus

Dow Europe: Horgan

ESF trained Dow staff in IDLS techniques and procedures. ESF has also certified training coordinators at Dow's Freeport, TX and Sarnia, Canada sites.

ESF certified Dow trainers to conduct the following ProTrainer Workshops:

• IDLS-ProTrainer 1
• Training Needs Analysis
• Interactive Teaching Skills
• Management of Training Techniques
• Working with Challenging Learners
• Developing and Conducting Skills Labs.

Sarnia Plant: One of Many Dow Plants Trained to Use
IDLS and Other ProTrainer Processes

ESF designed, developed, and validated a series of instructional modules to enable Dow accountants to use the correct procedures in each phase of their job.

U.S. & European Capital Project Manager Training Program

ESF designed, developed, and validated a series of instructional modules to enable Dow Capital Project Managers to use the correct procedures in each phase of their job.

Modules in the program included:

• Introduction to a Capital Project
• Phase I: Engineering Study/Scope Definition
• Phase I: Cost Estimates and Capital Planning Activities
• Phase II: Process and Project Definition/Authorization
• Phase III: Process Design Package
• Security Responsibilities
• Phase IV: Detailed Engineering
• Phase V: Construction
• Phase VI: Pre-Startup