Clients

Partial Client List

Automotive: Hall Auto World Honda J.D. Power and Associates Lexus Scion Toyota		Consumer: Armour Swift-Eckrich ConAgra Hunt-Wesson Kodak Motherhood Maternity Seagram Wine Company

Technology: Apple Applied Information for Marketing CADAM Computer-Aided Design Group IBM Northern Telecom Unisys Xerox		Other: Bank of America Chase Manhattan Bank Future Care HPI Health Care Services TAB Products Toro

Below are some examples showing how JRC works with clients and the results clients have received from our association.

For a separate ‘‘at-a-glance’’ look at some JRC projects in the automotive industry, click:

Applied Information for Marketing (AIM)

Applied Information for Marketing (now part of Media Marketing Assessment) provides knowledge-based software which assists consumer packaged goods companies in optimizing their sales and marketing strategies. This is accomplished through the use of AIM’s suite of proprietary business planning software systems, models, and databases.

At the time AIM contracted with JRC, it was serving between 10 and 15 clients. These clients ranged in size from small to very large. A forward-thinking and rapidly-growing organization, AIM recognized the advantages of reaching the next level in providing more consistent and professional training to both current and future clients.

As a result, AIM invited JRC to study AIM’s entire training operation and make recommendations about how AIM training should be organized, developed, and marketed to customers.

After conducting a thorough investigation, including interviewing AIM customers as well as internal personnel, JRC developed an AIM Training Strategy Action Plan. In essence, JRC:

Over time, AIM went on to implement many of JRC’s recommendations. And JRC developed additional training programs for AIM, for both AIM internal personnel and several of AIM’s clients.

Honda

Each customer’s purchase of a Honda or Acura represents a significant financial outlay on his/her part, as well as a vote of confidence in American Honda.

Of course, Honda hopes its customers never have a problem with their vehicles. But when they do, it’s a top-priority goal to help them deal with it in a way that promotes customer satisfaction and a desire to continue in a business relationship with the organization.

Honda’s Mediation/Arbitration Guidelines Program was developed to provide key information and helpful tips to American Honda’s District Service Managers and Customer Relations personnel about the mediation/arbitration process, to help customers avoid lengthy disputes, to prevent hard feelings, and to resolve problems quickly.

To achieve these critical business objectives, JRC developed an integrated package which included a Reference Handbook (describing information on such topics as why mediation/arbitration is a mutually beneficial course of action and the steps of the mediation/arbitration process), a quick-reminder Job Aid (listing key tips to review before going into an arbitration meeting), and an action-oriented Planning Tool (to be used when developing a strategy for an arbitration session).

The Mediation/Arbitration Guidelines Program received extremely positive reviews and was used widely throughout the organization.

J.D. Power and Associates

J.D. Power and Associates is well-known for providing research, consulting, and education services to the automotive industry. After JRC had worked on several training projects with J.D. Power, the organization asked JRC to develop a proposal for them in response to an RFP which J.D. Power had received from Mitsubishi.

The challenge? Design a one-day Driving Clinic for Mitsubishi sales consultants at which new and updated vehicles would be introduced to Mitsubishi’s sales force.

Addressing specific objectives which were identified in the RFP, JRC developed a training solution which was:

The solution proposed included all aspects of the training experience, from pre-meeting activities, to the Driving Clinic itself, to follow-up.

The result? Mitsubishi awarded J.D. Power a seven-figure contract in a highly-competitive bidding situation.

Scion

When Scion launched the 2005 Scion tC, it was the third vehicle and flagship of the Scion model lineup. Since there was a strong commitment to providing dealership personnel with an outstanding education experience, JRC was asked to develop a key deliverable … a Scion tC Launch Education Curriculum Design Plan.

This document described the overall Scion tC launch education architecture … i.e., gave a big picture overview of pre-launch, launch, and launch sustainment events; identified top-level learning objectives; overviewed instructional delivery strategies; detailed major launch deliverables; and reviewed other relevant launch-related topics, for example, key measurement/evaluation issues.

Upon completion, the Scion tC Curriculum Design Plan served as a guide/reference tool which helped additional business partners implement a more instructionally-solid Scion tC launch education program.

TAB Products

TAB Products Company provides file storage, management, and retrieval systems to customers whose very success depends on efficient access to critical business information. TAB also manufactures and markets office furniture and equipment.

TAB was aware that its sales force needed to be more proficient in analyzing, defining, and delivering solutions for document-intensive companies in a way that was custom fit to the unique requirements of each organization’s existing storage and retrieval culture. Since a significant portion of TAB’s sales representatives are independents working in remote sales offices, the challenge was even more formidable.

TAB invited JRC to study its current sales training situation and make recommendations about how TAB’s sales training should be structured, designed, and delivered. After conducting an extensive investigation, JRC developed a Sales Force Training Needs Assessment. In essence, JRC:

As a follow-up assignment, JRC developed a Design Strategy to give TAB a detailed picture of what a four-day Basic Sales School would look like. This included:

Toyota

JRC has been intimately involved in the development of numerous projects for Toyota. Here are a few examples.

Toyota Quality Financial Management

Though Toyota vehicles were clearly a top choice for consumers, it was also apparent that quality alone was no longer enough to keep buyers coming back. In an effort to enhance the car-buying experience relative to the financial services portion of the transaction, Toyota conducted an extensive research project which included, among other activities, analyzing top performing dealers, holding customer focus groups, and studying emerging auto industry trends.

After having amassed a tremendous amount of useful information, Toyota retained JRC to help analyze the data, outline recommendations for training, and describe how to make sure that training happened ‘‘the right way.’’

During the subsequent course development phase of the project, JRC worked closely with Toyota and one of Toyota’s outside business partners in the role of quality assurance advisor. JRC’s main job was to make sure that the program was instructionally excellent.

The result? A nationally-recognized benchmark program known as TQFM (Toyota Quality Financial Management), a customer-focused initiative to train dealership financial service managers to make customers happier while increasing sales and profitability.

Truck Selling Program

Another JRC assignment for Toyota was the design and development of all materials for the Truck Selling Program … also known as Trucks 101 … a 1-day basic sales skills class for Toyota’s national sales force.

During the day Toyota sales consultants learn about and practice how to gather information from customers, combine that information with truck product knowledge, and make customer-focused presentations. To accomplish this a variety of methods are used in the class, including puzzles, videos, group discussions, individual activities, and team role plays.

This course contributed significantly to sales consultants’ ability to sell Toyota trucks more confidently, competently, and effectively.

Truck Essentials

Toyota identified the need to create a proprietary Truck Essentials sales course to meet market-driven needs for general truck awareness and deep Toyota-specific product knowledge. To ensure top-quality instructional materials and a smooth-running development process, Toyota retained JRC to perform overall project management services for this undertaking.

To begin, JRC worked with Toyota to confirm the truck-related training needs of Toyota’s national sales force. Next, JRC helped Toyota select an outside business partner who would be responsible for course development and implementation.

Then, over the next several months, JRC managed the work of the consulting firm which Toyota had hired. JRC provided instructional design input/guidance, reviewed drafts of course materials and provided detailed feedback, participated in project status meetings, helped keep the project on track in terms of schedule and budget, and participated in the pilot test and Train-the-Trainer sessions.

The result? A Truck Essentials course that was extremely well received by Toyota’s national sales force.

Truck Accessories Program

Since truck accessories represent a great profit center/opportunity, the University of Toyota’s Product Education group was tasked with actively supporting the sale of both Toyota trucks and truck accessories. As a result, JRC was asked to play an integral role in providing design, development, and project management services for truck accessories education.

The solution involved creating a three-phase program of meetings, seminars, and consulting. Phase 1: Provide information, training, and tools that Toyota regional personnel could use to assist dealerships in making accessories a profit center. Phase 2: Generate interest and gain commitment with dealership management to implement the truck accessories program in order to take full advantage of the accessories opportunity. Phase 3: Support the implementation of the truck accessories program at the dealership through a series of structured coaching sessions with professional in-dealership consultants.

Why Buy A Toyota

Concurrent with work on Truck Essentials, JRC performed similar services on a project called Why Buy A Toyota. This program targeted the retail sales team, including sales consultants and others. In addition to providing education on the systems, features, and technologies that are common to all Toyota products … what makes a Toyota a Toyota … the course was also designed to help participants establish/build more enduring relationships with customers. Again, JRC developed the detailed instructional design strategy/framework for the entire program as well as provided project management and quality assurance … to a different vendor than was involved on Truck Essentials.

Again the result was outstanding, as Why Buy A Toyota was enthusiastically received by Toyota’s dealership sales force.

4Runner Launch Planning

As the automotive marketplace grows increasingly more competitive and complex, so does the task of launching new vehicles. At the same time, successful product launches are a key factor in helping Toyota sales consultants provide the best possible dealership experience to customers.

In recognition of these facts, Toyota invited JRC to develop two key strategic planning documents to support the 2003 launch of its next generation 4Runner SUV.

The first deliverable developed by JRC was a Fact Finding Summary/Needs Assessment. It provided an organized and detailed synopsis of information relevant to 4Runner launch training. For example, the primary launch goals, notable product highlights, market positioning, demographic considerations, and unique selling points.

The second deliverable was a High Level Design Document. It provided targeted recommendations about the structure of the entire 4Runner launch training program. Key information was given about the overall 4Runner launch training architecture, from pre-launch, to launch event, to launch sustainment. Also detailed were performance objectives, major training deliverables, the instructional design process to be employed during training development, and information about evaluating/measuring launch training success.

Performance Development Playbook

One of the overriding goals of the University of Toyota is to provide instructionally sound education in a consistent manner across all the organization’s business units. Defining the model for how to develop instructionally solid education programs was deemed essential to accomplishing this goal.

The Performance Development Playbook, developed by JRC, was conceived as a direct response to this critical need. The Playbook contains a detailed process roadmap of the general phases, steps, and specific activities which should be referred to/completed during all performance improvement (instructional design) projects conducted under the auspices of the University of Toyota.

In essence, by offering practical nuts-and-bolts information … the ‘‘how-to’’ and ‘‘why-to’’ … the Playbook performs the function of an always available consultant to Toyota personnel as they plan, initiate, execute, control, or measure training projects.

University of Toyota Structure and Operations Guide

When Toyota Motor Sales launched the University of Toyota, the centralized umbrella organization for the education and development of Toyota dealers, associates, and business partners, JRC was retained to develop the University of Toyota Structure and Operations Guide.

In essence, this document described the vision, direction, philosophy, and overall organization of the University.

The Structure and Operations Guide was used extensively by Toyota to provide a concise orientation to the University. In addition, it served as a valuable marketing and promotional piece.

Xerox Engineering Systems

A subsidiary of Xerox Corporation, Xerox Engineering Systems (XES) produces digital and wide-format printers, copiers, plotters, and document management products. Based on direct customer requests and extensive market research, XES developed the 8954 Color Graphics Printer/Plotter. When introduced, the 8954 offered the widest color output of any electrostatic device on the market.

After reviewing XES’s sales objectives for the 8954 and interviewing product and marketing managers, JRC developed a self-study Sales Guide to supplement the technical documentation which the sales force typically received. Critical information needed to maximize 8954 sales was provided. For example:

Results were so positive that the 8954 Sales Guide became a model which JRC used in the creation of subsequent sales guides in support of other XES printers/plotters … for example, the 8845 and the ASI/8770.

JRC Clients