Kodak Graphic Communications Company Case Study

Managers and Developers Workshop – for Business Workflow Product Group

19-20 March 2006

 

Business Environment

Kodak is a multi-national corporation and a brand recognized all over the world as a provider for conventional, digital and blended print production environments. This case describes a workshops specially customized for the business unit - Kodak Graphic Communications Company. Participants in the workshop comprised of Managers and Developers from the Business Workflow Product Group. The Kodak Graphic Communications Group provides solutions and services to help print providers streamline their working processes and increase their services.

 

Challenge

When training staff an organization like Kodak Graphic Communications Company has specific needs. They must make employees understand the challenging dynamics of a print manufacturing business. Participants must also internalize the critical importance of an integrated workflow solution in their environment because this is key to the solutions they are offering clients. To achieve a real and effective educational experience, without hands-on practice is an impossible task. Participants must really experience the challenges of running a manufacturing business from all angles. Since staff can't spend extended periods of time in every department of a client's company training must take a unique approach.

 

Solution

Over a two-day workshop in March 2006, the MBE training and business simulator was able to demonstrate the complex interrelations between sales, marketing, production, accounting, purchasing, and inventory management. Although not specifically designed to simulate a printing company, the simulation engine was very relevant and fully supported the training materials and discussions.

 

Participants found the exercises to have a progressive nature which was critical due to the broad spectrum of business experience of the group, ranging from development, QA, applications, and product management staff. Even employees with less exposure to external business environments were able to learn and grow over the course of the two-day exercise.

 

Business Value

Bob Kutschke General Manager, Business Workflow Product Group believes that the only way to really appreciate and understand the conditions of a printing and graphics company is to actually have worked closely in these environments for several years. Obviously, he points out that it is not practical to place their staff within a printing company for years at a time, so their ability to transfer this knowledge has been limited. However he felt the MBE training provided them with a big step forward in this effort and he feels it to be "the best solution I've seen for providing that kind of exposure and understanding."