May 2009 - Sound & Communications

Improve Your BusinessPrep for the next market boom with certified employees.By Grant MydlandEditor’s Note: Certification is on many people’s minds these days, especiallyas a result of the publicity generated by InfoComm’s “certified certification” CTSprograms. In addition, the Electronic Systems Professional Alliance (ESPA) hasa new Certified-EST program that combines both the residential and commercialchannels, primarily from CEDIA’s Installer 1 and NSCA’s C-SI programs;BICSI is adding a new certification to its existing roster (Registered InformationTransport Professional—RITP) and the Entertainment Services and TechnologyAssociation (ESTA) has its Entertainment Technician Certification Program(ETCP), for example.Whether your staff needs certification—and whether they need more thanone—is a business decision. Nonetheless, the process of becoming certified is achallenge that requires discipline—and people learn in the process. While thingsare a bit slower, as they may well be at this time, you don’t have the excuse thatyour employees are too busy...so take advantage of the situation. And, if you’reafraid that better-trained employees become targets for competitors, perhaps improvingthe work environment might help keep those better-trained employees?Read about the benefits of ESPA’s certification program.In this soft economy, it’s time totake a lesson from other industriesand prep for the return of more robustmarkets. It’s also time to assessand improve your company’s greatestasset: your workers!You can increase your productivity,relationships with customers and profitsby expanding the knowledge baseof your employees. When it comes toyour technicians, ask yourself:• Do they truly understand thebasics of the systems they encounteron job sites?• Does their knowledge applyacross various products and applications?• Do they have anxiety or confidencewhen customers ask questions?You can increase yourproductivity, relationshipswith customers and profitsby expanding the knowledgebase of your employees.Certification helps you build anall-star team to grow your business.Other commercial technician marketshave proven that certificationreaps business financial success.For instance, the Baycrest Centrefor Geriatric Care in Toronto saved$1.8 million by requiring CompTIAcertifications for its IT technicians.The certification training reducedthe number of network failures,improved the help desk service anddecreased staff turnover from 50% topractically 0%. The cost to design anddeliver the training program amountedto just a few thousand dollars.Certification reassures customersthat they are getting quality in goodtimes and bad, and that your businessemploys the strongest individualswho are dedicated to its success.Bolster your team with encouragementand support. Sit down withyour employees and discuss the longtermtraining and certification goalsthat address your needs and theirdesires. Sharpen their skills with appropriatecertification programs andreward them for their contributionsto your business’ success.Certification helps boost profits. Certifiedtechnicians are more productiveon the job, have more time to spenddeveloping new accounts instead ofreturning to job sites to fix problemsthey may have caused and increasecustomer satisfaction. The ElectronicSystems Professional Alliance (ESPA)dedicates itself to helping electronicsystems technicians (ESTs) and theiremployers increase their business successthrough education. New technologyproducts require delivery, installationand often integration to workwith other components. The need forqualified installers and integratorsGrant Mydland is Executive Director of the Electronic Systems Professional Alliance (ESPA).For more information, go to www.espa.org.30 Sound & Communicationswww.soundandcommunications.com