After an initial cooperation with the Sabancı University Executive Development Unit-EDU in 2012 to train and improve the competencies of all client-facing employees in stores, Avea now established the AVEA Communication and Change Academy (AİDO) under its ‘AVEAKampus’ initiative to implement the Avea Sales Channels Certification Development Program.
AVEA Communication and Change Academy (AİDO), a collaboration of Sabancı University Executive Development Unit-EDU and Avea, was launched at a meeting on Thursday, September 18, 2014.
The project is a first in the industry and will set an example to all sectors as explained by Avea Vice President of Sales, Hüseyin Balcı and Sabancı University Executive Development Unit Director Dr. Cüneyt Evirgen who spoke at the meeting.
Hüseyin Balcı said, “Our organization in Turkey encompasses 810 Avea Communication Centers, 35 Corporate Technology Centers, 39 Avea Distribution Centers, 40 kiosks in 17 chain stores in addition to over 18,000 chain store outlets, 13,000 Anahtarkart dealers and 2000 Avea Sales Points. Through an investment of TL 800 million in 2011 to open new Avea Communication Centers worldwide, we are reaching out to our customers and providing excellent service at 810 locations in 81 provinces. Infrastructure investments are continuous at Avea in order to keep our systems up to date, but investment in people never comes secondary. This initiative will give Avea the privilege to be a brand that defines service standards in the industry. Our objective with AİDO is to create a brand spokesperson out of every store manager that represents our brand.”
Dr. Cüneyt Evirgen: “Open communication and maintaining content that best meets the real need and evolves along with the world of business are important to us”
Sabancı Executive Development Unit Director Dr. Cüneyt Evirgen said, “At the onset, we defined development as a continuous journey forward. We call it development and not training. This is why continuity and sustainability are priorities in all of our programs. We embed the Sabancı University mission of ‘creating and developing together’ in all of our collaborative efforts. Open communication and maintaining content that best meets the real need and evolves along with the world of business are important to us. We call our collaborations with institutions ‘learning partnerships’.”
Dr. Evirgen continued: “There were two things in the project that excited us the most. First was the ‘belief in change’ shared by the AVEA management, and the other was how passionate, enthusiastic and determined the young trainers of AVEA were. We knew where Avea wanted to go. We went to the field with trainers. We visited stores. We analyzed the path and tools Avea needed to reach where they wanted to go. This journey gave us one more thing to be excited about: thanks to the learning partnership with Avea, we had the chance to meet the young store managers, almost all of whom are of the ‘Generation Y’. Their energy, the support of store owners, close supervision by the Avea management, and the fast pace of the young trainers led to true synergy.
“This project led to an entirely different approach. Avea’s young trainers developed their competencies perfectly. We were with them through all the stages of the process. We reviewed feedback. The method of delivery was not limited to the class environment, and we tried other methods like in-store or on-the-job learning, remote learning, and learning by play. We assessed success with exams, tests, assignments and in-store behavior. We devised a method of working where the value created is nurtured on a common platform, and a common language is spoken.”
Avea Communication and Change Academy:
• As the leading technological communication development project that trains qualified employees for the industry, the Avea Field Sales Channels Certification Development implemented by AİDO certified 170 male and 80 female store managers to this date.
• The project consists of “Administrative” “Professional” and “Personal and Corporate Development” sections. Avea provided training to store owners as well, while providing 460 business partners who completed the two-phase Sabancı University program successfully with the opportunity to receive training at the university.
• The daily cost of the project is approximately TL 4000, and Avea has so far provided this program to 250 store managers and 460 business partners free of charge, and plans to certify 350 additional trainees by the end of the year. The total investment of the project exceeds TL 10 million.