Continuous training is now recognised in the security sector as a distinguishing element, a tool that simultaneously defends both the manufacturer and the installer, as well as the end customer. We spoke to some of the companies that will be taking part in SICUREZZA 2021.

A VERY FLEXIBLE, HIGH-QUALITY PROPOSAL

Training means investing time, money and human resources to offer courses, roadshows and now webinars too. But why do companies make this choice?

“We want to create high-quality products, but quality shouldn’t end when the manufacturing process ends. It should continue in the homes, carparks, industrial estates and wherever else our products are installed” – says Lisa Florian, from Sales and Marketing at Roger Technology.  – “This is why we think training is essential. Our training centre allows fitters to actually touch the product, offering them access to the experience of those who conceived, designed and assembled our solutions. This involvement also creates a ‘family’ link which lasts way beyond the training activities”.

“We have always believed in the power of training, so much so that we have been holding the AVS Campus for years.” – says Christian Carbognin, Head of Italian Sales for AVS Electronics – “The pandemic has forced to seek new solutions, but I’m convinced that flexibility is our strength. The Campus is a tool that can be implemented in different ways, either face to face, at our premises or those of our distributors, or online, streamlining it to be more technical or more promotional. Our aim is to offering constant assistance, so that installers have access to our training service even in an emergency, when they have to solve a problem in a system installed for one of their customers.”

A PROPOSAL BUILT AROUND THE INSTALLER

Aimed mostly at installers, our training activities are based on an analysis of the problems they encounter every day and on the potential difficulties in applying new solutions. Training prepares them to manage the product and the customer in the best way possible.

According to Donatella Botta, Marketing Manager at Lince “the training of our clients, along with constant innovation, is the foundation of our strategy. This is why, focusing on the qualification of professionals specialised in the sector, we have always invested in planning courses and providing training. The strength of our free roadshows, with the provision of training materials and attendance certificates, is that they are tailored to the client’s specific requirements. The courses are arranged on the basis of the most popular subjects, along with any particular training needs identified”.

“We have always believed in training, which represents a mutually enriching experience. A moment aimed at increasing our clients' knowledge of our solutions and, at the same time, an opportunity to spend time together and share technical and installation-related experiences that have often led to improvements and expansions of the services offered” – says Luca Boschetti, Head of Sales at DAITEM. - “The experience of our staff makes training a clear, linear activity in which every technical aspect and installation procedure is tackled and explained both theoretically and practically”.

Distributors are also particularly attentive to training and refresher courses and an example of one such company is Aikom Technology, which distributes over 30 top-end vendor brands. Their Marketing Specialist Chiara Ferrari tells us: “We have always believed that the key to success is the synergistic growth of our skills and those of our partners. In the fast-moving world of telecommunications and information technology, those who choose not to engage with others in the sector fail to grow, and a lack of growth in terms of skills results in a lack of business, because you soon find yourself without anything innovative to offer your customers. The quality of our training instructors is of the utmost importance to us, so they are all certified by the vendors and have at least ten years’ experience in the sector. This means that they are familiar with the problems faced by installers and they approach training from a secure, practical angle, putting participants in a position to apply what they have learned immediately”.

NOT JUST TECHNICAL TRAINING

Training goes beyond the product. In some cases, it delves into more horizontal subjects, which can help generate a constant exchange within a company’s network or reinforce general skills, helping to train installers of the highest level.

Urmet, for example, has always carried out face-to-face training, with courses on vertical themes or single products, but last March, it decided to take a new approach. “At such a particular time, we felt the need for greater interaction and a new tool that would facilitate relations with our installers and appeal to a wider audience” – says Emanuela Barla, Head of CRM. - “So we decided to focus on horizontal, informative-commercial webinars rather than technical aspects. Of course we do still offer technical courses, but they involve smaller groups and focus on more specific issues”.

The same cultural approach is taken by CIAS: “We have been investing in training for several years, and not just in courses dedicated to our products, but also on general details that are useful in the sector. Between 2017 and 2019, for example, we organised various seminars on the topic of IP. Hundreds of participants signed up for them and they were held at prestigious venues such as the Politecnico di Milano – says Fabrizio Leonardi, Executive Vice Managing Director.