That changed, of course, once Chesterton modernized and started selling specialty pumps and hydraulic sealing devices for every industry from food manufacturing to wastewater treatment. More complex products meant a hefty training budget for sales reps, who up until two years ago had to fly to Boston from around the world for four weeks of intensive annual training. Now Chesterton reps do most of their training via the Internet, flying in for just two weeks at a time, an arrangement that saves the privately held company hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. And cost isn't the only Net benefit. Chesterton is translating its courseware into six languages, so that overseas reps can learn directly instead of through a translating manager - which means fewer misinterpretations and better understanding.
Software lets the company know immediately whether a rep passes training tests.
Reps like Adlin Ortiz Diaz, who works from the plant in Levittown, Puerto Rico, like the flexibility. It gives you the freedom of establishing your own pace and not being set back by another person. Top brass is even more enthusiastic about the program. But no one disputes those numbers are rising rapidly. To advocates, there's little question about e-training's benefits.