Johnson Controls partners with ReadyTech to deliver highly customized, complex training labs

• Technical roadblocks prevented JCI from offering online training
• Travel expenses skyrocketing
• Employee productivity compromised
• No training options for remote employees

ReadyTech's Training Delivery Solutions integrated the Metasys HVAC control system to a remote lab environment:

• Using Instructor-Led and SelfPaced solutions
• Helps train 2,500 highly-skilled HVAC technicians across 26,000 locations worldwide
• Getting 24/7 Live Support for instructors, students and distribution partners
• Leveraging ReadyTech's innovative training-driven features

• Hands-on training of Metasys system from anywhere
• 83% reduction in training costs
• 40% reduction in lost revenue days from fewer schedule interruptions
• Larger potential student pool

Modern, Customized Virtual Training Labs for Johnson Controls

Founded in 1885, Johnson Controls (JCI) is a global diversified technology and industrial manufacturer with customers in over 150 countries and over 139,000 employees. The company specializes in systems designed to optimize efficiencies for commercial properties.

Training engineers on these highly technical systems are a huge component of JCI's business. The Johnson Controls Training Institute runs nearly 550 classes per year through a network of 11 training institutes across the United States. ReadyTech has become an integral piece of that equation. In 2011, JCI partnered with ReadyTech to introduce online training to its students, complete with an industry-first training environment that enabled JCI's flagship HVAC control system Metasys® to be delivered online. Before ReadyTech, virtual training labs were only available at physical classrooms.

Costly Challenges, No Online Capabilities

Prior to their partnership with ReadyTech, Johnson Controls did not offer any virtual training. They conducted all of their classes at brick-and-mortar JCI Training Institutes around the United States. To attend the 3-day Metasys Graphics Generation training course, for example, students traveled from around the world to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But with hundreds of classes per year and students traveling from different countries, the division's travel costs were astounding.

Even for North American students who were closer to the regional training institutes, the travel costs were still expensive at an average cost of $1,200 per student for airline ticket, room, rental car and per diem allowance.

The costs weren't strictly associated with travel costs. Traveling to training institutes also resulted in lower employee productivity and lost revenue. Allen Harlow, an Instructor for JCI explains: "The cost of travel is not the big deal - it's the cost of being away from work and being on the road. For example, when we do a Tuesday to Thursday class, students also travel on Monday and Friday. So with that, they've lost an entire week. That's a 5-day hit on labor."

With the combined effects of lost revenue days and high SG&A costs, JCI was open to training alternatives. They looked for a virtual training software vendor, but Metasys presented a unique technical problem because it involved an HVAC control system that needed to be integrated with the online training environment. When JCI asked other vendors about this requirement, Tom Dickinson, Manager of JCI's Technical Education Team, recalled that most vendors were mystified: "When we talked to vendors, we mentioned that we wanted to bring our equipment to their data center so we can setup a real-life Metasys system. When they heard this, they asked us, 'Johnson Controls wants us to do what?'"

Anytime, anywhere, hands-on solution

When Johnson Controls was approached by ReadyTech in 2010, they were struggling to find a training alternative that would lower their training costs, improve employee productivity, and accommodate the unique technical requirements presented by Metasys. Unlike previous vendors, ReadyTech worked with Johnson Controls over 3-4 months to build a training environment that connected to their HVAC control systems.

With technical requirements satisfied, Johnson Controls evaluated whether ReadyTech's training delivery solutions also reduced training costs and improved employee productivity. Using their 3-day Metasys Graphics Generation in-person training course as a baseline, the team found that using ReadyTech resulted in an 83% reduction in training costs and improved student satisfaction.

With ReadyTech in the mix, Johnson Controls is saving about $1,000 for every student, an 83% reduction in training costs. And we're also increasing revenue days because instead of traveling, the student can work on Monday and Friday. So technically, we save about $3,600 per student putting them through a ReadyTech class.

Tom Dickinson, Manager of Technical Education Team

Not only has Johnson Controls reduced training costs, they've improved employee productivity 40% and experienced customer satisfaction levels well above 85%. Future plans include dramatically increasing their online training offerings, leveraging ReadyTech's infrastructure to offer training to remote employees, and accessing a larger student market. As Allen Harlow explains, "ReadyTech is a vehicle for us to get training out to more people ... we have huge requirements from technicians around the world that need this training ... and ReadyTech is another way to reach-out to those employees and customers."

Technical and efficiency needs met - exceeded expectations

With ReadyTech's Training Delivery Solutions, Johnson Controls' instructors, employees, students and partners are experiencing several benefits:

• Real-life training on actual Metasys HVAC control system: ReadyTech worked with Johnson Controls to integrate their Metasys HVAC control system with Johnson Controls' virtual training lab environment. In the HVAC industry, hands-on training with the actual control systems is crucial - resulting in higher employee productivity and lower support issues - and ReadyTech was the only vendor capable of meeting Johnson Controls' technical requirements.
• Training expenses reduced: Johnson Controls reduced training costs by 83% because of lower travel costs for students and instructors, elimination of shipping expenses, and removing the brick-and-mortar footprint where the in-person training would've occurred.
• Improved employee productivity: Prior to ReadyTech, a Johnson Controls Metasys training class resulted in a 5-day impact on labor. After offering online training the same class resulted in just a 3-day impact on labor, a 40% reduction.
• Offer classes to more students: By offering online classes, Johnson Controls increased the size of their potential student pool. Without online training software, students in remote or distant locations could not get the virtual training they needed because of the travel restrictions. With ReadyTech, Johnson Controls plans to offer Metasys classes to students in remote parts of Alaska and Northern Canada as a starting point.
• Access to industry-leading support and training products: Johnson Controls has access to ReadyTech's 24/7 Live Support for questions, demo requests, or collaboration on unique technical requirements. They also access ReadyTech's online training software, respected in the training industry for dozens of innovative, training-specific features.

About ReadyTech

ReadyTech is the easiest and most cost-effective way to deliver worldwide IT training. Our proprietary technology eliminates the most cumbersome, technical and administrative functions of running an IT training program. Students can connect through a browser from anywhere in the world to a high performance lab-environment suited for their needs. Our online training software gives instructors complete oversight and control of the lab environment and virtual classroom.