TTA puts ATG back in the spotlight

With the appointment of Simon Meintema, TTA International (specialised in brand-related "motormotive" training) and ATG (general training) now have a new managing director and also a new corporate identity. Founder Alex Swagemakers retains ties with the Institute as an external consultant. Then came the news that Exponentia had teamed up with Innovam and Mivar instead of ATG.
Feature by Barend Luiting

ATG has been involved since the creation of Exponentia, explains Meintema: "The idea has always been to help the knowledge flow from the system suppliers to the general market. In consultation, we then decided no longer to promote ATG actively as a label, supporting Exponentia instead. Suddenly now, there is a rising exclusivity requirement, while ATG only achieves twenty percent of sales through Exponentia. Exclusivity is not realistic. Nevertheless, we regret this step because it brings to an end a relationship of many years."

Universal training needs
According to Meintema, in practice the formula under which the system suppliers wanted to share their knowledge through training has not delivered what the partners hoped for. "The independent market is a lot harder than the brand-related channel when it comes to training. Car manufacturers have precisely defined in their dealer standards how many hours of training are required. The situation is quite different in the average universal company, where due to limited staffing no one can be spared to spend one day sitting in a training room." This is true for both ATG and Exponentia. Moreover, both are facing competition from the product presentations delivered by wholesalers in the evenings. "A free session with a filled bread roll or a formal training at 175 Euros?"

Through the wholesaler
To circumvent the lack of time, the various training institutes have devised alternatives such as e-learning (web-based) and training sessions organised partly during working hours and also during the trainee's own time. What ATG is now offering is the possibility of taking a training module at the wholesaler's premises. Theo van Duren: "This is a smart module that only shows what is applicable to that wholesaler's scope of activity. In addition, this is paired with a payment module allowing direct registration and settlement of fees." And we can therefore expect the necessary initiatives that will give ATG a new impetus in the market, stresses Meintema. "We must do much more with social media and the digital world. These are certainly steps in the right direction but we've still got our work cut out for us."

OEMs
Meintema's position is actually quite unusual with, as it were, one foot in the OEM sector and the other in the free market. "Through TTA we are currently developing for brands such as Chevrolet, Mazda and Opel, but also for Harley-Davidson and MAN, training material and technical information for the 2013 and 2014 models. We know what's coming and I can say that after-sales will become increasingly complex in this respect. I think that we are slowly reaching the point in time when there will no longer be any all-round experts in the workplace. Someone who, like ten or twenty years back, could say that they knew the car from bumper to bumper, is now an exception. Most of technicians will specialise in subsectors. This requires adequate training."


Simon Meintema (right) takes on the responsibilities of founder Alex Swagemakers.
The new corporate identity is clearly visible in the background.