In 2009, the ASA Education Foundation launched ASA University - a comprehensive training resource that encompassed all of the programs that the ASAEF had to offer at that time.

In 2009, the ASA Education Foundation launched ASA University - a comprehensive training resource that encompassed all of the programs that the ASAEF had to offer at that time. Last fall at NetworkASA 2011, Mark Hanley, president of the ASAEF Board of Trustees, presented the revolutionized concept of ASA University.

The new ASA University is a combination of five “colleges” geared toward providing your employees with the training necessary to help further your company’s goals and their own careers. Each college is specifically suited to train a different function within your company, and each offer exclusive and comprehensive training tracks designed especially for the PHCP and PVF industry.

Every college helps fill key knowledge gaps and boosts performance, making them the perfect resource for entry-level and veteran employees alike. These colleges include:

College of Leadership/Executive Management

Good leadership is crucial to any successful business. Being a leader in a wholesale distribution business, however, requires more than just years of experience - it requires training.  Achieving objectives, inspiring and developing personnel, managing operations, increasing sales, growing market share, gaining profitability and satisfying customers - all at the same time - takes a special person. The College of Leadership/Executive Management focuses on developing the skill set necessary for becoming a successful leader in the PHCP & PVF industry.

• Branch Manager
  
• Sales Manager
  
• Warehouse Manager
  
• Purchasing Manager

College of Sales/Sales Management

When you have a heart problem, you wouldn’t want to be referred to a dermatologist. You want a doctor with special cardiology training. When a distributor wants to train salespeople who work in a particular area such as a showroom, shouldn’t that training also be specific? This means providing salespeople with information about the features, benefits and the value of each product or service in order to match the right products and the right services to their needs - geared to a customer-type those salespeople will encounter. The College of Sales/Sales Management provides courses that focus on improving the specific skills of inside, outside, counter and showroom salespeople.

• Sales Manager
  
• Outside / Field Sales Executive
  
• Counter Sales
  
• Inside Sales
  
• Showroom Sales

College of Warehouse Management

As consumers, we expect when we place an order, it should arrive correctly 100% of the time, don’t we? Our industry’s customers have the same expectations. The functions that the warehouse team performs assure that goods from many manufacturers get to the installers, maintenance professionals and end users that benefit from them. The College of Warehouse Management provides warehouse personnel with the tools necessary to achieve - and exceed - their customers’ expectations.

• Warehouse Manager
  
• Shipping & Receiving Supervisor
  
• Warehouse Staff

College of Purchasing/Inventory Management

Learning to purchase and manage inventory efficiently and correctly allows a distributor to stock a sufficient quantity of product to meet customer needs. Not enough inventory causes delays and is bad for business. Excessive inventory cost a business money. Predicting when it’s time to acquire sufficient inventory takes skill and training. The College of Purchasing/Inventory Management focuses on the skills necessary for personnel to create order to the chaos of uncertain sales patterns.

• Purchasing Manager
  
• Purchasing Agent
  
• Inventory Specialist

College of Business

Most companies focus their attention on effective sales, purchasing and distribution practices. However, large profits can also be lost when other areas of the operation are overlooked.  Employee accidents due to unsafe work conditions, failure to meet current HR practices and government regulations, computer malfunctions, unwarranted lawsuits, and failure to invest company finances judiciously can siphon resources and time better spent on sales and customer service. The College of Business focuses on helping personnel to develop company-wide best practices that result in a healthier bottom line.

Visit www.asa.net for complete course listings or call Executive Director Amy Black at 630/467-0000, extension 202 for more information.

Links

• ASAEF
• ASA website