New Strategic Goals of Comfort Service

Introduction

Globalization that occurs in all industrial sectors today, poses new challenges for Comfort Transportation. Comfort has been a monopoly player in the taxi industry for years and the biggest challenge that is felt by Comfort is the competition which created by the entry of new ride hailing companies such Grab and Uber into this industry (Cheng, 2018). As a competitor, Grab and Uber create a new game flow by involving technological advances and making several approaches to the employees, especially to the on field duty drivers. Grab and Uber utilize technological advancements to support the online booking application they develop and they also provide various incentives for drivers so that they are more motivated to work (Cheng, 2018). To be able to compete, comfort has set new strategic goals which include developing application-based booking system, conducting social media adverstising and expanding into new business sectors to increase market share. In order to achieve all that, training proposal is needed with the aim to equip employees with new skills, so in the end they can maximize their work and be able to overcome existing challenges through realizing the strategic goals.

Alignment Of Learning Outcomes And Business Goals

After conducting Training Needs Analysis (TNA), it can be seen that there are still some skill gaps on each instrument that involved in realizing new strategic goals, namely the IT department, marketing department, control center and the drivers. The IT Department needs to prepare 4 IT specialists to develop online application which until now they haven’t had sufficient capacity to develop a system and application; the marketing department needs to work with the control center to manage online advertising system through social media, which means they must learn the way to coordinate in operating the system; and for drivers, the basics of touring guide and bus driving license are needed since Comfort decided to spread its wings to the tourism world.

In order to fill in the existing skill gaps, sending workers from each department that has been appointed for training, is important in hopes of bringing outcomes that are alligned with the new strategic goals, which are:

1. By the end of the training, IT specialist must be able to develop and launch an application with online booking feature for android and IOS without eror or crash.
2. By the end of the training, all drivers and staff must be able to operate the new online system through application every day.
3. By the end of the training, marketing staff and control centre must be able to plan 2 different ways to advertise Comfort services, through 3 different social media per week.
4. By the end of the training, the drivers must be able to implement basic tour guide materials and hosted the actual guide touring activity, with at least 15 tourist enggaged in the tour on 3 days. Form all of these things, it can be concluded that finding a training provider which is in accordance with the expected results, is the first step that can be done by the company.

Choice Of Training Methods

The next stage is to determine training methods that are appropriate for each department that involved in realizing the new strategic goals. In order to compete with grab and uber, Comfort will develop an application-based online booking system that will be carried out by the 4 IT specialists. This responsibility requires 4 IT specialists to conduct training with an application programming module for 1.5 months. Based on solo taxonomy, these IT specialists are at a relational level; is able to understand various aspects at one time and associate them with each other ("Solo Taxonomy", n.d).

The most suitable methods for these IT specialists is to use the lecture method in the classroom as a reinforcement of the basic concepts of application programming, then assisted with a case study method that can be conditioned with certain situations such as system failure to train IT specialists to handle right and fast.With the development of an application-based online booking system and the inclusion of Comfort into the world of tourism, requires drivers to take 2 trainings with 2 different modules. According to the data, 68% of riders are over 50 years old, so the training will be based on solo taxonomy uni-structural level for drivers over 45 years old; only can learn one aspect at one time (Biggs and Collis, 1982), and multi-structural level for drivers under 45 years old; can learn several aspects at the same time (Biggs and Collis, 1982).

Drivers over 45 years old with uni-structural level will be sent to conduct a training on the operation of online appilcation module for 3 weeks, using the lecturer method or presenting the material in a class. On the other hand, drivers under the age of 45 with a multi-structural level will be sent to take part in 2 trainings, which covering the operation of online appilcation and a tourist guide module for 1 month. Similar to uni-structural level, the operation of online application module is delivered with a lecture method while the tourist guide module will be delivered with classroom lecture method and role plays which is applied by simulating the actual touring activities in the learning process.For the sake of realizing the new strategic goals, one of which is doing social media advertising, the marketing and control center departments also need to be prepared through training with social advertising modules for, using the lecture method in a class and supported by the case study method. The topics discussed in the case study are based on actual activities, which how to reach more customers, especially millennial customers, through social media advertising.

Assessment Methods & Training Evaluation

The assesment of the online application programming and operate online application module will be carried out by using 2 different exam methods. The assessment of the operate online application module will be carried out through a practical exam or demonstration test of using online application, while for trainees in the online application programming module is using the final exam method. On the other hand, the assessment of the social media advertising and the tourist guide module will be carried out using the same method of observation and accompanied by the final exam for the tourist guide module. Different assessment methods on each module are intended to measure different knowledge, skills and attitudes towards each level of solo taxonomy, as the selection of practical exam method which is easier for trainees to do in the operate online application module, with the majority of trainees are uni-structural level. All assessment methods will be carried out in a fair, valid and reliable manner using formative strategies, namely assessment rubrics. And to measure the effectiveness of the training based on Kirkpatrick's model, it can be done with a survey at level 1, pre and post test at level 2, observation at level 3 and using return of expectation at level 4 to measure the actual results of training.

Resource And Investment Requirements

The last step of training this proposal is to register the needs of the necessary resources and other investment, here is the break down:

1. Online Application Programming Module
2. Operation of Online Appilcation module
3. Social Advertising Module
4. Tourist Guide Module
5. Venue Comfort Company Building
6. Training Centre Training Centre Training Centre Facility

References

1. Biggs, J. (1995). Assessing for learning: Some dimensions underlying new approaches to educational assessment. The Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 41(1), 1-17. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232516025_Assessing_for_learning_Some_dimensions_underlying_new_approaches_to_educational_assessment
2. Biggs, J.B., and Collis, K.F. (1982). Evaluating the Quality of Learning - the SOLO Taxonomy. New York: Academic Press. xii + 245 pp. Retrieved from https://www.elsevier.com/books/evaluating-the-quality-of-learning/biggs/978-0-12-097552-5
3. Cheng, K. (2018). Why ComfortDelGro needs to up its game to catch up. Today Online. Retrieved from https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/why-comfortdelgro-needs-its-game-catch Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation. (n.d).
4. SOLO Taxonomy. Retrieved from https://itali.stage.drupal.uq.edu.au/files/3047/Resources-teaching-methods-SOLO-taxonomy.pdf
5. Tan, C. (2016). ComfortDelGro starts to grow taxi fleet again. The Straits Times. Retrieved from the https://www.sgsme.sg/news/startups/comfortdelgro-starts-grow-taxi-fleet-again The University of Queensland. (n.d).
6. Biggs’ Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) Taxonomy. Retrieved from http://www.uq.edu.au/teach/assessment/docs/biggs-SOLO.pdf