Sogeti Essentials of e-Business
Since 2000, Ohio University Without Boundaries has provided e-business training to the Netherlands division of Sogeti (formerly IQUIP), a wholly owned subsidiary of Cap Gemini organization, one of the world’s leading providers of consulting, technology, and outsourcing services.
The Sogeti-Ohio “Essentials of e-Business” program orients and trains new Sogeti associates from offices in the Netherlands and is jointly developed and delivered by Sogeti and Ohio University representatives. The heart of the program is a three-week residency on the Ohio University campus in Athens, Ohio, USA. During each residency, Sogeti associates complete three learning projects and a number of online learning exercises. In addition, special focus is placed on team building and communication skills.
To date, OUWB has offered nearly a dozen cycles of the e-business program designed specifically for Sogeti. Participants begin their training online before arriving in the U.S., collaborating with faculty and other new Sogeti associates as they take part in an online discussion and complete a learning module. Upon arrival on the Ohio campus, participants are organized into teams. Using a project-based action learning approach, the teams are engaged over the three-week period with three projects that build a practical, “just in time” knowledge of e-business principles. Each participant works with a new set of team members on each project.
In 2001, the tragic events of September 11 required a restructuring of the September program to fit an entirely online format. OUWB leveraged its technology infrastructure to redesign the program to engage learners in an online format as effectively as it did face-to-face. The results were no less than extraordinary, with faculty and trainers from both organizations amazed at the response of the learners. Click here to read more about this success story.
Graduates of the “Essentials of e-Business” program have evidenced a good understanding of e-business and have been able to apply their knowledge effectively. They also develop a good understanding of Sogeti as a business. It has been reported that as these new associates move into their assignments, they are able to perform at a proficient level more rapidly than those who had not participated in the Ohio program. They demonstrated more initiative, took more responsibility, and required less supervision. They had well-developed team skills and worked more effectively with clients as well as other internal staff. Finally, participants were more loyal to their firm, seeing themselves as part of a strong community and valuing their association with it.
