new competencies and
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The People Development Group, who developed the training concept, has both national and international customers. The background for the development of the concept is to give the customers the possibility to participate in a training programme without leaving their homes. Resulting from contacts with the customers there was a recognised need for an alternative way to train employees: a training concept that would enable participants to combine their normal job functions with further training. There is also a recognised need for lower course fees, to make it possible for companies to receive more training for the same amount of money.

All these needs are combined in an e-learning programme. The e-learning programme gives the participants access to training independent of physical location. Therefore it is a direct benefit for companies located in different countries, because it gives employees the possibility to attend the same training programmes across the nation and departments.

Due to the structure of the e-learning programmes, it is not necessary to use the same amount of manpower for this training as is required for traditional face-to-face learning. Therefore it is possible to offer e-learning programmes relatively cheaply compared to traditional face-to-face learning. One of the differences between face to face learning and e-learning is found in the preparation stage, because e-learning programmes typically require a higher level of preparation, and therefore a training programme with a smaller demand will not be offered because of the high start up costs.

The learning system consists of a coaching element, dovetailing with the simulation. It may be combined with a face-to-face tutorial style of learning, with a distance learning approach or a combination of both. It lends itself equally well to individuals and to groups.

Working under the close guidance of the coach, the student is "recruited" into a business, and set to a task (or tasks) reflecting their learning requirements (for example, they may be required to plan the layout of a warehouse). Such a major task may be broken down into a number of sub tasks that participants will address, partly through their own knowledge, but more frequently by research within SCIL plc, just as they would if their real-life manager had set them to such a task.

Students are sent a copy of SCILworld two weeks prior to starting the programme, so that they can familiarise themselves with navigating around the cd-rom and familiarise themselves with the case study. SCILplc is a simulated company, in a simulated country in a simulated world. Learners join SCILplc as an employee and interact with other employees in order to complete tasks, in a risk free environment. At all times learners will have the support of contact persons in the e-learning company who are dedicated 'real-life' coaches.

On entering the learning system and joining SCILplc, the learner will meet Charlotte Ward, the Chief Learning Officer at the virtual company. Charlotte will tell about the learning process that new employees will follow and explain to the learner how to use the learning system. Charlotte guides all new recruits through the introduction process. These presentations provide information that will be valuable for undertaking future tasks. This introduction is given as a lecture from the computer. After the familiarisation and introduction period, the learner will be introduced to their coach from the e-learning company who will brief the learner on the task(s) and explain what they must be able to do at the end of the learning process. This introduction may be done face-to-face, via e-mail or a combination of both. A coach is an expert from the e-learning company, who will play the role of the learner's manager in the simulation and will provide the learner with help and support, using a combination of directive and supportive behaviour. First of all the coach will ask the learner a few simple questions to determine the learner's level of experience so he can anticipate the level of support needed. On receipt of their task (delivered in the style of a memo from a SCILplc manager) the learner will be required to:

• Submit a plan of how the task will be approached.
• Agree a timetable for completion of the task.
• Agree on what support and resources are available.

The Performance Development Programmes contain information about the key skills, which a SCILplc (learner) employee needs to have. If they don't have these skills, they should pursue the learning in the relevant areas (e.g. "how to think through the task" and "how to tackle problems"). All data required to complete the tasks can be found within the different areas of the SCILplc environment.

The learner is now ready to complete their first task and will be required to meet with the SCILplc managers and directors to find out any relevant information that will help. (These people can be visited via the SCILplc company chart or via the map of Homeland - the virtual society. This introduction is given as a lecture from the computer.) The learner will notice that the different managers and directors have different personalities and the learner will be able to find out information about the person, their role and the activities they manage as well as detailed information about their sites (including data such as facts and figures and charts).

As well as talking to managers and directors learners can also access the Management Information System (MIS) which contains all the data about SCILplc, some of which they may need to complete their task(s). All data is contained in Excel spreadsheets. The learning system also offers two support tools, that provide additional information to enable successful completion of tasks. The Performance Development programmes have already been mentioned. The other support tool is the "Centre of Excellence". The Centre of Excellence is a support tool that provides access to an extensive bank of supply chain knowledge, tips and techniques and frequently asked questions which will help to complete tasks. Other information that may be useful is contained in the Government Information section. This provides information about the country Homeland. For example: wealth, politics, environment.

The above sums up all the areas that the learner may visit in order to find the information he/she needs to complete his/her tasks on his/her learning plan. Once the coach from People Development Group judges that the learner has completed the task successfully he/she will be offered a reward, which may be a promotion within SCILplc.

The virtual company concept is a training concept that can be used for traditional training in logistics training programmes. The training is offered by the focus on managing the logistics systems. The simulation systems also support the learning and the understanding of the new areas of training.

The virtual company makes it possible for the participants to make analyses and conclusions based on the available information. The search for information will help the participants in their own positions to be inspired to find more relevant information. The different problems in combination with all the possibilities of assistance will help the participants to analyse complex situations such as logistics flows better. The helping function is e.g. a description of how to use different economic analysis tools, give the participants a wide range of different tools, which are useful in their daily functions.

The implementation costs of a virtual world such as SCILplc are quite high, and this could be a barrier to transfer this sort of training concepts to other areas. Therefore a strategic decision from the supplier is needed, whether they want to introduce a distance-learning concept, because it is not possible to make a direct transformation from the ordinary teaching materials to a distance-learning concept. If the distance-learning concept has to include a sort of business simulation, the requirements increase.

TThe SCILplc concept is a framework, which makes it possible to create e-learning programmes for various objectives.

The use of the SCILplc concept shows the wide target group, because it is used as an element at different training levels. The level is spread over the discovery level, which is primary for people providing non-logistics support, to the Master level, which is primary for people who have tactical and strategic influence of the logistics set-up.

The SCILplc concept has already shown that it is feasible for different areas of supply chain training. The SCILplc includes training programmes such as e.g. Supply Chain, Sourcing, Production, Inventory, Warehouse and Transport at different levels. When new programmes are developed, they will also be transferred to the SCILplc concept. Both the virtual world described in SCILplc and the idea behind it is transferable to other sorts of training programmes, both in logistics and in non-logistics.

The framework makes it possible for the participants to test new skills in a simulation of the real world. During this testing of new skills it is possible to make sure the participants understand the new fields. Therefore it will become easier for the participants to use the new tools in the company after the training programme, because they have already tried to collect the data needed for the calculation and simulation.

The combination of distance learning and simulation makes it possible for the participants to test new tools and fields parallel to the training programme. Because of this combination it is possible to integrate new skills in the day-to-day work, and increase the effect of the training.

The training concept will be improved, so it will cover a broad range of training programmes.

For further information see also www.pdgplc.com. This website describes both different training programmes and SCILplc.