OutStart, the leading provider of the only proven, content-centric software product family for learning, announced today it is experiencing considerable market momentum in the retail industry through the increased demand of its learning and knowledge-sharing solutions. Leading retailers such as Best Buy, Tweeter, Lowes, and Family Dollar have deployed OutStart’s products to create, manage and deliver learning and training content in an effort to build a competitive advantage, increase productivity and dramatically reduce costs.
Largely distributed workforces and the continual introduction of new products have driven the demand for increased training in the ultra-competitive retail industry. While most retailers provide training programs that enable sales associates to understand product offerings, retailers must now differentiate themselves through a highly knowledgeable and well-trained staff. As a result, the retail industry is increasingly turning to OutStart to easily create, manage, and deliver critical training processes.
Tweeter Home Entertainment Group, the nation’s premier specialty consumer electronics retailer, needed a way to augment its classroom training and bring new information to associates located across the country. Tweeter has achieved great success as a result of implementing OutStart’s Evolution, which develops, manages, assembles and delivers personalized learning content natively to multiple channels, and Evolution Learner Manager (ELM), OutStart’s complete learning management solution. Since implementing OutStart’s solutions, the company’s associates are able to train and search for information on a variety of topics when and where they need to, from any computer.
“The consumer electronics industry is constantly evolving with new products and trends. As trusted advisors to our customers, our sales associates must be knowledgeable and up to date on our products,” said Jon Herron, National Director of e-Learning at Tweeter Home Entertainment Group. “Evolution and ELM have assisted Tweeter in its mission to continually exceed customer expectations and provide superior customer service.”
Providing effective learning and knowledge-sharing solutions for any size company, group or team the OutStart product family includes:
Evolution®: the industry’s most effective application to develop, manage, assemble and deliver personalized learning content natively to multiple channels
Evolution Learner Manager (ELM): a complete learning management system (LMS) that handles all administration surrounding learning and training processes and the learner – right out of the box.
Studio: a complete learning content management system (LCMS) to rapidly create, manage, and deploy custom tailored, AICC and SCORM compliant learning content over the Web and on CDs.
Trainersoft®: the industry’s fastest and easiest desktop authoring tool for e-learning.
SoftSim: a software simulation tool that enables quick, easy development of interactive browser-based simulations, product documentation, and tutorials of any Windows-based application
“Training and educating sales associates is critical within the retail industry since it is often those individuals that have the most significant impact on customer satisfaction,” said OutStart CEO Massood Zarrabian. “OutStart makes it easy for retailers to manage and dynamically deliver up-to-date learning. As a result, they are able to benefit from a highly trained staff that is productive and provides extraordinary customer service.”
Additional retailers benefiting from OutStart’s learning applications include BlackHawk Hardware, Mervyn’s, Mac’s Food Stores and National Petcare Centers.
About OutStart
OutStart provides learning and knowledge-sharing software applications to mid-market, government, and Global 2000 organizations. OutStart customers build competitive advantage by making their customers, employees, and partners more knowledgeable and better trained through superior content development, management, and delivery. The company’s approach is learner-focused and content-centric.
OutStart’s award-winning, product family enables people to know exactly what they need to be better at their jobs and to learn when, where, and how they want. Customers like Empire BlueCross BlueShield, Cisco Systems, Steelcase, the U.S. Navy, Verizon Wireless and Westland Helicopters rely on OutStart to increase individual and organizational performance, improve knowledge transfer, and lower operating costs. Headquartered in Boston, MA, OutStart has offices throughout the US and Europe and can be found on the Web at www.outstart.com.
