Overview GfK Consumer Choices, a division of the GfK Group, is the global leader in sales reporting and market intelligence for Technical Consumer Goods markets. They use Saba in the cloud to cost effectively manage content and training for a global workforce across more than 100 countries. Business Challenge GfK needed to rapidly improve and continually align the expertise of a globally spread work force of Client Service Analysts (CSAs) in the GfK Consumer Choices Division. Business Benefits -Deliver standardised e-learning for CSAsƒ -Certification of all CSAs, via the e-learning training ‘Path to Expertise’ƒ -Reduction in travel/accommodation costs associated with classroom training -Solution universally available across 100 countriesƒ -Expert CSAs provide an improved customer service levelƒ -Increase in potential chargeable days for CSAs -Ensure consistency in brand and service across the globe -Provide immediate availability of training to newest countries for the Division

1. ®
• Ensures consistency in brand and service across
the globe
• Immediate availability of training to newest countries
for the Division
GfK Consumer Choices (DAX: GFK) is a division of the
GfK Group, which is the fifth largest market research
company in the world. GfK Consumer Choices is the
global leader in sales reporting and market intelligence
for Technical Consumer Goods markets. The division
currently generates over €1.37 billion with more than
11,000 full time employees tracking markets in over
100 countries. In recent years GfK Consumer Choices
has broadened its service offering to include markets
such as Tourism, Optics and Fashion and continues to
expand its product/service offering.
Case Study
Industry: Retail and Technology
Use Case: Learning Management
The solution had to be
delivered in the cloud, quick
to deploy and offer the
comprehensive range of
functionality we needed to
provide the service to even
the most remote locations.
Claude Floch
Global Training Director
GfK Consumer Choices
Challenge
To rapidly improve and continually align the expertise
of a globally spread work force of Client Service Analysts
(CSAs) in the GfK Consumer Choices Division.
(GfK Consumer Choices).
Benefits
• Standardised e-learning for CSAs
• Certification of all CSAs, via the e-learning training
‘Path to Expertise’
• Reduction in travel/accommodation costs associated
with classroom training
• Solution universally available across 100 countries
• Expert CSAs provide an improved customer
service level
• Increase in potential chargeable days for CSAs
GfK Consumer Choices uses Saba to cost effectively manage content and training for a
global workforce, to ensure a consistent brand and delivery service.

2. Case Study GfK Consumer Choices
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The adoption of Saba’s technology is helping GfK
Consumer Choices improve delivery standards whilst
at the same time reducing the costs of our operating
model. We can already see dramatic improvements
in both areas.
Claude Floch
Global Training Director
GfK Consumer Choices
GfK Consumer Choices continues to expand its use
of the Saba solution, with a target of 20% of all GfK
Consumer Choices employees using the platform
during the second half of 2011, which is planned to
double in 2012.
*Polytechnicum de Normandie: partnership between
three Agents: Chambres de Commerce et d’Industrie”
from Le Havre and from Caen cities, and Université de
Basse Normandie.
www.polytechnicum.com
The CSA team are spread globally to cover particular
markets and deliver tailored reporting intelligence to
thousands of global clients. GfK Consumer Choices
was seeking to improve customer service levels and
brand consistency via standardised training of all
CSAs and at the same time reduce the considerable
costs associated with classroom based training. GfK
Consumer Choices was looking for a comprehensive,
yet simple to use and robust system that would
fulfil their global training needs, and after a rigorous
selection process chose Saba. The solution was piloted
in June 2010, with the official launch just 2 months later
in August.
Claude Floch, GfK’s Global Training Director
commented: “The solution had to be delivered in the
cloud, quick to deploy and offer the comprehensive
range of functionality we needed to provide the service
to even the most remote locations. Saba’s solution met
our criteria and we deployed the solution in just
8 weeks.”
Saba enables CSA’s, to access their learning remotely
without compromising content or the learning
experience. CSA’s can download, view, and interact
with rich, standards-based courseware and knowledge
content anywhere, anytime, regardless of their
network connectivity. Saba ensures learning content is
available around the clock, around the globe, whether
connected or disconnected from the corporate network
or the Internet. Access to learning content was
a key challenge for GfK Consumer Choices, with offices
based in countries where internet access is unreliable.
“This was a key requirement of the solution as in
many areas where we operate, internet connectivity is
unstable.” continued Floch.
Saba provides a comprehensive and robust platform
for mobile learning. Requiring a subset of the rich
functionality, Saba was able to quickly create a
simplified version for GfK Consumer Choices whilst
maintaining the flexibility to be scaled and enhanced to
meet the future requirements.
CSA’s are required to certify in the ‘Path to Expertise’.
The Path to Expertise covers a wide curriculum
including off-the-shelf courses from Cegos, Europe’s
largest learning and development-company, covering
Relationship Building, Leading Change, Managerial
Intelligence, Leadership and Management, Sales
Negotiation and many others. CSA’s are also
then required to take in-depth training about the
GfK Consumer Choices business and delivered
in partnership with Ingenium, (Polytechnicum de
Normandie*), who provide the course content. In total,
the ‘Path to Expertise’ comprises of a curriculum
of more than 40 modules with over 100 hours of
e-Learning. Recently recruited CSAs, their Line
Managers, and all new recruits are now required
to take the training. This standardisation of training
means that CSA’s share and deliver the same expertise
worldwide. Previously delivered in person by
the Line Manager, most training is now delivered by
Saba, saving a considerable amount of Line Managers
time in addition to the other concrete benefits.