A railroad coupling, a device by which each car is linked to the following one, is essentially what forms a train.

It’s a critical mechanism that helps absorb shock during braking but is also what keeps the train moving as one entity full speed ahead.

Likewise, our company-wide intent on training is interconnected – person to person and department to department. Sometimes, it’s impromptu, sometimes formal, and sometimes game-changing. But it’s part of who we are. It’s more than a series of tasks or homework assignments. It’s part of our culture. Just ask Datamax Texas President David Rhodes.

Training as a Culture Coupling.

As someone who started his career in this industry as a service technician, Rhodes knows the necessity of training to be able to walk up in front of a customer, work on their copier, and know what you’re doing. Otherwise, it gets uncomfortable quickly.  

Rhodes, alongside other executives at Datamax, has gone to great lengths to make regular training not just a check-box item, but a part of who we are as an organization collectively.

“From being in all departments, one way or another in my career, there was nothing worse than attempting to do something without efficient training,” Rhodes said. “We are a lot about first impressions, and our customers are educated enough to know if we really know what we’re doing. As much education as we can provide ourselves with prior to engaging with a customer, the better off we are.”

Culture Coupling: In the Service Room.

For all intents and purposes, it was a normal Tuesday morning in the East Texas shop room. Service Manager Michael Johnson sat alongside parts specialist Stephen Johnston examining a stripped-down refurbished machine. After all, Johnson has shown great initiative in his time here and is training up to become a service technician – and Michael’s more than happy to help.

“I remember we were just going over the inner workings of the machine,” Michael recalls. “Just how the device moves from the data to actually going to paper… it was sort of a crash course on copier technology.”

Michael had to run to visit a customer. But he casually mentioned to Stephen that there was a machine upstairs with the right part, and he had access to all the manuals and encouraged him to “take his best shot” at repairing it.

“When I got back he had already fixed it and was doing something else,” Michael said. “I think he’s going to be really good (when he gets out in the field). He reminds me of myself when I first came into this gig – just willing to jump in, use my resources, and see what I can come up with. He’s got that same drive and determination.”

Culture Coupling: Our Manufacturers.

Our advanced manufacturer training certifications are our bread and butter. Our Canon ATSP and Konica Minolta Pro-Tech, along with our Microsoft Gold Partner status help reinforce to ourselves that we’re on the right track with our servicing capabilities. Consider these numbers:

• Datamax Inc. has been awarded the Canon ATSP Service Recognition for 16 consecutive years.
• Datamax Arkansas has been awarded Konica Minolta’s ProTech distinction for 8 consecutive years.
• We’ve been a Microsoft Gold Partner for 16 consecutive years.
• And to boot, We have Two Canon Master Level Technicians at Datamax – two out of only 12 in the entire nation.

"Back when we first made a commitment to the ATSP program, what we essentially wanted to do is set ourselves apart from other dealers. What better way than taking on the highest ranking of training that your manufacturer has to offer?" Texas VP of Operations Steve Kennemer said. "Knowledge is success when it comes to working on equipment, and it's often the difference in someone taking two hours or 30 minutes to fix a machine... The technology is more advanced than it has ever been. The training is what keeps us current."

In the same spirit, our sales teams undergo extensive training with manufacturers, like Canon Boot Camp, SPIN, and Selling With Backbone. Both internal and external sales training not only make us look better in front of a customer, they provide sales folks with the resources to maximize their career at Datamax.

A Training Culture — it Works Both Ways.

Rhodes says that there is an additional element to any successful organizational culture as it pertains to training… and that starts with you.

“We send people to school. We put them through Internet training during business hours. But the most successful employees go on their own and study up and read whatever materials they can to get better. When you’ve got a culture like that, where both the employee and the company are contributing to the training, that’s when great things happen.”