The Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded a state grant from for the Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP) to AES Corporation, a manufacturer of private wireless mesh alarm networks.

The total investment between Commonwealth Corporation (the organization that administers the training fund) and AES is more than $400,000. In an effort to better serve its customers, AES is building upon business initiatives including this investment in employee training and LEAN practices across all departments company-wide. AES defines LEAN as a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste or activities considered non-value added through continuous process improvement by flowing the product at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection. AES believes this program will have a positive impact on moving product on the manufacturing floor, order fulfillment, technical support escalation, invoicing and product development while maintaining AES highquality service standards.

AES began rolling out the LEAN program on May 1, 2015, and has 14 training sessions scheduled over the next 24 months that will directly affect more than 70 percent of its employees, all facilitated by professional trainers.

Some programs being implemented are: 

• Service Excellence
• Connect Better with Customers
• Effective Communication & Listening
• Change Management
• Effective Problem Solving

The AES employee training program started with putting 38 percent of employees through the first session on Service Excellence, with a focus on consistency and excelling in service for a positive customer experience resulting in overall satisfaction.

Bill Kieckhafer, president and COO of AES Corporation, has been leading LEAN-oriented companies for the past decade and has seen firsthand the positive impact it can have in all areas of the company from order entry to the shipping process and everything in between. “This will have a dramatic impact in every function of AES and, ultimately, deliver higher value add to our customers and increase our competitiveness in the marketplace,” Kieckhafer said.

Visit www.eas.com for information.