Business Solutions of Lafarge Company - Essay Example

LaFarge Company Introduction It goes without a shadow of doubt that for a business to favor well in the rather competitiveenvironment that is there it has to adapt to some of the changes that are taking place in the course of business operations. Something that is of particular interest in this case is that some firms \have resorted to other means, previously not thought of just to ensure that the performance of the firm is empowered. E-learning is an example of an approach that has been taken. Lafarge Company is one such firm that has embraced the importance of e-learning and is utilizing it in improving the management of the company. One major advantage with e-learning is the universal nature of this approach. With the firm’s multinational presence, it goes without saying that the various managers in the countries where the firm’s branches are located can be incorporated into the system. Company Background Lafarge Company is one that deals with lime and cement in France. It is quite important to note that the company has been in operations for close to one and a half centuries. Actually around the 1930s the company was one of France’s largest cement producers. The success of the company was rather too much to be accommodated in the French locality so much so that in the present day the company has a presence in up to 76 countries all over the world. It has further diversified in the products it deals with and in the present time it has specialized in the production of concrete, aggregates, cement and gypsum. The company is of the opinion that for the achievement of its success there has to be adequate training of the staff that is there. In this connection it actually set up its learning base, the Lafarge University which was established back in the year 2003. The University aims at inculcating in managers the work values which are so much upheld by the company. The firm wants the managers of the firm to be the best in their particular fields in a bid to transforming the company even further. The Preferred Solution In the pursuit of the perfect solution to the issue at hand, Lafarge opted to get more involved with the internet. Actually the company stressed more on the development of e-learning and familiarizing the staff with what it entails. In accordance with the missions which the university upheld, there had to be a way through which the people involved in the company get a way of learning about how to achieve the objectives stipulated. The diverse nature of the firm at that particular time could not allow the centralization or rather the localization of the people’s needs. There had to be the consideration of the firm’s staff who are in other locations as opposed to France. At the same time there was the need of having a standardized learning experience for all. The use of e-learning also revolutionized the way communication was done in the company. Again the company put more stress on the content that would be established in the e-learning. They were to do with some of the most fundamental issues to the company. Particularly this is to do with efficient management of the teams in existence and the same time the examination of personal efficiency in the individual team members. This content could be immediately deployed to the relevant parties working for the firm regardless of where they are in the world. The languages used in communication in this case are Chinese, English, French and Spanish. It is seen from the operations of the company that there is quite a diverse community working therein. With the adoption of this method it is seen that common leadership and management skills are imparted in the various managers that are there in a way that proves to be rather efficient. Through this method it is also seen that Lafarge University is in a position to keep tabs with other institutions offering the same kind of services in the world. In this case, therefore, the managers are able to be developed into world class team leaders who are capable of delivering regardless of the environment they are in. There is also adequate training of the when it comes to the skills that are possessed by the managers. This is in the form of modules that are available on the company’s intranet. It is seen that such modules are timed for the purpose of evaluating the managers on whether they can actually deliver in time. This clearly points out that the aspect of time is critical when it comes to the delivery of quality services. There are some skills which are adapted for individual purposes or for group or collective purpose. This enables the people in the company to be in a position to easily adapt to these ever changing situations. The Lessons It is of great importance to understand the fact that in any business environment regardless the area of operation there is bound to be competition. With this revelation it is of significant importance that the business comes up with adequate and relevant ways that can help in handling the issue. Lafarge is one firm which has identified the fact that there is competition, especially due to the fact that it is a multinational company. It is also worth noting that the firm has established that technology can be a tool which is very important especially when it comes to having an upper hand over other industry players. At the same time the delivery of quality services is something which the firm stresses on. Again the firm has realized that the achievement of quality results is a trickle effect. It starts from the top management and trickles down to the employees regardless of the level they are in. that is why it is embarking very much on the betterment of the management of the companies regardless of the locations they are in. with the business of the firm being a global affair it has also been seen that the development of quality leaders who can be in a position to match up with those that are operating in other countries. The main intention is actually to come up with the sort of leaders that can function anywhere in the world with the sort of consistency that is required in any business environment that may be there. References Martin, Frederic (2011), Industrial and Commercial Training Emerald Group Publishing Dale, B et al. (2007), “Managing Quality (5th ed)”, Wiley Blackwell. Read More