A traditional, mid-sized engineering company had been taken over by a large global player. The new parent was keen for the new daughter to take advantage of the possibilities of global sourcing. The work of the logistics and procurement staff suddenly had an international aspect that demanded basic, but effective English language skills – not at the level of negotiating contracts but at the nuts-and-bolts level of arranging delivery schedules and tracking missing parts. The challenge was to help the staff turn their existing, limited English language skills into an effective business tool that would ensure that the right goods got to the right place at the right time.

To help the circa 70 members of the logistics and procurement department to deal comfortably and effectively with non-German speaking suppliers at a practical level.

A 2-month blended learning program that combined 2-day intensive contact phases with distance-learning phases consisting of telephone role plays and written / electronic learning units.
The success of the program was based on the practical and flexible nature of the structure and the strongly work-related content.