Client Success Story: Delivering 347% Return on Investment in the Aerospace Industry

The Client Need

In 2005, EP was selected for the development of a new core mid-level leadership training program for the largest aerospace company in the world. The target population for this program is 4,000 – 4,500 mid-level managers.

The client required an experiential program that would help accelerate the organizations new strategic plan by:

• Changing leadership behaviors to support the execution of the organization’s strategic objectives.
• Providing participants with the financial skills and tools required to analyze business opportunities and use the organization’s key financial indicators to track performance.
• Helping participants identify and communicate internal and external customers’ needs and remove organizational barriers to meeting these needs.
• Implementing a new performance management processes to improve performance of direct reports through accurate appraisal of strengths and weaknesses; providing constructive feedback; and being directly involved in skill development.

The EP Solution

The solution deployed was a 4 ½ day classroom program with an integrated business simulation. The program included instructional elements, practice sessions, simulation and debrief activities. A Business Planner was designed to help participants transfer the newly acquired skills and concepts back to the workplace.

The development cycle was extremely short (six weeks) with a mandate for the effort being “flawless execution.” EP met both the time line and the goal for this extremely ambitious effort. In addition to the original scope; ROI measurement and a 90-day follow-up session were added.

Benefits / Outcomes

The program impact was measured over the initial 30 program deliveries, with the average net ROI being just over $900,000 or 347% per program. The business impact was measured over the first six months following participant’s completion of the program. ALL costs associated with the programs – including development, delivery, time, travel, etc. were included in the total cost.

Benefits were measured by a third party hired by the client company.

Since 2005, there have been over 120 4 ½ day programs delivered for this population as well as thirty 1 ½ day follow-up sessions 90 days after the initial program offering.

The program has been the company’s most successful leadership development program:

• Highest ratings for leadership development among the company’s offerings (Level 1)
• Highest ROI (Level 4)