Roland DG Enhances Certification Program for Service Engineers

Hamamatsu, Japan, June 24, 2016 – Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and 3D devices worldwide, today announced that it has enhanced its certification program for service engineers (SEs) engaged in the repair and maintenance of Roland DG products. The new certification program is effective as of June 2016*¹.

Roland DG operates a program of certifying highly skilled and knowledgeable SEs as Roland DG Care Certified Service Engineers* in order to provide high-quality, standardized maintenance services that meet the demands of customers around the world. Until now, certification had been based on the results of internal testing and completion of training courses. The new program places a greater focus on the quality of the SE's daily activities and their professionalism, and features a point-based evaluation scale to ensure more objective certifications. The new system, a cloud-based customer relationship management application, is used to collect data such as customer satisfaction regarding maintenance work and resolution time for addressing customer issues*², and converts the results into points. These points are combined with the points accrued from training history and results of Roland DG Academy Online for service engineers, an online learning platform for SEs that was launched prior to the release of the new certification program. SEs who achieve the required total points are then certified as Roland DG Care Certified Service Engineers. The acquired points are also used to select participants for the Global SE Awards**, a worldwide competition for Roland DG SEs.

Takaaki Koshita, general manager of Roland DG technical services, explained the background leading up to the new certification program. "The new certification program allows us to better manage repair and maintenance levels that are directly related to greater customer satisfaction and helps our SEs become more aware of where they need to grow in order to continue providing an exceptional level of service. SEs can regularly monitor their own results and points accrued, to help them objectively analyze and identify areas of knowledge or skills where they may be lacking." He also added, "SEs can utilize the training content available with Roland DG Academy Online to overcome their own weaknesses and enhance their skill level. The platform provides SEs with access to content via a PC or mobile device to learn the knowledge on products and software that is essential for repairs and maintenance, as well as proper work procedures and know-how, at any time from any location."

Koshita also outlined his future vision and goals for the new program, stating "We are also developing a more advanced online community where SEs can share their skills and best practices over the internet, as well as harness the knowledge of all other SEs to provide assistance when one of them is faced with difficulties. By cultivating a corporate climate and culture aimed at providing a high-quality service by everyone at Roland DG, we hope to develop a more comprehensive customer service and support system.

*1 Operation of the new certification program rolled out starting in Japan and America from June 2016.
*2 The time required for resolving issues after arriving at a customers' offices.

* About the Roland DG Care Certified Service Engineers
Roland DG offers a certification program for its service engineers in order to provide uniform high-quality service to customers worldwide. SEs are instructed in how Roland DG products are built and receive in-depth training on how to carry out product installation, make repairs, conduct inspections and maintenance. Only after passing the certification program proving that they possess appropriate knowledge and skills can trainees be approved as certified SEs.

** About the Global SE Awards
The SE Awards began in 2008 for SEs residing in Japan. In 2013, the competition was opened up to Roland DG SEs worldwide. The second worldwide competition held in 2015 was expanded to include emerging nations and regions. 21 elite SEs selected from around the world gathered at the company's Hamamatsu HQ to compete for the world championship title by demonstrating the abilities and knowledge cultivated in their daily work through problem-solving trials and written exams. The next Global SE Awards is planned to be held in 2018.

For more information, contact:

Nami Shiokawa
+81 (0)53-484-1201
E-Mail：rdg-globalpr@rolanddg.co.jp