2022 GSM Conference Returns after a Three-year Pause

The GSM Conference, which was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been held for the first time in three years. Five Global Service Managers (GSMs) from Hyundai Construction Equipment’s Central America, Africa, Brazil, Middle East, and Asia Branches participated in this year’s conference. The GSMs and employees from the HCE headquarter strengthened their determination for a brave new leap toward the company’s growth. Let us dive into what happened in the event.

Strengthens Their Ambition toward Growth as a Team

The 2022 GSM Conference took place from May 23^rd to May 31^st. Taking place every year, HCE holds the conference for the Global Service Managers (GSMs), who serve as a bridge connecting the headquarter with the dealers in the company’s overseas branches. The event has been put on pause for three years since 2019 due to the pandemic, but Hyundai Construction Equipment decided to resume the conference this year.

This year’s conference involved various events, including a session where the HQ shared its service policies for 2022 with the GSMs, a discussion on the issues in each GSM’s region, a technical training session, and a tour of Korean culture. The technical training session that took place from May 25th to May 27th at Eumseong Global Education Center received the most enthusiastic response from the participants.

The company designed the curriculum for the technical training a month before the conference based on the response to a survey asking for the most desired training. The participants learned about engines such as the HX-S series and the motor graders, and the new forklift model, 45D-9VB. For the last three years, the GSMs were forced to take the training through online meetings because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with this year’s face-to-face training, the participants were highly satisfied. One GSM commented, “It was much easier to understand than online training, and I think it will help me with my tasks a lot because the curriculum was designed just the way I wished it to be.”

The company designed the curriculum for the technical training a month before the conference based on the response to a survey asking for the most desired training. The participants learned about engines such as the HX-S series and the motor graders, and the new forklift model, 45D-9VB. For the last three years, the GSMs were forced to take the training through online meetings because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with this year’s face-to-face training, the participants were highly satisfied. One GSM commented, “It was much easier to understand than online training, and I think it will help me with my tasks a lot because the curriculum was designed just the way I wished it to be.”

Q. The GSM conference had to wait a while for it to resume. It would feel different having hold the event for the first time three years. How did you feel preparing for the conference?

We had a lot to take care of unlike the last conference in 2019. We have put a lot of caution into preparing the event because it is our first time inviting people from abroad in three years. The first thing we realized is that there was so much to check. We had to check the vaccination status and the quarantine procedure for each GSM, and we had to take the PCR tests upon entering/exiting the country into account.

No team in the company has experienced events involving foreigners recently, so we had to contact the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the Korean immigration office, and the Incheon International Airport to verify the most recent quarantine guidelines for foreigners. We also had to take care of the GSM’s visa, and even the foods acceptable for each participant’s religion. If it weren’t for our PS team members and the cooperation from other teams, this year’s conference would have been a disaster.

Q. What would you wish the GSMs took home from this year’s GSM Conference?

Before the pandemic, the conference focused on forming within the GSMs a sense of belonging in Hyundai Construction Equipment and helping them “level up” their technical skills. But for this year, we focused on giving them hope of returning to the pre-COVID times. Indeed, we used the phrase “Pandemic is almost over and we can return as before” the most in this year’s conference.

Furthermore, this year’s conference involved a tour of Mabuk-ri Reliability Center and the GRC which is under construction right now. We wish the tour showed the GSMs the ever-growing and ever-challenging mentality of the company.

Q. Why do you think the GSM conferences are necessary?

The GSMs are the representatives of our company meeting the dealers in their region. As they represent our company, they are required to understand the HCE’s service policies flawlessly and to be proficient technical experts.

Although the pandemic made video calls and training more common, it cannot win face-to-face training in terms of comprehensibility and relatability. This is what I think makes GSM conferences necessary.

Specifically, this year’s education in the Eunseong Global Education Center received a passionate response from the GSM who longed for in-person training sessions. I heard that the instructors were bewildered by the endless questions the GSMs asked during the classes, and the participants also commented that the face-to-face training helped them enormously in enhancing their technical skills.

I believe the skills and service policies they got from this year’s conference will be greatly helpful for supporting the local dealers and providing after-sales management.

Q. Any comments you would like to tell the GSMs participated in the conference?

I give you my sincere gratitude for taking the risks and participating in the conference during the pandemic. Specifically, I cannot thank Jamii from the Africa branch enough, for he visited the event briefly despite the personal issues he was going through.

As I mentioned earlier, I hope this year’s conference helped you learn a lot about our company, and I wish you bring home the hope of returning to the pre-COVID times as we face the end-stage of the pandemic. We will meet you again next year with a more fulfilling GSM conference. Thank you very much.

Q. Please introduce yourself briefly.

Sivakumar

This is Sivakumar from the HCE Jebel Ali office, and I am working as a GSM since January 2013. I am in charge of after-sales service support for dealers in the Middle East, East Africa, and Southern Africa regions.

Helio Junior

My name’s Helio Junior, I am from Brazil and I have been working in HCEB for 9 years. I am currently in charge of about 7 countries in South America, including Argentina and Chile in South America which have a big economies.

Q. What was the most memorable and valuable program that HCE prepared?

Sivakumar

All the program prepared at the GSM conference was memorable and valuable. Especially, the HQ arranged a visit to our new R&D center, which was very informative. We were able to learn and witness how our machines and their components are tested by our R&D team.

Helio Junior

It was a wonderful opportunity to understand the Korean culture and the Hyundai spirit. We learned how the world changed its mindset during the pandemic, and it was an important key to understanding the now and the future of the Hyundai group. Also, it is a very important opportunity for meeting my colleagues from other regions and Korea, and for sharing each other’s experiences.

Q. How about the customer and market’s feedback for HCE machine in your region?

Sivakumar

In general, our customers are very happy with our machine performance and operator comfortability. Our crawler excavators and wheeled excavators are especially considered as having the best quality and value.

Helio Junior

The feedback from customers and operators is always good. During the factory visit, the customers say good things about the machines and their performance. But occasionally they share with us information on which parts need improvements. We take these opinions seriously because it is important to listen to the customers and the users operating the machines for making better products.

Q. Do you think this conference will be helpful to you supporting your dealers & customers in your region?

Sivakumar

Of course. The face-to-face interactions were better for understanding each other’s ideas, During the technical training at the GTC, we learned and understood a lot about the technical information. The meetings with the HQ employees and the training I got through this conference will be as helpful for our dealers and customers as it was for me.

Helio Junior

For me, it was my first time participating in a GSM conference and meeting with others GSMs. I had such a great time sharing opinions and experiences with each other through this face-to-face event.

Q. Are there any other programs or events you wish HCE could hold for the GSM in the future?

Sivakumar 

I would like the headquarter to hold the GSM conference every year in April or May. Also, although the current programs are excellent, I wish the company could prepare an overseas training program for GSMs for our international competitors such as ZF in Germany, Cummins in the US, wheel loaders and motor graders from China, and ADT in Finland.

Helio Junior

I wish the GSMs could participate in international conventions such as BAUMA or CONEXPO to gather information on our competitors and their customer support. By visiting the conventions, we are not only promoting our company but we can also scrutinize what our competitors are doing. They are showing everything they have to offer such as their new models and new tools at the conventions, which makes it a great opportunity for us to examine them for our benefit.

Q. Any comments or opinion after participating in this year’s GSM conference?

Sivakumar

This year's GSM conference was very well arranged and organized. A huge thanks to the HCE headquarter and our PS team for the valuable GSM conference!

Helio Junior

It was my first time participating, I was able to learn a lot from the experience. It was very important for understanding the structure and the supporting system that our headquarter has. I wish the next conference would give more focus to the new machines such as the wheel loaders from Hyundai Doosan Infracore that the company launches soon because it is important for us to be familiar with the new models before it releases in the market. When the dealers start to ask for information about the new models and we don’t have enough information, we need to contact the HQ. This isn’t so time-efficient, and we could lose potential customers because of this. I am looking forward to participating in the next year’s GSM conference, and I wish I could learn more from it.