No. 6
Internal and External Communications Inc.
Business: Interactive training programs
Location: Marina del Rey
Percentage Growth: 244
In 1983, Alexandra Rand had a startling insight: companies were spending thousands, or even millions, maintaining big in-house employee training departments but much of the job could be done by a machine.
Specifically, a personal computer, using software developed by her fledgling company, Internal and External Communications.
When IEC was founded 14 years ago, it had 17 employees. But with the growth of personal computers, along with CD-ROMs, the Marina del Rey company is hopping. It now has more than 150 employees and achieved a 1994-96 revenue growth rate of 244 percent.
“We provide a high return on investment,” Rand said. “We provide cost-effective training that also makes learning fun. The Generation X workforce needs great production values and fun elements that make learning more like a game.”
It’s not just fun and games at the company. When IEC takes on a new client, it agrees to specific business goals to measure its performance productivity increases, reduced turnover, and reduction of training expenses, for example.
Raymond Lindland, national training and communications manager for Lexus automobiles, has spent four years working with IEC and finds that “they are leading-edge in terms of technology and self instruction.
“They are very knowledgeable not only of current technology, but what’s coming down the road. We try to build the best and have the best service, and IEC has the same approach,” he said.
Lindland cites numerous advantages to the IEC approach. New employees can start training on their first day without having to wait for a seminar. Also, employees can schedule training at the most convenient time, and it’s easy to update the system.
Besides Lexus, IEC’s clients include Federal Express Corp., Citibank, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch and Price Waterhouse.
Stephenie Overman
