Ediya Coffee Corporation is a coffeehouse chain based in Seoul, South Korea. Having opened its first store in the metropolitan area in 2001, Ediya Coffee was founded on the principles of providing reasonably priced, high-quality coffee. In 2019, Ediya Coffee earned the distinction of being the most preferred coffee brand amongst all other domestic brands. The preferred coffee chain now has more than 3,200 retail stores, with more than 2,800 employees across the country, and is continuing to grow.
For Ediya employees, Microsoft Office proficiencies in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are among the most essential on-the-job skills required to perform their work duties. As a result, Ediya began searching for a way to provide and validate the skills its employees would need to perform their daily work tasks more effectively.
Implementing Certification
In 2019, YBM, Certiport’s partner in Korea, introduced the Microsoft Office Specialist certifications to Ediya Coffee. The Microsoft Office Specialist program provides individuals with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively use Microsoft Office on the job. Ediya chose the Microsoft Office Specialist Program because it is recognized internationally and is the only certification endorsed by Microsoft. Further, Ediya appreciated that the practicality of the Exam Objectives aligned with the skills needed for daily tasks. Ultimately, Ediya believed the Microsoft Office Specialist exams were the best solution for validating their employee’s performance skills on Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint applications.
Employee Incentive
In the first year, Ediya Coffee Corp. established an employee incentive program which provides a pathway for advancement for all employees who pass the Microsoft Office Specialist Word, Excel, and PowerPoint exams. Each successful Microsoft Office Specialist certification earns employees five points per exam. Employees that earn a total of fifteen points are rewarded for their accomplishment by becoming eligible for a promotion.
Preparing for and Taking the Exam
The COVID-19 global pandemic prevented people from gathering in training centers to prepare for and take the exams. And because Ediya did not have its own educational infrastructure, helping its employees earn their certifications presented a challenge. As a solution, and as a way to help prepare employees for the certification exams, Ediya and YBM provided online courseware to employees at a reasonable price.
Further, as the facilities at Ediya Coffer were not suitable for testing, it was difficult to have the entire staff take the exams internally. With the help of YBM, employees were able to take their exam, at times convenient to them, at Certiport Authorized Testing Centers (CATCs) located in major metropolitan areas around the country.
Results
In 2020, Ediya Coffee had approximately 100 employees attempt a Microsoft Office Specialist certification -- a majority of which passed the exam and earned their certification. Ediya Coffee Corporation is now anticipating that more than 500 employees across the country will take the Microsoft Office Specialist certifications in 2021.
The Microsoft Office Specialist certification has helped Ediya Coffee employees work more productively and efficiently than before, enabling employees to complete their tasks by the due dates more consistently, while simultaneously eliminating the need for overtime hours.
As a result of the increased office productivity among Ediya Coffee Corporation’s employees, Ediya intends to provide the online courseware to all employees at the company’s expense in 2021 with plans to offer the offline courseware and certifications exams through an internal infrastructure thereafter.