Einführung von Virtual Classroom an 33 Standorten bei Bosch Rexroth
rexroth - A Bosch Company
CASE STUDY

Introducing Virtual Classroom at 33 locations

Bosch Rexroth, the drive and control technology expert, worked with tts to transform the training of key users of its sales planning software from a face-to-face event to a virtual training session.
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Transforming classroom training into virtual classroom training

At Bosch Rexroth, tts was asked to transform the training of key users from a one-week face-to-face event into a virtual training course. The aim was for the 80 sales staff to be able to master and pass on what they had learned just as well as after the traditional training method. The most important aspect: the measure was not to mean any additional time expenditure for the key users.

Fertigungsindustrie
Industry
Manufacturing industry
Standorte
Introduction to
33 Locations
Mitarbeiter
Employees
29,600
Umsatz
Revenue
5,2 billion Euro

In 5 weeks to Virtual Classroom Training

It was a challenging task to transfer the content from the face-to-face sessions into user-friendly, interesting virtual classroom training within five weeks. In addition, 80 participants at 33 locations worldwide had to be motivated to participate again and again from their daily business. The result was a series of events with 14 topics to be covered in twelve sessions. Due to the limited number of participants, a total of 47 sessions took place over 17 weeks.

Deliver professional training that can be implemented directly in the workplace

Increasing learning success, knowledge transfer and sustainability

Easy access to learning materials for key users

Participants take on more responsibility and can put their own experiences, content and questions online

The company saves on labour costs as well as travel costs

learning architects customer quote
For me, the be-all and end-all of training in virtual classrooms is the strength and ability of the trainer. It counts even more here than in face-to-face training. Moreover, it is even more important there to keep the connection to the participants and to carry them along in the sessions. tts brings the right expertise and strengths to make these trainings a success.
rexroth - A Bosch Company
Alexander Ebert
Project rollout manager at Bosch Rexroth

Book a flight, pack your suitcase, spend a week in Germany

This is what Bosch Rexroth's Key User Week used to look like, where around 80 participants from 33 countries were trained. The content was about a special sales planning software, Strategic Prognoses Planning (SPP), which the key users deal with and which they support decentrally in the national companies.

In 2012, there was a change from traditional classroom training to virtual classroom (VC) training. This was a big challenge for everyone involved, as the same topics still had to be taught. The training is indispensable because the key users, as multipliers, pass on what they have learned to their colleagues at the respective locations.

At the beginning, the participants were sceptical whether the same results could be achieved online as in face-to-face training - after all, it used to be possible to concentrate completely on the innovations of the software and applications for a week away from the daily business. "Of course, it was not practical to hold continuous training sessions on the phone and in VC for a whole week," explains Susanne Thiele, Training Consultant at tts, a full service provider in the field of learning.

But it was precisely this that turned out to be a great advantage: "The participants were able to put what they had learned into practice promptly and in their daily work." Questions that only arose in the application could thus be clarified in the next session.

Keeping up is important

Instead of the five face-to-face days, there were twelve sessions with 14 topics that every employee had to attend. To train all 80 key users, 47 sessions were held over 17 weeks. There were bundled blocks and business-related breaks. All events were organised and carried out by tts. "However, these must then be registered as fixed dates," Thiele emphasises. Otherwise, he says, the topic of continuing education gets lost. Another challenge was to motivate the staff again and again when the total of twelve sessions were far apart. Depending on the session, the training lasted 30, 90 or 120 minutes.

But unlike the previous Key User Week with its linear sequence (arrive, learn, leave, pass on), participants now have the opportunity to view material, repeat content, exchange ideas with colleagues and even create content and hold webinars themselves in areas they are good at. Personal relationships are not neglected, however, as participants continue to maintain their networking contacts.

Virtual Classroom is for sharing after the training

In the WebEx Meeting Center, participants can arrange to meet at any time and solve tasks together. "A quiz that accompanies the entire training process increases the motivation to participate," observes Thiele. This was important because the events were held on a voluntary basis.

For the organisers, this type of training was more time-consuming than classroom training - nevertheless, the change was worthwhile for Bosch Rexroth: 85 percent of the target group participated, with an average of eight per session. "For a voluntary event, that's a great success," Thiele emphasises. She attributes the good response, among other things, to the shared portal room where the key users can communicate with each other and find all the documents that are important for their work. Thus, in addition to the financial savings (travel costs, working time, number of trainers), the company has reaped a priceless benefit: Sustainability.

Survey turns out positive

A survey of key users found that 53 per cent would like to continue taking training virtually, with 44 per cent giving a positive verdict, although they still value face-to-face events. "Switching to VC training doesn't mean there will never be face-to-face training again," says Thiele, "but it can be more targeted and with smaller groups." What makes tts and Bosch Rexroth equally happy: in the survey, not a single person stated that online training was pointless and could not replace the real Key User Week. A balanced mix of methods is crucial for success.

The implementation was quick: there were just five weeks between the cancellation of the face-to-face event at the end of June 2012 and the first course at the beginning of August. By the end of November, all contents had been completed. In the meantime, the large-scale rollout has been completed and a certain routine has set in among the staff. "Our customer is observing a higher level of initiative in learning," says Thiele. This means that the key users are taking on more responsibility and demanding topics. "They don't take over the direction, but they know what material they need from us and in what way they want to use it."

Einführung von Virtual Classroom an 33 Standorten bei Bosch Rexroth

Your benefits

Bosch Rexroth can now provide professional training in its IPP project that can be implemented directly in the workplace. This increases learning success, knowledge transfer and sustainability. Since the material is available online in bundled form, all key users have easy access to content with which they can support their end users. The participants thus take on more responsibility and can post their own experiences, content and questions online. The company actually saves on labour costs in addition to travel costs, as the participants complete the sessions in less time than in the face-to-face event.

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