Brabender Emphasizes Online Training for Software Implementation

The software manufacturer Brabender Solutions AG is taking new approaches to the implementation and training of its software. A training kit is provided to the respective customers. The Mannheim branch of Neska Schifffahrts- und Speditionskontor GmbH is the first to benefit from this new offering.

(Unterägeri/Mannheim) A suitcase for virtual classrooms full of concentration and time savings. With a plug-and-play training kit for video-based online training, the Brabender Group, based in Unterägeri, Switzerland, reduces its training time by 80 percent. In the ongoing project with Neska Schifffahrts- und Speditionskontor GmbH, the Mannheim location was the first to undergo the new online training concept.

On July 1, 2020, the Brabender logistic suite was launched on schedule at the first location, with ten more locations in Germany to follow. To implement the plan in accordance with Corona hygiene regulations, Brabender completely switched its in-person training to online formats ad hoc. As a result, the personnel deployment per training session was reduced from five to one day while maintaining the same group size.

Integral Part

Born out of necessity, the online training concept, including the plug-and-play training kit as a purchase or rental solution, is now a fixed part of the Brabender training center’s offerings. The first four groups of ten participants have completed the two-morning program. Another 100 participants will follow in the coming months. Participants receive compact learning units via video according to a fixed agenda and implement their own work processes in coordinated practical exercises using the new software. Trainers connect individually as needed via video conferencing systems like Zoom, Teams, or GoToMeeting, immediately addressing participant questions and actively concluding the learning unit with everyone.

The efficient training in the virtual classroom has proven particularly effective for complex logistics processes, such as the multimodal transport processes in the Neska Logistics business area. The logistics suite is used there as a Transport Management System (TMS) and Warehouse Management System (WMS) with all functions. “In addition to the measurable time savings when onboarding employees into the new software universe, the virtual classroom also makes a valuable contribution to the change process towards a digital mindset. The system is simple and works well after the usual initial skepticism,” reports Lukas Heinen, project manager at Neska. “The shorter and more flexible training sessions are much easier to schedule into everyday business. Follow-up questions after the training occur naturally online and no longer require long-planned additional in-person events.”

Mix of Videos, Practice, and Exchange

The mix of short videos, practical exercises, and exchange conveys the handling of the software in user-oriented modules from order entry to billing. Participants engage with the material at their own pace and practice with trainer support in their own work processes, all without travel expenses.

“After the sudden lockdown, we, like many providers in our industry, suddenly faced the challenge of offering training virtually. Overnight, we switched completely to online formats and immediately invested in portable technology for our customers,” recalls Thomas Brabender. “Without the usual dynamics in groups and cumbersome organization including travel, we save a lot of time today. I never expected that video-supported online training would have such an effect.”

Photo: © Brabender

www.brabender-group.com     www.neska.com