Mobile learning sustainment
and performance support
About Suez
GE Water brings together experienced professionals and advanced technologies to solve the world’s most complex problems related to water scarcity, quality, productivity, the environment and energy.
In 2017, GE Water was acquired by Suez. Suez Water Technologies partners with customers around the world to provide solutions for the toughest industrial water and process challenges.
Key Features
- Mobile microlearning platform
- 50 out-of-the-box learning metrics
- Adaptive learning technology
The Challenge
How can we ensure our people still know what they need to know beyond the classroom?
What happens to your learners after training is over? How much of it truly sticks? What insight do you have about your learners once they complete their training? This was the challenge Suez (formerly GE Water) faced as it struggled to manage learning retention beyond the classroom.
After investing in a world-class sales methodology, delivered through a two-day workshop, Suez wanted to guarantee and maximize the learning output from this marquee training event. With an already mature learning culture in place, supported by a robust 100-day post-training program, Suez wanted to ensure transfer of learning had indeed occurred.
Suez needed a solution that directly met their learning sustainment challenges to maximize
– and protect – the significant investment they were making into their sales training workshops, and to better empower their salespeople to succeed in the field.
SwissVBS leveraged its ECHO platform as the enabler of Suez’s new reinforcement strategy and program.
A Learning Reinforcement Plan
Applying the full functionality of the ECHO platform, we created a learning reinforcement program consisting of scheduled retrieval practices (i.e., short quizzes, providing dynamic feedback), smart tips, flashcards, microlearning modules, podcasts, job aids and awards to promote usage of the app. Push notifications were used as gentle reminders to keep practicing and drive higher learning retention. With a need for short, spaced bursts of retrieval activity that learners could consume at will, mobile was a perfect fit.
The Adaptive Learning Engine
Behind the scenes, the training was broken down into its essential learning skills – or core competencies – which served as the foundation for the experience. All content, whether a practice question or tip, was tagged to one or more of the competencies. This allowed ECHO to work its magic through a dynamic and intelligent distribution of retrieval practices. By combining ECHO’s intelligent curation system with a competency-based approach to program design, learners received an individualized reinforcement experience that identified knowledge gaps and worked to resolve them in real time.
A Modern Learning Experience
For learners, the experience was tailored to their precise needs, available wherever they were, whenever they wanted. With an elegant app experience, a continuous learning culture was born, introducing a new way of learning that wasn’t disruptive to their workflow. Five minutes a day, three times a week: That’s all learners needed to fight the forgetting curve and better impact performance.
“The key feature and benefit for the continued use of ECHO is pretty clear to me: it's the Adaptive Learning Engine!"
J. David Jarvis, Global Leader, Learning & Development
Results
Measurable Impact
The results were clear: An A/B study revealed that those who had completed retrieval practices had higher learning retention rates than those who hadn’t. In post-pilot surveys, over 95% of users:
- Believed the program helped solidify their knowledge and skills
- Intended to use the app beyond the pilot study
- Felt more confident about applying key sales concepts to their next sales interaction
- Would recommend the app to a colleague
ECHO’s robust learning analytics provided unprecedented access to meaningful data, informing and adding value to the learning experience. Competency strengths could be identified on an individual or group basis, both as a snapshot or in terms of historical trends. This was actionable data that could be used to look into the past, the present and the future — helping GE make data-driven decisions with its learning unit.
A True Microlearning Platform
After a series of successful pilots, today, ECHO now serves multiple groups in various locations around the world — providing a comprehensive, mobile-deployed learning and support program spanning the entire user journey – from pre-work to in-classroom polling to post-classroom reinforcement and on-the-job performance.
Serving as support for a blended environment, the program architecture combines pre-learning assessment, in-classroom knowledge checks and interactive live polls, reinforcement practices, tips, flashcards, curated resources, real-life sales simulations, mentor support and job aids — a true microlearning platform that adds tremendous value to the organization.
"The response to the use of ECHO has been very positive. Our users love the intuitiveness of the app, but also appreciate the opportunity to engage with the learning content again in a post-classroom environment."
J. David Jarvis, Global Leader, Learning & Development
Watch the interview
“I'm using the data today first as a facilitator. It allows me to course-correct if I need to. I get an instantaneous read or what I call a temperature check if learners are picking up the key concepts from the program. Behind the scenes, the analytics provide valuable information about who is developing their competencies after the class, and also understanding who isn't, so that we can offer them additional support. The power of the analytics, the dashboards that we have behind the tool - it is amazing!"
J. David Jarvis, Global Leader, Learning & Development
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