THE CHALLENGE

Soudal, the largest independent European manufacturer of sealants, adhesives, and polyurethane foams, faced significant challenges in its training structure, struggling to keep up with rapid growth. With over 4,400 employees across 77 sales affiliates and 28 production facilities, the reliance on in-person training sessions and lengthy Teams calls—often lasting three to four hours—proved unsustainable.

Rob Brouwers, Group HR Specialist in Learning, Development & HR Tools, encountered considerable obstacles in developing an effective training framework for local teams and affiliates: ‘It was challenging to repeat the same concepts as our team kept expanding,’ he remarked. This outdated training approach led to critical issues:

·       Inconsistent training quality: Employees received varying levels of instruction, resulting in significant knowledge gaps.

·       Limited HR resources: With just seven staff members to support the entire workforce, resources were stretched thin.

·       Inefficient training tracking: Relying on Excel to monitor training completion made compliance a nightmare.

Rob knew something had to change.

THE VISION

Rob and his team at Soudal aimed to standardize their training processes to tackle the challenges of rapid growth. By implementing a unified training solution that combines face-to-face and digital training they could provide consistent, high-quality instruction for all employees. This approach would ensure that every affiliate had access to the same knowledge, close critical gaps, and maximize their limited HR resources. Ultimately, aiming to reinforce a learning culture within the entire organization.

THE SOLUTION

1.       Establish a pillar system to promote knowledge sharing and expertise

 Recognizing the need for effective knowledge sharing within a complex organizational structure, Rob and his team established a pillar system at Soudal. Each pillar consists of a coordinator, regional experts, and content authors, facilitating collaboration and preventing double work. This approach fosters knowledge exchange and ensures that training materials are both relevant and high-quality.

To streamline the process, local HR representatives act as key users, managing ‘local learning’ initiatives and tailoring content to meet specific affiliate needs. When existing training materials fall short, the experts in each pillar collaborate to develop targeted topics, guaranteeing that all training is didactically sound and meets the diverse needs of the workforce.

2.       Standardize training content for a diverse and global audience using FLOWSPARKS and GoodHabitz

To address inconsistent training across global affiliates, Soudal uses:

·       FLOWSPARKS Authoring Tool to develop effective in-house e-Learning based on instructional design principles in the easiest         way possible.

·       GoodHabitz to get access to high-quality training modules on various topics.

·       FLOWSPARKS LMS to ensure all employees can access the training programs, wherever, whenever.

This streamlined approach enables Rob to standardize training effectively. He and his team choose relevant courses from the GoodHabitz library and obtain approval from Subject Matter Experts before publishing them on the participant dashboard on the FLOWSPARKS LMS.

Local HR admins assess GoodHabitz materials for relevance and create new courses based on employee needs. As Rob states, ‘We review GoodHabitz training to ensure it aligns with our operations.’

For more tailored training, they develop custom e-Learning programs that seamlessly integrate GoodHabitz modules and in-house content created using FLOWSPARKS. Here’s what a program looks like:

Additionally, withjust one click, they can also offer content in multiple languages, providing aseamless learning experience for all participants while minimizing the effort required from the course creator.

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3.       Motivate self-driven learning with interactive and blended training

With FLOWSPARKS, Rob and his team can efficiently create engaging e-Learning that follows instructional design principles. As Rob puts it, ‘FLOWSPARKS is really different—the e-Learning we make is not boring but attractive to watch.’ This platform allows them to develop interactive modules, moving away from traditional PowerPoint presentations.

Moreover, Rob notes, ‘Thanks to the direct integration between FLOWSPARKS and GoodHabitz, we can create a blended training program on specific topics that combines in-person classroom sessions, GoodHabitz modules, and our in-house developed e-Learning content.’ This is what a blended training program looks like:

‘This approach allows sales affiliates to quickly acquire the product knowledge necessary to meet quotas, while production staff receive targeted training that aligns with their schedules,’ Rob explains.

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4.       Implement a phased rollout—and avoid overwhelming employees

Training is introduced in stages to avoid overwhelming employees. Rob said, ‘We launched training related to a relevant topic, so employees see the added value immediately.’ Soudal started with critical topics and gradually expanded based on feedback. This phased approach included a mix of e-Learning modules and practical activities, enhancing engagement and effectiveness.

The onboarding process was also automated through the integration of FLOWSPARKS with SAP SuccessFactors, ensuring new hires were automatically enrolled in essential training. ‘When a new employee joins Soudal, they are immediately added to FLOWSPARKS,’ Rob explained, which helps prevent information overload in the early stages of employment.

THE IMPACT

By streamlining the training process, Soudal has significantly cut down on repetitive employee questions that once overwhelmed Rob and his team. ‘We’re still in the beginning,’ Rob acknowledges, yet he’s noticed a positive shift: ‘I was surprised to see that even the soft skills training is being followed by our employees.’

Initially, the focus was on product training for the sales affiliates, where the training content was mainly in the form of PowerPoint slides, leading to boring sessions. Their goal was to develop engaging and effective training programs. Recognizing that motivating people to participate in training can be challenging, they’ve embraced the creation of interactive, high-quality and relevant training as part of the solution.