Engen is an African-based energy company focused on petroleum products and related businesses. The company’s core functions are the refining of crude oil, the marketing of petroleum products and the provision of an extensive retail network of service stations and convenience stores.
Using the iPad, Engen has found a more efficient way to deliver employee and life skills training which not only improves customer service, but also basic education and ultimately employees’ lives.
When investigating training solutions, Engen wanted to ensure the programme selected offered an open channel of communication with staff that could improve customer service, skills and education.
This was a big challenge due to a widely dispersed service station workforce of over 17 000 staff at over 1 000 sites across South Africa, where many have low levels of literacy. iPad and an in-house app have helped meet these objectives by delivering an engaging and sustainable video-based training programme to over 630 Engen forecourts across the country.
“Being able to reach that number of brand representatives in an effective manner or any kind of sustainable manner has, to this point, been impossible but with the advent of iPads in South Africa, we saw an incredible opportunity.”
A selection committee of technologists pressure-tested iPad against the full range of competitor tablets and the decision was made to purchase iPad due to its stability, zero defects, lowest failure rates amongst all devices tested,
security settings, robustness, manageability and screen quality that is ideal for video-based training. iPad was also found to be simple and intuitive to use and as a result is not intimidating for those who are not technology literate.
“We went through an incredibly rigorous testing process, where we tested more than 12 devices and the only one that survived in the context we needed to use it in was the iPad,” says Reid.
Engaging learning in action
As each iPad was installed on the forecourt of the retail service station, the management team was instructed on use of the iPad and the Engen Learn app, and trained to facilitate and assist the service attendants and cashiers as
they undertake each module. Profiles are created within the app for each staff member and their training results are synchronised into a central database to ensure accurate measurement and analysis.
The Engen Learn app takes advantage of some of iPads key features and makes use of video, animation and interactive elements when creating training content. This means that content is highly engaging, achieves maximum
sensory stimulation and thereby ensures a superior rate of knowledge retention. At the end of each module the staff member is tested to check that they understand the content, further re-enforcing their learning.
“We needed a device that could deliver the user experience needed to keep people engaged. For the first time we have something that is not scary, its super engaging and allows us to deliver video-based education which overcomes
a huge amount of the challenges related to low literacy,” says Reid.
Exposure to relevant training
The Engen Learn app allows for constant updates to the learning material and feedback from participating staff. The training modules offered then focus specifically on the needs of the staff impacted and new modules are continually
added to the training programme.
Additionally, if a staff member has low literacy levels, the Engen Learn app has been set up to read the training material and assessment. This means that no one is excluded from using the app, giving all staff members equal opportunity to progress and results in increased staff member exposure to the training.
“The ability that anybody, even without any education is able to work their way through the programme, has allowed us to train our frontline staff on customer service and give them those very valuable life skills,” says Ann Bennetts, customer experience manager, Engen
Sustainability analysis
The Engen Learn app ensures that staff are better equipped as life-long learners, having developed skills, values and attitudes associated with the training intervention. This not only improves their ability to offer better customer
service, but also provides the much needed education and skills required to improve their lives and communities.
Ultimately, the combination of iPad and the Engen Learn app offers a sustainable solution that contributes to both the success of the staff and the company.
“We could never have imagined that we could complete 145 000 training modules. I asked our training manager to look at what that would have taken us previously and it would of taken us 25 years to achieve that with the old
methodology we were using and we’ve achieved that in one year,” says Bennetts.
“Without the iPad, none of this would have been possible,” concludes Reid.