Spaced Learning: An approach to increase knowledge retention at Maruti

Conducting successful and scalable training for all is a fairly large and cost-intensive challenge. Especially if you are Maruti Suzuki India Limited, one of the leading manufacturers of passenger vehicles in India. With 3904 service centers, 3617 sales outlets and 1934 cities covered by service network, MSIL has one of the largest workforces, spread across different regions, with multi-variate skill requirements and levels. To maintain the brand value across this vast network and their ‘unbeatable First Time Right Score’ at the service centers, regular training for the MSIL workforce, including external dealers, was an imperative. Singular events of training the service engineers, sales rep or customer service executives were simply not enough to ensure that the training given to these employees was effective enough to maintain the brand goodwill continuously.

With our 20+ years of experience in the learning industry, GCube was approached to analyze the challenges specific to the automobile industry. One of the key results they were looking for was an increase in knowledge retention based on role, responsibility and KPIs. To counter the major issue of loss of knowledge after a few days of training and lack of engagement with the training content, GCube developed a problem specific learning solution called the Spaced Learning Program.

The Spaced Learning Program was designed to reinforce learning and improve performance through greater training recall. The idea was to define the pre-training and post-training engagements for the batches who are to go through the training programs. The entire program was divided into multiple knowledge bites in various formats and scheduled even before the training has taken place. The training triggers a chain of events which engages the learners at every step, before and after the training while ensuring they remember their training.

What problems did the Spaced Learning Program solve?

Increased engagement

For Maruti, engagement was critical on 3 levels: cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. Poor information retention, passive learning, and a lack of commitment were factors leading to training and development challenges. Once the training program was scheduled for a group, the Spaced Learning Program was designed to identify the training content for defined group based on the pre and post training knowledge. This was then shared with the attendees throughout the course period. These exercises encouraged learners to participate in constructive problem-solving, which improved cognitive engagement.

Multi-media content for different learning habits

Maruti manufactures 1.5 million cars a year with over 150 variants, services almost 46000 cars everyday and has around 15,945 employees. Keeping up with the industry standards and latest technologies, is a must at MSIL. Once the trainer planned and delivered their training strategy successfully, it is implemented through the Spaced Learning Program which included different types of training content like customized e-courses, game-based learning, case studies, surveys, articles, videos, and assessments.

Training schedule, communication, and tracking

The above mentioned numbers are a challenge in itself and to keep a track of the progress made by the employees involved can be simply termed as ‘impossible’. But to ensure training progress MSIL had to plan content around the training program and send it out to attendees at regular intervals along with pre-determined notifications to ensure participation and knowledge retention. To capture the attention of the attendees and ensure better knowledge retention for longer duration, the Spaced Learning Program created an automated learning schedule even before a trainee joined. This gave the trainee view of what they will learn, when they will learn it and what the company expects from them without anyone having to keep a track but progression happening automatically.

Spaced Learning for Maruti in a Nutshell

Let us have a look at some of the benefits of a Spaced Learning Program:

• Administrators and trainers may use the Spaced Learning Software to incorporate refreshers or continuous learning programs to classroom training. This curriculum may include a SCORM course, an assessment, an HTML course, or links to other resources. These learning styles can be time sensitive, and learners are notified via email/SMS when new ones become available.
• The Spaced Learning Program module is configurable and can be switched on/off based on the requirement in an automobile company.
• Stand-alone classroom training or time-bound non-blended programs or courses can be added to the Spaced Learning program.
• Repetition and reinforcement of information is delivered through different formats to improve understanding and increase recall.
• Engagement and application strengthen key learning and improves retention.
  
  

The auto industry has people at the core of all business innovation and growth. Upgrading to a learning and information acquisition approach allows the people to remember their training and apply what they’ve learned. This in turn minimizes errors for the organization and helps people see growth in their careers. With GCube’s Spaced Learning Program, Maruti, helped their trainees to better recall a wide range of topics covered during the training session, which in turn played a strategic role in improving organizational performance.

At GCube, we have 20 years of experience and 100+ industry awards in learning technologies; and would love to hear your thoughts, queries, and suggestions. Please do write to us at info@gc-solutions.net.

Walking the Gemba Walk and Talking the Gemba Talk

 The discussion started with increasing dealership employee efficiency. As a LMS provider our go-to solution was the OJE feature of our LMS that has proved to be quite effective in managing the said issue, but our auto industry client had a story. They were apparently using the traditional Japanese method of GEMBA walk for their operations team and that got us thinking about how this could be customized for training and process evaluation at dealerships.

Let’s get the obvious questions out of the way.

WHAT IS GEMBA?

Gemba is Japanese for “the real place”. Gemba walks, are an integral part of Lean Management Philosophy.

WHY GEMBA WALK?

Gemba is a real opportunity for your team members and you, to shake up the daily routine, see where the real work happens and build meaningful relationships with workers based on mutual trust.

This beautiful, people-centric working method that is demonstrated in the Gemba walks process required a little customization to be used optimally for dealership servicing department and here’s how it was done.

Designing the Gemba Walk Process – To conduct an effective Gemba walk, it is critical that the managers or supervisors understand the purpose, process, and expected outcome before they start. So, a predefined process, prerequisites, and steps need to be available for them to study and implement which were made available on the LMS for the expectation setting of the workforce.

Adequate Training with Simulations – Using the LMS to train the managers and leaders on Gemba mechanism and objectives through simulations proves to be an advantage. To ensure that the objective of Gemba is not derailed, certain soft skills need to be reiterated at regular intervals through the LMS.

Provision for Process Improvement Submissions – Gemba is an inclusive process which requires all stakeholders to be able to contribute to the betterment of processes. Therefore, the LMS should also be used to roll out a training for basic understanding and purpose of Gemba for all employees. The LMS here plays a very important role by allowing the workers contribute process improvement ideas, which should be reviewed by leaders before starting a Gemba walk.

Idea Validation – All ideas for improvement must be validated, but in a controlled environment. This allows for measurement of results of implemented changes, which can then be reviewed on the LMS before a mass change is implemented in the process.

Training on New Process – Once an improvement is implemented, the new process needs to be explained and the floor must be trained on the changes to the process along with the ‘why’ behind it. Here your trusted LMS becomes a crucial tool. With mechanisms to track all the impacted roles, training roll out and completion status in one dashboard, the LMS supports the end-to-end lifecycle of a Gemba walk.

Toyota has successfully implemented Gemba on their shop floors with leaders who have imbibed the concept into their leadership style. Award-winning Professor of Lean Leadership, Jeffrey Liker, talks about his experiences while writing his book ‘The Toyota Way’. He mentions how George Yamashina, the President of the Toyota Technical Center, wandered everywhere, observed work, asked questions but never gave any advice. Instead, he would identify gaps that needed to be plugged and would send his observations and suggestions to managers without making it a direct order. Toyota has used Gemba to the point that at every level of management, from supervisor to senior leadership, is doing Gemba walks from their perspective, and doing it in a prepared approach, with structured outcomes in mind.

At GCube, we have 20 years of experience and 80+ industry awards in learning technologies. To know more about products and services, please do write to us.