From offline to digital: how Dnipro-M created a learning system for 2,000+ employees
Dnipro-M is not just a company, it is an employer that believes in its people and creates maximum opportunities for their development. Every day, more than 2,000 employees can gain new knowledge, take courses, and improve their professional skills.
They are confident that the growth of the company begins with the growth of its team. Being part of Dnipro-M means having access to quality education, opportunities for professional growth, and feeling genuine support.
Just a few years ago, training at the company was based on offline training sessions. Today, it is a full-fledged digital platform where newcomers undergo adaptation, experienced employees compete in knowledge marathons, and receive bonuses in the corporate gift shop for their successes. Behind this is a small but powerful learning team.
Olha Savchenko, Head of the online education department at Dnipro-M, tells us how corporate learning has transformed at Dnipro-M and what tools have helped make it exciting and effective.
Dnipro-M is a Ukrainian brand of tools established in 2011. For over ten years, it has been assisting people in building, creating, and improving the world around them. The brand offers thousands of solutions, ranging from power and hand tools to consumables and protective equipment.
Today, there are over 600 Dnipro-M salons operating in Ukraine, and this network is growing every year. The company is expanding internationally: the brand is already represented in more than seven European countries.
Launch of e-learning: how Dnipro-M launched online learning
Dnipro-M e-learning was introduced in 2020. Prior to that, all learning was conducted exclusively offline: from product learning to the development of professional competencies of employees.
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a serious challenge for the company: offline learning became impossible, but the need for high-quality staff training remained critical. This prompted the search for an online solution that would meet all needs in the new reality.
The company needed an online platform with advanced learning personalization options, flexible trajectories, and automation features. That is how Dnipro-M came to use LMS Collaborator.
«One of the most important advantages of LMS Collaborator, which impresses me the most, is its powerful analytical capabilities. The platform provides detailed statistics in various formats, available with just one click. We can track engagement and course completion rates, time spent viewing materials in training programs, generate summary reports on users, and analyze results after course completion. This allows us to effectively evaluate the quality of learning, identify weaknesses, and adjust training strategies in a timely manner.», – says Olha Savchenko, head of the online education department at Dnipro-M.
Today, 95% of Dnipro-M employees are involved in the learning process through LMS Collaborator. The system covers various types of training programs:
- Mandatory internship programs for newcomers;
- Learning about work tools and processes;
- Advanced learning for central office employees;
- Additional mini-training sessions on topics useful in everyday work.
Internships, marathons, knowledge base: how the Dnipro-M team learns
Dnipro-M has several internship programs that vary depending on the position and field of work of the employee.
For employees of the central office, adaptation begins with getting acquainted with the company.
After registering in LMS Collaborator, employees automatically gain access to the “Start with Dnipro-M” program. In it, they learn about the company’s history, mission, values, and basic principles of operation.
“Start with Dnipro-M” training program
After completing the online course, employees are invited to an offline meeting where they can personally interact with colleagues, learn more about the corporate culture, and get answers to their questions. This approach combines the advantages of online learning and live communication, which promotes better adaptation.
A structured online training program has been implemented through the learning portal for salon employees, which takes place in several stages:
STAGE 1. During the first 5 days, the employee learns the main categories of tools and basic operations with the program. This allows them to quickly familiarize themselves with the product and master key work processes.
STAGE 2. Over the next 5-7 days, the employee is assigned a course on working with the programs necessary for performing daily operations. This course is implemented using SCORM resources, which provide an interactive learning format. It also adds the ability to practice in a safe environment.
STAGE 3. After successfully completing the basic courses, the employee moves on to a detailed study of the entire product range. This is an in-depth training program designed to last 2.5 months. However, thanks to the online format, employees can study at their own pace and complete the program faster.
Dnipro-M Knowledge Marathon
In addition to adaptation, the company conducts training marathons in LMS Collaborator.
The last training marathon consisted of five trajectories, each corresponding to a separate day.
Every day, participants underwent certification. If they passed, they gained access to the next stage, which contained tasks and materials to prepare for the following day.
Dnipro-M Knowledge Marathon
If not, the system automatically notified them that their competition for the grand prize (bonuses) was over and motivated them to continue learning in order to maintain their activity in the ranking.
Participants could follow the rankings, which were updated daily. They could see who was still in the game and who had been eliminated, which added excitement and motivated them to try harder.
At the end, everyone who successfully completed the marathon received bonuses to purchase souvenirs at the gift shop.
«One of the challenges we faced was regular mandatory learning on the same topics that employees had to take every year. To minimize negative perceptions of repetitive courses, we developed an adaptive learning system. Thanks to learning paths, employees first take a test, and depending on the results, the system automatically assigns them either a full course or a shortened version with updated materials. This has reduced the burden on employees, saved them time, and at the same time ensured effective knowledge renewal», – Olha says.
The knowledge base in LMS Collaborator serves as a supplementary educational resource. It stores materials that are not part of the mandatory curriculum but are useful for professional development. For example, courses on PowerPoint, Excel, programming basics, and other skills. Employees choose what interests them and take these courses at a convenient time.
Motivation and engagement: gift shop and internal bonuses
To encourage employees to actively participate in training programs and internal activities, the Dnipro-M team decided to move away from standard methods. This led to the idea of opening a gift shop on the portal. According to Olha Savchenko, Head of Dnipro-M’s online education department, launching the gift shop was an interesting challenge, and the team did not expect such a high level of interest from employees.
The most time-consuming part of the launch was selecting souvenir products: the team carefully analyzed the market and tested dozens of options to choose the best ones in terms of price and quality. Branded merchandise was of particular interest to employees.
The entire process of selecting, testing, and manufacturing the products took about two months.
Dnipro-M gift shop
The first day of the store’s operation exceeded expectations – it seemed that every employee visited the portal to view the available courses and find bonuses.
The launch of the gift shop helped to further encourage the team to learn and celebrate employee achievements.
They receive bonuses not only for completing courses, but also for participating in activities, competitions, and for high performance at work. And for significant achievements, they receive certificates for purchases in the store, which has become an additional incentive for engagement and increased productivity.
Benefits of implementation and future plans: AI, multilingualism, and educational program development
Together with LMS Collaborator, Dnipro-M managed to significantly simplify and automate a number of processes. One of the solutions was to create a series of micro-training courses in the form of “quick guides.”
To do this, the team uses adaptive LMS pages. They contain short videos in reels format with concise explanations of key points. This format is particularly well suited for dynamic learning, when you need to quickly familiarize employees with new tools or processes without spending a lot of time on large courses.
Another important step was the complete automation of mandatory occupational safety training courses.
«Overall, implementing LMS Collaborator has helped us not only simplify the learning process, but also make it more personalized, convenient, and effective for all employees», – adds Olha.
Regarding development plans, the Dnipro-M team is actively exploring the potential of using artificial intelligence in learning. The introduction of chatbots and virtual assistants will help employees quickly find answers to questions and receive support directly during learning.
Another important step is the multilingualism of the portal. As the company actively expands its international presence, providing quality training for employees abroad is becoming one of its priorities. Along with this, there are plans to develop long-term programs that will allow for the systematic formation of necessary competencies and create opportunities for team growth.
Conclusion
Dnipro-M has proven that corporate learning can be simple, convenient, and motivating at the same time. Their secret is their team and the right tools. Although there are only six people working in the online education department, together with everyone involved in the learning processes, there are more than 30 experts who create solutions for more than 2,000 employees throughout Ukraine every day.
With LMS Collaborator, the company has gone from automating basic processes to creating learning formats that truly engage and motivate employees. New challenges lie ahead: the introduction of AI, multilingualism, and large-scale development programs that will help bring learning even closer to people and their needs.
