Learning without borders: How AKVANTIS builds an international team with LMS
AKVANTIS does not only purify water, it also pioneers an innovative approach to training and development on an international scale. Founded in Ukraine as a local distributor of water treatment systems, today AKVANTIS is a European manufacturer with its own plant in Germany and ambitious plans for further expansion in Europe.
How did the company manage not only to enter the international market but also to provide the same high quality of customer service in different countries? The answer lies in an innovative approach to staff training. With the implementation of LMS Collaborator, AKVANTIS has created a unique system that allows employees to be trained across language barriers and geographical boundaries.
This case reveals how a Ukrainian company was able to create a unified educational space for its employees, adapting to the cultural differences of different countries. From its own book club to training courses to the Academy, AKVANTIS has turned training into a key tool for its international success. Andrii Lahutin, Head of Learning and Development at AKVANTIS, shared his thoughts.
AKVANTIS is a Ukrainian company that specializes in the production, sale and service of water treatment systems. Founded in Dnipro, the company has grown from a local distributor to an international manufacturer with its own plant in Germany. In 2025, the company will celebrate its 25th anniversary. The company’s flagship brand, OSMO, has become a symbol of quality and reliability not only in Ukraine but also in the European market.
AKVANTIS has an extensive network of its own salons in Dnipro, Kyiv, Odesa, and Lviv. In addition, a European showroom operates on the basis of German production, which serves as a platform for cooperation with international partners and customers.
Implementation of LMS Collaborator
As the company operates in different regions, this created certain challenges for training and adaptation of new employees, especially with the international market. In this regard, three years ago, the company began looking for a solution to build its own training system. This was one of the main reasons for implementing LMS Collaborator.
«We needed a platform that would allow us to quickly train new employees. It was important to provide access to training not only in Ukraine, but also in Germany and, in the future, in other regions of Europe.
Entering the international market required a modern approach to training. It was important for us that our employees had the opportunity to learn in their native language. LMS Collaborator became a powerful tool that helped us integrate all learning processes and support our employees in different regions», – Andrii Lahutin, Head of Learning and Development at AKVANTIS.
Organizing adaptation and learning for AKVANTIS employees
Today, about 80 AKVANTIS employees are involved in distance learning. The company is also testing training for candidates who are at the preselection stage (ed: the initial stage of job selection). For the latter, the company has created a special training module on LMS Collaborator: “Welcome”.
In this module, candidates can quickly get acquainted with the key aspects of the company, its values, products, mission, as well as its work standards and development programs.
AKVANTIS newcomers learning
«We are one of the most honest companies because we “open the door” even before a person starts working for us. This allows candidates to quickly decide whether the job is right for them, which saves time for both parties».
Every month, 3-5 new candidates come to AKVANTIS and get acquainted with the company through the academy on LMS Collaborator.
We have developed a series of courses for the sales department: Sales 1, Sales 2, Sales 3, which are designed for different levels of specialists. We also offer product courses, for example, OSMO, which helps employees to immerse themselves in the specifics and benefits of the company’s new product.
Sales team learning at AKVANTIS
Three training modules are offered for the service department: “Master of the third category”, “Master of the second category”, “Master of the first category”. Each module corresponds to the level of training and contains the necessary information that a service technician should know.
«It is very important for us that our employees are trained both theoretically and practically. We have developed a learning system where, after the theory, employees take part in workshops, which allows them to better understand the processes of sales, equipment selection or service».
Learning materials for sales managers and service technicians are stored in a cloud-based folder. This allows employees to access the necessary instructions or video tutorials at any time and from any device.
AKVANTIS learning programs are not limited to the onboarding of new employees. They also motivate and develop staff, providing them with the opportunity to improve their skills and implement best practices in their work, regardless of location.
Attestation system and workshops
One of the important elements of the learning process at AKVANTIS is a mandatory testing and certification system. This allows for a comprehensive assessment of employees’ knowledge and skills after completing training courses.
For sales employees, the certification takes place in a meeting format. In LMS Collaborator, employees take training courses that include knowledge tests. The training doesn’t end there, though, as a final evaluation is scheduled for certification.
«It can be either an online or offline meeting with colleagues and managers. The employee pulls out a ticket that contains questions on various topics from the course», – Andrii says.
After successful certification, employees move on to a practical course. For example, after the theoretical sales course Sales 1 , they complete practical tasks as part of the Workshop 1 program. Practical training focuses on real-life cases in the workplace.
One example of a task is the correct sampling of water for analysis. According to Andrii Lagutin, employees have a bottle for taking water samples and an instruction manual that explains the process in detail. The employee has to record a video of how he or she does it and then send it to the academy for verification.
During practical training, employees learn to use various tools that help them work with clients. Sales managers have a portfolio with photos of various equipment placement options, which helps them to demonstrate installation options to customers. According to Andrii Lahutin, each employee learns where to quickly find and use these materials during their internship. For this purpose, there is a practical game called “30 seconds”.
The certification of service technicians is automated and takes place every three months. This helps to keep knowledge and skills up-to-date and encourages employees to continuously learn.
«We add new questions during each certification to avoid the possibility of simply memorizing the answers. We also use different types of questions offered by LMS Collaborator: selecting one or more answers, comparing photos, etc.», – Andrii adds.
Example of AKVANTIS certification
The automated appraisal system allows you to quickly evaluate employees and immediately determine their next steps for development. The appraisal is also associated with an increase in the employee’s category. Successful completion of the appraisal can lead to additional financial bonuses, which motivates employees to constantly improve.
Peculiarities of training international teams
One of the key aspects of AKVANTIS’ learning organization is a bilingual system that takes into account the needs of employees from two countries: Ukraine and Germany.
Since the specifics of water treatment and water quality standards in Ukraine and Germany can differ significantly, some of the training materials are adapted for foreign employees. As Andrii Lahutin explains, the company uses localized materials, including German sources, to help them better understand local standards.
«We adapt the materials to the standards of each country. For example, in Germany, there is no need to use carbon filters, so we provide training on this stage of purification only for Ukrainian employees», – Andrii Lahutin says.
Despite the differences in technical aspects, the company emphasizes common values that are important to both Ukrainian and German teams. For example, the principles of effective work and planning, such as the ABCDE method and “eat the frog” (ed: a time and productivity management principle derived from the title of Brian Tracy’s book “Eat That Frog!”), are common to all employees, regardless of country.
AKVANTIS also actively supports the practice of Kaizen (ed: Japanese philosophy and practice of continuous improvement KAIZEN), where every employee of the company can offer ideas for improving work processes.
«One example of Kaizen implementation is the change in the design and functionality of water analysis bottles. We are constantly looking for improvements in our work, and this approach yields tangible results».
The company not only changed the shape of the water test bottle, but also added a QR code to the stickers, which allows quick access to the “How to take a water test” guide and ensures a quality standard.
Motivating and encouraging employees to learn
AKVANTIS actively uses various tools to motivate employee learning. The main emphasis is placed on ensuring that learning achievements are not only part of the adaptation process, but also an additional incentive for development.
The company presents new employees with a Welcome Box, a special set for comfortable adaptation. It includes useful items such as a metal thermos for water, a modern pen from a German brand, and a book on health, the precepts of the 104-year-old sage Andrii Voron, written by a Ukrainian author from Zakarpattia. This approach emphasizes the importance of taking care of health and the environment by combining corporate values with practical gifts.
Andrii Lahutin notes that the certificates and badges introduced at the Academy are effective elements that help employees confirm their knowledge and qualifications, while providing them with opportunities for further professional growth.
«We have a system in place where an employee receives a certificate only after he or she has completed 100% of the material and passed the tests with at least 90%. The certificate is an admission to certification and opens the next stage – the practical part of the training».
The company is currently working to improve and develop its incentive system by introducing a new bonus system:
«We are discussing with our managers the idea of creating a gift shop. Employees will be able to accumulate points for training and professional achievements, and then exchange them for various gifts, such as household appliances and mobile devices».
The new system will include not only rewards for learning activities, but also for work achievements, such as sales volume, new customer acquisition, high marks for customer service, and possibly for effective work with CRM. AKVANTIS wants the incentive system to be fun and effective, while also contributing to the overall productivity of the company.
Not by learning alone: AKVANTIS Book Club
AKVANTIS attaches great importance not only to the professional development of its employees, but also to their personal growth. One of the key tools that helps us to do this is the Book Club, which has been in place for many years and has become an integral part of our corporate culture. The company also has Knowledge Base on the LMS Collaborator learning portal, which is becoming part of corporate intelligence.
All employees of the company, including managers, choose one book to read every three to four months. This helps to unite the team and facilitates the exchange of ideas and thoughts that emerged during the reading and may be useful in further work.
As the Head of the learning department explains, the main goal is to find useful ideas to implement in the company’s activities:
«We read books that contribute to our development and discuss interesting cases that we can use in our work or life».
Reading books is an important part of the onboarding process for new employees. During the first three months, they read one mandatory book every month.
One such book is Delivering Happiness by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. This book is important for AKVANTIS, as many of its values overlap with the company’s corporate values. After reading the book, employees answer 10 questions, which helps to better consolidate the basic principles that are important for work.
The second book, Eat That Frog! teaches effective planning and prioritization of tasks. It helps employees organize their workday in a way that makes them more productive.
The third must-have book is about the principles of kaizen and the Toyota management system. This book is especially useful for employees working in production.
For reading each book, employees receive badges in the LMS Collaborator that confirm their familiarity with the material and readiness to move on to the next stage of development in the company.
All books are available in the LMS Collaborator Knowledge Base, where employees can easily access licensed copies. The company also has its own library in Ukrainian, where there are also additional books that can be used depending on current needs.
AKVANTIS knowledge base
In addition, the team meets offline every four months to discuss books. This allows them not only to share their impressions of what they have read, but also to spend time together in an informal atmosphere:
«We get together on Saturdays, discuss books, eat sweets, and choose the next book to read», says Andrii.
Conclusion
By implementing distance learning, AKVANTIS was able to significantly increase the efficiency of training and adaptation of employees in different countries. It also provides access to training materials from any location and optimizes the process of finding the necessary content.
The system helped us to implement training for different countries. Now we have started working in new countries: Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and Poland. Therefore, in the future we plan to introduce training in English as well.
Quick search for materials, easy creation of new personalized content (for the training needs of individual employees) – this saves a lot of time. In the future, we want to automate the certification of sales employees, which will allow us to offer personalized training depending on the results.
We do not stop at technical knowledge. Our next step is to develop Soft Skills.
As well as the introduction of gamification with bonuses and a gift shop.
Now our materials look modern and professional, which is important for the company’s image. This demonstrates to our partners and customers that AKVANTIS is an innovative company that is serious about the development of its staff and the quality of its services, which guarantees satisfaction to partners and customers».
