The main reason for the time-consuming training request wasn´t the broad range of training offers, but the paper-based transactions: all prospects for training needed to print the respective form, transferred it for signature to his/her supervisor, faxed it – and waited.

„Only a few weeks before the course started, the employee would receive an invitation and only then would know, if the participation in the desired course was approved“, Jürgen Lemair, Head of Training- and Eventmanagement, remembered. A predictable course participation is essential for trainings with recertification, where certain knowledge needs to be refreshed within given timeframes. Among the main requirements towards a holistic platform, were fully digitalized processes including approval workflows, tracability and an overview over both forms of certification, the ones, that were complete yet and those, that still needed completion. SAP ERP Human Capital Management was already in use, therefore the new platform should be based on SAP as well. In the next step, the energy supplier was calling a bid for a suitable cooperation to implement an on-premise based SAP Learning Solution. SWM´s IT department is experienced in project planning and -execution as well as in selecting suitable partners. Their technical and functional expertise was assessed through a complex list of criteria. „Finding the right combination of members in the project team is critical to success. Hence, we´ve chosen our internal members carefully and also tried to find external consultants, who fit in the team“, explains SWM´s IT project manager Bettina Hartl. Projekt0708 was the external partner SWM chose to collaborate with. From the beginning of the project in December of 2015 to the planned GoLive Date in January 2017, it took little more than a year´s time. SWM already had established an according project procedure modell. From the beginning, the departments were involved and every finished application was directly tested by them.

The aim was to stay as close to the standard as possible, but the biggest challenge were the severely heterogenous processes of their decentrally organized trainings. The trainings in the different departments were organized by about 40 training administrators and the technical requirements were completely different. These issues had to be considered and processed seperately. The collaboration of internal and external project staff members managed to solve this requirements, therefore they could implement the SAP Learning Solution within the planned time- and costframe. First, the administrators were trained, second the system´s introduction was realized through Road Shows, information desks and videos, where the new platform was introduced to all employees. „In the end, we had a full knowledge transfer to our IT department, so the new platform can be easily maintained by ourself“, Hartl stated.