Microlearning Makes the Tire Industry Smarter, More Profitable - Tire Review Magazine

Microlearning Makes the Tire Industry Smarter, More Profitable

Microlearning modules can be customized to company and team member needs, where participants can learn through their own experiences and at their own pace.

Doesn’t it seem like our industry is always changing? From new offerings by tire manufacturers to best practices in safety, it’s important for everyone in our industry to keep up with these changes to best serve our customers.

Gaining that knowledge requires investment. In the past, that investment may have looked like blocking off several hours or days at a time to train employees on new tools and solutions being introduced to the tire industry and its dealers. But in today’s busier-than-ever environment, it may not always be feasible for store operators or smaller teams to dedicate hours of uninterrupted time to training. 

Fortunately, advancements in technology have made it easier and more effective for employees in all areas of our industry to expand their knowledge. 

When paired with the right technology, microlearning can drive business performance through increased employee engagement and customer satisfaction. When done well, microlearning leads to higher productivity, lower safety issues or incidents, higher knowledge retention and lower turnover.

Growing Knowledge Two to Five Minutes at a Time

The key aspects of successful microlearning implementation include providing your audience with bite-sized and easily digestible nuggets of knowledge when they need them, from the convenience of their own devices.

The Association for Talent Development found that training sessions lasting two to five minutes—whether it’s a chat, an exchange, poll or video—are the most effective at enriching the learning experience. This gives learners opportunities to absorb the educational content in a different way to reinforce learning. These micro assessments also allow learners to check their progress toward their training goals. 

Continuous microlearning provides a solution, as it is easily integrated into workflows and, in only a few minutes a day, enables employees to learn without feeling pressured or burdened.

Deploying microlearning to thousands of learners or adding courses and modules is efficient and more cost-effective than other conventional e-learning or instructor-led training options.

Microlearning Gains Traction Amid COVID-19

A recent report from Mordor Intelligence shows that microlearning has grown exponentially over the last two years, with the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst. In fact, the microlearning market is projected to continue growing at a compound annual rate of 12.1%, from $1.27 billion in 2018 to $3.18 billion by 2026.

The expedited growth of microlearning has been possible thanks to an increase in the number of smartphones and mobile devices that have directly created a vast base for gamification in the microlearning market. Gamification systems are proving to be successful at inducing innovation, productivity and engagement.

The effectiveness of microlearning is evident in our industry. We’ll see the microlearning model continue to grow as more companies adopt these practices to upskill and reskill their employees as they prepare for the future. 

Microlearning Benefits the Tire Industry

Microlearning modules can be customized to company and team member needs, where participants can learn through their own experiences and at their own pace. Built on artificial intelligence and machine learning, such platforms know what and how each employee needs to learn. The content advances along with company associates.

Through the platform, employees are exposed to in-depth information around products, selling and leadership—all delivered in a consistent, easy-to-consume format. When a participant begins the training, a personalized algorithm is developed based on that individual’s number of correct responses and the pace of responses. The subsequent lessons are then based on individual performance from the previous training. 

For example, in a tire shop scenario, if a technician is just embarking on his or her career, the content would be very specific and slow. However, for a mastered technician, the platform algorithm would take him or her to more advanced levels of content at a faster rate. 

Users can access this content from a phone, computer or tablet at any time during the day whether on-location or at home. The three- to five-minute lessons allow technicians to continue working on cars and salespeople to keep selling tires. 

These programs also serve as an effective communication platform. Business owners can easily notify employees of changes or recalls and feel assured that everyone will be well informed with just a few clicks.

Real-time analytics dashboards enable business owners to see the training level and activity of the entire shop, including down to the individual employee level. 

Through these insights and analytics, owners can know if their whole team or an individual is struggling with any topic.

Early Success From Microlearning

We have seen a growth in knowledge translate to a growth in service tickets and sales across our organization and at our dealer stores. More services like brake fluid flushes are being recommended as technicians become more thorough and confident in their inspections, while some service technicians have even used the platform to help earn their ASE certification. 

As the tire industry continues to evolve, so will our platform. New questions and sessions are added as often as new tires are released, and new safety bulletins are issued and new business goals are pursued. 

Ultimately, microlearning will be a mainstay of a successful, digitally connected ecosystem that helps drive knowledge, foster continuous learning, fuel constant curiosity, and unlock resilience and agility among a workforce.

The culture of the future is here now, and microlearning can bring your team into what’s next.

ATD’s Microlearning Platform Increases Revenue

For American Tire Distributors, even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the company says it was able to increase revenue. 

ATD says its success can be directly attributed to the power and knowledge of its salesforce, which has been exposed to microlearning since 2017. When ATD introduced its microlearning platform, it had a baseline knowledge score of 62%. Now, it’s seeing current scores at 86% – a 39% growth in knowledge. In just three years, its sellers have become more knowledgeable about new tools and solutions that can assist customers and help them lead successful businesses, ATD adds.

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