The customer | AXA Belgium
AXA is a multinational company active in various sectors, including insurance, banking, investment management and other financial services.
The challenge | A digital wake-up call
A few years ago, AXA Belgium decided to embrace new digital technologies. They organized a series of digital summer workshops on virtual reality, blockchain, social media and other fundamental topics. “Technology is changing at breakneck speed, so it’s important to establish a solid foundation,” says Thalia, Training Manager at AXA Belgium. When the summer courses triggered a ‘digital wake-up call’, the company turned to Xylos to improve their staff’s basic digital skills.
During an initial analysis of their employees’ skill level and the tools they were using, AXA discovered that they were not familiar with applications such as OneNote. “Xylos addressed this by focusing on Office training first,” says Thalia. “We wanted to encourage our people to start using these essential tools.”
The process | Unlocking the full potential of Microsoft 365
The training manager and Xylos teamed up for 6 months to organize classroom courses combined with individual Digital Coaching. 1 in 4 employees (more than 1,000 people) attended the courses. The Xylos trainers started with tips and tricks for Microsoft Outlook and OneNote.
Thalia: “We also researched whether we should consider organizing follow-up training. Iit turned out that 30% of our employees wanted more specific training sessions on topics such as Excel. Even though the Xylos Digital Coaches were able to answer almost all of the employees’ questions, we decided to plan a new series of sessions because the feedback was very positive.”
A new series of Microsoft SharePoint training sessions followed. “We’re migrating our intranet to a SharePoint site in Microsoft 365, so everyone had to learn how to use the software within a tight timeframe,” says Thalia. Within a few months, Xylos taught AXA’s employees how to work in the cloud efficiently, collaborate through Microsoft 365, and share documents with colleagues.
“Everyone had access to SharePoint,” explains Thalia, “but many didn’t know they had it. So we set up guidelines that explained what to use, and when. Everything used to happen via email, but that way of collaborating doesn’t fit the way we work anymore. We’re trying to reduce inefficient emails to a minimum. Xylos helped us by integrating our guidelines into their training.”
The result | Boost of confidence
“Xylos combines inspiration and practice,” says Thalia. “Their unique approach is the reason why we chose to work with them. They don’t just point out extra functionalities – they also discuss their added value. They first explain what the application is used for first and then teach you how to use it. This makes our colleagues eager to get started with the software. Sometimes, people assume that a tool is too complicated or that it’s going to take too long to learn how to use it. But once they get the hang of it, they enjoy working with these applications. We’ve noticed that people are using digital tools and sharing documents more often, which means they’re building trust. We’re considering setting up individual coaching plans again. This time, centered around productivity and time management.”
For this new coaching plan, the training manager conducted a short market study. Once again, Xylos emerged as the best option. “Their quality is outstanding in every aspect – from the trainers’ knowledge to the course content. Their service is excellent as well. They respond to my questions quickly – and not just when I’m ordering new training. The trainers and planners are always happy to offer advice, too.”
