The challenge
Investing in MS Copilot licenses is a wise move, but without the right skills and support, that investment won’t yield much return.
After all, the success of AI in your organization depends on your people. When employees understand how AI fits into their work, where it adds value, and what the risks are, adoption accelerates. Maxeda wanted to achieve three goals at once:
- Compliance with the EU AI Act by Making Employees AI-Literate
- Providing guidance for the effective use of the MS Copilot tools
- Inspiring people to use AI to improve efficiency and quality
The Approach
The MS Copilot program at Maxeda was set up as a complete AI literacy learning journey . The goal: to enable employees at the head offices to get started with AI and MS Copilot in an accessible way, so that they learned to effectively apply the tools in their daily operations.
Because Maxeda has a diverse workforce, including employees with limited digital skills, we opted for a highly personalized approach. The basic training was therefore offered at three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Employees could choose for themselves which level best suited their experience and needs.
The client opted for an active learning program rather than a one-time training session. The program was conducted in waves and was developed in close collaboration with Maxeda.
By tailoring the training programs to the participants’ level of knowledge, we were able to foster more interaction during the sessions. This helped build trust in AI and allowed us to reach a broad audience.
The solution
The AI literacy program combined inspiration (webinars) with action (training sessions and workshops) and guidance (coaching), so that knowledge was not only built up but also embedded in practice.
Maxeda began by holding hands-on workshops in small groups, where employees could try out MS Copilot for themselves and discover how AI can support their daily work. In addition, they organized three webinars on AI Foundations, Data & AI, and AI Governance & Ethics. These sessions helped establish a shared knowledge base within the organization and gave employees the opportunity to ask questions. The webinars are also available on-demand, so colleagues can watch them at any time.
Two Digital Coaches guided the entire process. They led the workshops, inspired employees with real-world examples, and were available for individual coaching.
Those one-on-one coaching sessions created a safe environment where employees received answers to specific questions related to their day-to-day work. Small teams also regularly booked sessions to examine specific challenges or work processes together. The sessions provided an accessible point of contact for questions related to digital technology and AI.
The result
Erik Cuypers, Group CDO & CIO at Maxeda DIY Group, is pleased with the results of the project:
“I wanted to increase AI literacy across Maxeda’s entire workforce. We chose Xylos because of their diverse range of training courses and webinars. I also really wanted people to be able to attend in-person training sessions so they could talk to the coach. In addition to those one-on-one coaching sessions, there were also general webinars. We even incorporated data literacy into the program.” “You can really feel the enthusiasm today. People aren’t afraid of AI—on the contrary, they’re starting to use it more and more.”
As part of the AI literacy program, store managers at Brico and BricoPlanit in Belgium and at Praxis in the Netherlands will also receive training on MS Copilot and AI.
Ready for a conversation?
Do you want your employees to work with MS Copilot responsibly and confidently? Xylos can help you set up a customized AI literacy program.
