Since 1885, IRWIN Tools has been producing a top line of products for the professional tradesman, everything from drill bits and VISE-GRIP pliers to saw blades and clamps. But what may be the company’s newest, most-exciting tool is something you don’t routinely see in machine shops and construction sites: An online learning portal, an innovation that is already helping to build business.
Based in Huntersville, N.C., IRWIN Tools is a member of the Newell Rubbermaid family, specializing in hand tools and power tool accessories. Newell Rubbermaid operates a dedicated training facility that boasts a 5,000 square-foot IRWIN tool shop where sales professionals can learn about the tools they’re promoting – but of course not every learner in a global organization is available for on-site training, primarily for the sales teams, but also used for customer training.
That’s where LearnIRWIN.com comes into the story, along with Derek Andreen, a training manager at Newell Rubbermaid. Derek moved into the learning organization about two years ago with a clear mandate to help create a new e-learning portal to support IRWIN Tools. The end result, LearnIRWIN.com, launched in July 2009.
LearnIRWIN.com was created to house and deliver product-specific training modules of about 15 to 20 minutes, providing anytime, anywhere access for the company’s global sales professionals. The site is also used by customers and distributors as well.
“With this tool we’re able to extend our reach beyond our internal audience and take product training directly to our distribution partners,” Derek said.
After just over a year of service, LearnIRWIN.com is still in its infancy, Derek said, with eight learning modules currently in place. Current plans call for an expansion to about 20 modules by the end of next year. So far more than 200 unique users have completed more than 650 learning modules.
“We’re pretty pleased with the traffic we’ve generated, understanding there’s a lot more to come,” Derek said. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg. One of the things we knew right away is we’re going to begin to do translations so we can take this portal multinational. So there will be more globalization next year.”
LearnIRWIN.com was primarily conceived internally, but Baltimore-based Hardly Square helped develop the high-stimulus Flash applications and programmed the tracking functionality used on the portal. The modules are also aligned with the KnowledgeAdvisors’ Metrics That Matter programs, which give portal managers a snapshot of the site’s success.
And it is successful. Dan Farley, a senior training manager at Newell Rubbermaid, said LearnIRWIN.com received a 5.44 ranking (on a 6-point scale), significantly ahead of the average 4.85 ranking for other corporate universities.
One of the noteworthy features of the portal designed to fuel increased traffic is a self-assessment tool, “What’s Your IRWIN IQ?”. Visitors to the site can take a confidential quiz to determine their product knowledge. The results are even delivered with module suggestions to help close knowledge gaps.
“We’ve obviously had challenges and we’ve learned along the way,” Derek said. “But it’s been exciting and we’re certainly pleased with the outcome.”
Continuing to develop the tool will be an ongoing challenge for the LearnIRWIN.com planners. Starting off with a high user rating, of course, means the portal has a lot to live up to.
“When you start off with a high score, you’re hoping you can continue that trend,” Dan adds. “That’s a challenge for us.”
Looking ahead, Dan and Derek plan to address that challenge by keeping the learning in manageable modules, to support learner needs and ensure ongoing engagement. They also want to continue to make the learning highly interactive and in 2011 they plan to offer learning through mobile platforms. Don’t be surprised to see LearnIRWIN.com spin off for other lines of business.
“We’ll continue to look at how we can bolt on other businesses within Newell Rubbermaid as it makes sense,” Derek said. “It’s a powerful tool for our Learning and Development team and a great resource for our employees and distributor partners alike.”
