Innovating to Enhance Learning & Development

Highly (learning) adaptive companies are 53% more likely to have experienced growth during the last year. 

– Adaptive Learning Organisation Research Report, 2021 

Learning and development play an important role in equipping vessel crew with the right skills and know-how to, for example, fully use their organisation’s fleet management software to its full capability.  

So, how can mariners gain the most value from their training? 

91% of employees want training to be personalised and relevant. To achieve this, an emphasis on e-Learning or remote digital training is a must.  

BASS Software, for example, offers a wide range of training services to ensure its customers are competent in the use of the BASSnet Fleet Management software system. The company provides useful facilitator-led training for in-classroom benefits. However, the leading software provider also supplies computer-based training (CBT) and post-training online assessments with progress tracking and analytics.  

BASS also recently added a digital customised training service that eases knowledge transfer, training efficiency, and accessibility aligned with crew training objectives.  

Why have leading maritime software providers like BASS invested in the digital or e-Learning route?

Let’s find out.

Innovating to Enhance Learning & Development 

It’s essential to innovate to stay relevant in every industry. Learning and development is a driver of innovation through knowledge transfer and skill improvement. Particularly in times of economic or social change, L&D agility is critical.  

Here’s how an innovative training programme can enhance learning in the shipping industry: 

1. e-Learning ‘Anytime, Anywhere’

As the recent COVID crisis showed, it’s advantageous to have access to remote learning solutions.  Going digital with crew training is not just a matter of convenience in crisis. Digital training methods give crew the opportunity to train at their own pace (asynchronous learning), enabling effective self learning.  

Electronic learning (e-Learning) is the way forward 

Indeed, e-Learning has been proven to cut learning time by between 40%-60% compared to the traditional classroom setting (Brandon-Hall Group). Organisations save time and costs as crew need not travel back and forth to a training centre.  

BASS has long supplied virtual online learning to their customers. This has been a forward thinking and value-added service, given the following benefits: 

• Anytime, anywhere learning 
• Effective Q&A discussions 
• Live demo sessions 
• Scenario-based exercises 
• Time-savings on training logistics. 

Computer-based training (CBT) is another form of e-Learning with valuable benefits.

We’ll take a deeper look at CBT below. 

2. Reaping the Benefits of Interactive CBT

The future of learning and development lies in digitalisation; simulation-based learning in particular brings much needed improvement. Interactive training provides a practical scenario-based experience that is hard to replicate in the traditional classroom setting. Such hands-on experience enhances engagement and knowledge retention.  

Here’s the value you gain from a computer-based interactive training program: 

• Increased participation 
• Improved engagement 
• Immediate feedback/guidance 
• Improved knowledge retention 
• Flexible learning   
• Asynchronous or self learning at own pace. 

It’s no surprise that maritime software providers such as BASS provide interactive computer-based training for their customers. BASS’s interactive CBT provides useful: 

• Functional content 
• Interactive video with text-to-speech audio 
• Post-training online assessments 
• Progress tracking and analytics 
• Adoption into internal Learning Management System (LMS).  

“With customisation, BASS’s interactive training system allows crew to perform offline and online self-training anytime and anywhere with direct access from the BASSnet software solution,” says Wong Nyuk Lan, VP of Service & Support at BASS Software. “The crew can perform an interactive simulation of the software to familiarize themselves with the BASSnet User Interface and functions based on what’s most relevant to their processes and best practices.”  

CBT is conveniently scalable across an organisation in a cost-efficient way, making it a highly attractive choice for effective and affordable self-learning. 

3. The Value of Customised Training

“BASSnet is a complete, end-to-end ERP solution for maritime fleet management. We fully understand that every customer faces unique challenges, and we provide personalised support and services to gain the most value from BASSnet. Flexible training enables crew to use our software effectively. Our learner-centric approach tailors content to learning goals so crew can fully understand BASSnet based on their roles.”  

– Per Steinar Upsaker, CEO & Managing Director, BASS Software 

Customised training is highly valuable to meet crew learning goals. Unlike static off-the-shelf programmes, customised training effectively facilitates a company’s learning needs by providing a true fit for the organisation.  

The benefits of customised training include: 

• Effectively closing knowledge gaps 
• Addressing department-specific skills 
• Catering to company-specific processes 
• Role-based learning 
• Scenario-based learning 
• Sensitivity to company culture and branding 
• Specificity to organisational business and learning goals. 

Customers stand to benefit greatly from the new customised training service offered by BASS Software, for example, as part of its end-to-end maritime solutions and services. Let’s have a look at how BASSnet Customised Training brings value to maritime stakeholders. 

How BASSnet Customised Training Gives A Learning Advantage 

Customers can customise bespoke training for any number of BASSnet modules to meet their specific business requirements. 

These are some of the ways that BASS has customized the training for customers: 

• align the CBT workflow with a customer’s internal processes 
• remove redundant workflow for features not in use  
• add specific steps/instructions for different roles (for example, “Final Approval to be done by Superintendent”)  
• highlight steps/features based on a customer’s best practices 
• allows users to easily orientate themselves within the BASSnet User Interface 
• cater the training specifically to office or vessel users  
• integrate post-training assessments directly into the CBT 
• replaces the standard CBT voiceover with the company’s own professional voice actor. 

By providing customised training, BASS demonstrates continuing dedication to customer needs. The company is determined to enable productive use of BASSnet to its full capability. BASS’s value-added training service highlights the premier maritime ERP solutions provider as the partner of choice to manage shipping and offshore assets. 

Use Interactive & Customised e-Learning to Meet Your Goals 

Organisations who invest in critical practices for L&D success have 59% higher growth and are 27% more cost efficient.  

Remote e-Learning has been shown to get effective results at the learner’s own pace, and at a fraction of the costs usually incurred through traditional in-person training.     

As maritime learning and developing evolves to meet crew needs, remote access to digital training programmes is one of the most powerful tools ship owners and managers can use to achieve self-learning goals and drive business success.  

It’s time to optimise self-learning and knowledge retention with the aid of an interactive learning environment. Customised training programmes can also provide an added edge to assist crew in relevant, personalised learning for the best results. 

Learn more about BASS’s comprehensive training solutions today!