Our ‘Value in Action’ series shares case studies that demonstrate the real value of our partners’ digital solutions in aviation. In this article, we find out how award-winning skills management software provider AG5 helps KLM Cargo to drop erroneous Excel spreadsheets, save time and ensure compliance with its ‘plug and play’ skills management solution.
In an industry as technically diverse and heavily regulated as aviation, the range of training requirements and certifications is vast. Add to that the additional complexity of starters and leavers, staff working in different locations and jurisdictions, qualifications expiring or new training requirements emerging, and try to imagine how to keep track of all of that. The risk of non-compliance or unidentified gaps in skills and training is of course very serious in an industry where safety is paramount, so maintaining up-to-date and accurate records of staff skills and training is essential, as is ensuring any aviation business has the correct and required expertise onboard. Managing all of this information on Excel spreadsheets or across multiple systems is how many aviation businesses attempt to keep track of it all.
This was certainly the case at KLM Cargo, as Gert Mijnders, Knowledge Center compliance manager reports: “We used to use Excel spreadsheets that we were continually correcting because they were full of errors. Often these contained errors because staff had to update the sheets by hand. Our corporate learning system didn’t record all the information we needed to retrieve either.”
Mijnders not only wanted to find a solution that would ensure accuracy and significantly reduce the risk of human error, he also wanted a single go-to place for all staff qualifications and certification records, to be sure all legal and regulatory requirements were being met. “Every month, one organisation or another comes to audit us,” he says. “What they all have in common is that they each want to see our training records. I have to demonstrate – without fail – that every KLM Cargo employee or temporary worker is fully trained in every aspect of their work”. Mijnders went in search for a solution to meet these challenges, and that’s when he came across AG5. “I needed a unified system with a dashboard that combined compliance and learning, and that could be integrated with SAP, Moodle, and Cornerstone. What’s more, I wanted the dashboard to alert me about imminent compliance expiry and other reminders. Naturally, the system had to have powerful search functionality, so I’d be able to find information about all our staff worldwide – employees and contractors alike.”
For Mijnders, AG5 has met the challenges he was seeking to resolve, and delivered many other additional benefits. He reports that now he’s using AG5 he has peace of mind that the information is correct, and he gets a complete picture of staff qualifications and certifications, enabling the business to meet its compliance obligations. Mijnders also reports significant time savings: “Thankfully with AG5, we’ve eliminated all the manual data entry, which saves me at least six workdays a month and means I no longer stress about pending audits.”
With up to 35% time saving, 100% data reliability and a unified system for compliance and training that integrates with SAP, Moodle and Cornerstone, Mijnders couldn’t be happier with the result. He also enjoys the ease with which he receives notifications about imminent compliance expiry and the systems holds a skills passport for every employees at all locations worldwide.
AG5 Skills Management Software
Known as ‘the only Plug-and-Play Skills Management Software’, AG5’s solution provides a cross-company overview of skills, competencies and certifications possessed, and highlights skills gaps and training requirements, enabling organisations to prepare for the future and remain safe and compliant. AG5’s Skills Management Software brings together skills and training data into an always up-to-date matrix, eliminating the need to update complex spreadsheets and reducing the risk of incorrect or outdated information.
AG5 is an award-winning skills management software provider based in The Netherlands and Germany. The company initially came about as a provider of skills management software to the Dutch fire brigade and then to many manufacturing companies, still dependent on Excel spreadsheets to manage skills and training matrices. Today AG5 serves customers across a range of industries including aviation, manufacturing, mining, chemicals, construction, food and beverage, IT and more.
Are you interested in finding out more about AG5?
Visit the AG5 Storefront on Yocova today
Author: Team Yocova
Published 14 December 2023
;
