Hachette UK goes live with e2train’s Kallidus LMS across its publishing business
The Kallidus Learning Management System (LMS) from e2train, a leading provider of learning and talent management solutions, has been implemented by Hachette UK, the largest book publishing group in the UK, to manage the delivery of classroom training and e-learning across its publishing business.
The new Kallidus system went live in March 2012 and has already been rolled out to more than 1,000 employees across all the group’s publishing divisions with further plans in place to incorporate Hachette’s warehouse and distribution operations by the end of the year.
Kallidus replaces a manual system of spreadsheets which Hachette UK’s L&D function had been using to manage group-wide classroom training programmes - primarily soft skills development, management development and IT.
Victoria Hotchkiss, Group Training & Development Manager explains: “Hachette is a very digital business and we wanted the way we manage and deliver our training to move with the times and reflect the needs of the business. We were looking for a system capable of streamlining and automating the manual processes we have been using to deliver classroom-led training and that would also enable us to deliver e-learning too. Time is always short and the introduction of e-learning will mean less time spent away from the workplace and more time focusing on core activities.”
In addition to selecting Kallidus LMS, Hachette UK has also invested in two authoring tools from e2train which will enable the organisation to create its own e-learning modules reducing some of the costs associated with classroom learning.
The L&D function can now manage and track the delivery of training more easily and effectively, and the system will also help managers to keep track of the learning and development of their teams.
Hachette began looking at implementing an LMS back in 2010 and developed a robust proposal to move the project forward in the summer of 2011. Victoria explains: “We looked at several learning providers and at the end of the day it came down to two companies that could meet our needs. We chose the Kallidus solution because we particularly liked the functionality it offered to tailor the home page to our desired look and feel and it was also very intuitive from a user perspective.”
Victoria concluded, “e2train has been very flexible and helpful throughout the implementation and our new system has already helped to streamline our training administration processes freeing up more time for L&D to focus on strategic issues.”
e2train’s CEO Rob Caul added: “We are delighted to be working with Hachette UK and supporting the learning and development needs of such a pre-eminent name in the publishing sector through one centralised system.”
Since its 2000 launch, Kallidus has helped hundreds of organisations target learning to the right person at the right time, whilst optimising training expenditure and reducing costs. Key features of Kallidus LMS include a user-friendly and customisable interface; a built-in reporting suite; online collaboration and social networking capabilities; and a flexible, modular structure. The latest version of Kallidus also offers an easy to use ‘iGoogle style’ web gadget learner interface, enabling learning professionals to integrate formal and informal learning.
About Hachette UK
Hachette UK is the most diversified book publishing group in the UK, with a unique policy of encouraging its publishing houses to operate autonomously. Amongst its houses and imprints are Hachette Children’s Books, Headline Publishing Group, Hodder & Stoughton, Hodder Education, John Murray, Little, Brown Book Group, Octopus Publishing Group, Orion Publishing Group, Sceptre, Virago and Weidenfeld & Nicolson, with international publishers and distributors Hachette Australia, Hachette New Zealand, Hachette India, Hachette Ireland and Hachette Middle East. Further information can be found at www.hachette.co.uk