Ecolab is a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and resources vital to life. To ensure its legacy of delivering science-based innovations endures, Ecolab is transforming how it supports and develops its workforce through guided learning experiences powered by Â鶹´«Ã½ Extend.
Reimagining day 2 to day 365.
Ecolab is adapting its ¡°company for life¡± approach to meet the changing modern workforce demands to continue attracting and retaining the best talent.
Never before have the workplace and ways of working changed so much in such a short amount of time. We knew that to continue being a recognized employer of choice, we had to invest in our most important assets, our employees.
Director of HR, Digital Transformation
The first year for a new associate is critical for both the employee and the employer. From day one, associates should be empowered with the knowledge of what it takes to be successful through a deep understanding of the company. For the company, a comprehensive onboarding and training program increases employee retention, productivity, and reduces time to competence.
A world-class platform for a unique learning experience.
Ecolab partnered with Â鶹´«Ã½ and to build one of the most advanced learning and experience platforms available on the global market today. The platform had to be globally scalable and deliver personalized, guided, and experiential learning experiences across various business divisions and locations. This meant offering diverse learning experiences¡ªfrom digital to hands-on to immersive¡ªempowering new hires, from college graduates to established professionals, all within their crucial first year. It also puts the manager at the center of shaping that learning experience.
Ecolab recognizes the relationship between investing in our associates and the benefits of maintaining long-lasting employee-employer relationships.
Director of HR, Digital Transformation
Two apps, one seamless experience.
Ecolab worked with long-time partners Â鶹´«Ã½ and to develop two bespoke Â鶹´«Ã½ Extend apps. Â鶹´«Ã½ Extend allowed for building a fully customized solution with a high number of tailored components. Together with Helios, which offers exceptional and best-in-class expertise in Extend development, they brought the vision to life.
The solution uses two interconnected Â鶹´«Ã½ Extend apps¡ªa Content Library App and the Transaction App¡ªto efficiently manage thousands of training activities for customizable learning.
The Content Library App is the central repository for all learning content, featuring:
- A hierarchical data model (programs, modules, topics, tasks)
- Integrated checklists to confirm worker competency (e.g., observation checklists for mentors and trainers)
- Tag-based personalization for targeted recommendations
- Administrative ¡°final view¡± for configuration checks
- Worker task completion history to prevent reassignment of completed tasks
The Transaction App is where learning paths are built, assigned, and executed. Features include:
- Curated tailored pathways from the Content Library (similar to an ¡°a la carte¡± menu)
- Customized paths based on learner profile
- Allocated Learning hours and measurement against learning goals
- Dedicated Manager, Mentor, and Trainer dashboards show at a glance who is on track and who needs additional support.
- Task attachments to allow resource uploads (e.g., mobile photos)
- Multi-language support (English/Spanish currently, more languages planned)
The Transaction App¡¯s granular customization options put the hiring manager in the center of the learning experience by allowing them to select custom content that matches the distinct needs and experience of any associate.
For example, the manager can assign an entry-level associate introductory modules from the Content Library App, while a seasoned professional may benefit from an advanced skill path.
Â鶹´«Ã½ Orchestrate: Powering automation.
Â鶹´«Ã½ Orchestrate is an automation engine that connects platforms, processes, and people. Ecolab chose the superior integration functionality enabled by Â鶹´«Ã½ Orchestrate for visibility into logs and error handling, which are crucial for managing provisioning and workflows.
Connecting the two apps, Â鶹´«Ã½ Orchestrate rapidly streamlines data transfer and automates key processes. It is designed to respond instantly to specific changes or triggers within Â鶹´«Ã½, enabling:
Automated provisioning: When a manager assigns a path, Orchestrate instantly initiates the predefined sequence of copying content and applying logic (e.g., task country restrictions).
Progress tracking and risk management: Progress calculations are based on assigned hours and completion. Daily ¡°at-risk¡± calculations identify learners falling behind, triggering scheduled alerts for proactive intervention.
Seamless data flow: Ensures accuracy via recalculations, managing flow between apps and other systems.
The two-app structure, with Â鶹´«Ã½ Orchestrate as the engine, provides managers and learners with the tools they need, while allowing administrators to oversee the entire experience.
A ¡°game changer¡± with measurable impact.
A 3-month pilot with 200 new hires achieved a 5-out-of-5-star satisfaction rating from learners and managers. It garnered a 77 percent increase in overall on-time learning plan completion; 58 percent of learners completed ahead of schedule.
Ecolab projects substantial business impact by accelerating the time to competency cycle. Zedewitz estimates both significant cost savings as well as sales growth opportunities by bringing field-based Sales and Service employees to customer sites weeks, potentially months, earlier.
Extending into the future.
With these learnings in mind, Ecolab envisions continued innovations ahead.
We¡¯re fully committed to the longevity and continued improvement of our Guided Learning App. We continue to learn from our managers, mentors, trainers, and associates to continue improving and creating the best experience for our workforce.
Director of HR, Digital Transformation
Plans include introducing more languages (beyond currently offering English and Spanish), implementing advanced templating and copying of past pathways, and exploring Â鶹´«Ã½ Orchestrate for even more dynamic checklist reassignment.
Innovation on Â鶹´«Ã½ Extend continues with a high-hazard risk assessment and safety training app already in development.
Transforming training for accelerated success.
Ecolab¡¯s learning transformation powered by Â鶹´«Ã½ Extend and Â鶹´«Ã½ Orchestrate brings thousands of new hires up to speed annually. Built on the Â鶹´«Ã½ platform, the tailored, scalable Guided Learning Experience accelerates time to competence and drives significant projected cost savings. The successful pilot and plans for future enhancements solidify Ecolab¡¯s place as a sustainability leader where employee success drives innovation.