Working with more than 50 installation partners in 13 different countries across Europe, Shell Research Solutions was looking for a more scalable tool to train the installation partners and their electricians. This is why Shell chose Drillster for their Online Installer Training Academy. Watch the case video to discover how Drillster helps Shell with continuous learning in all countries, supporting different languages and courses.
Shell Recharge Solutions (opens in new tab), part of the Shell Group, provides what organizations and people at home need for electric charging. Across thirteen European countries, North America, and Asia, the business supplies hardware, charging points, installation, maintenance, supporting apps, and charging cards. Together, these services make electric driving and smart charging possible.
For the installation and maintenance of charging points, Shell Recharge Solutions works with more than fifty installation partners across Europe. Every Shell Recharge Solutions-certified installer receives internal training on installing and maintaining the chargers correctly. The previous training method was neither scalable nor consistent across countries. Jelle van Bueren, lead product manager for installation and maintenance at Shell Recharge Solutions, therefore decided to change the approach and use Drillster across the thirteen European markets.
Shell Recharge Solutions faced two challenges when training installers. The first was the training format, which required considerable time and effort.
“In the Netherlands, a group of installers met on-site every month for an afternoon presentation about installing the chargers and avoiding common mistakes. Physical training was intensive and cost a lot of time and money. It was mainly one-way communication, and we questioned how much knowledge people would retain over the long term. Above all, the approach was not scalable. Scalability is essential to our ambition of having at least 2.5 million chargers operating in Europe by 2030. The number of trained installers must increase significantly, so we need a more efficient training method.”
The second challenge was fragmented training material.
“Training content is provided in each installer’s local language,” Jelle explains. “It is translated and also localized to reflect local laws and regulations. Every country has its own rules and training preferences. As a result, the training content differed considerably between countries. We needed to standardize the materials and make them more consistent.”
Shell Recharge Solutions introduced Drillster to address both challenges.
“I already knew the tool from my previous employer and had a good feeling about it. I particularly liked the question-led learning approach. The application immediately tests each topic through short questions. It identifies which subjects need more attention and brings those subjects back later so the knowledge becomes firmly anchored. Topics you already understand well are repeated less often. I find that very effective, and Drillster is one of the few tools that offers this. I have supported recurrent learning for a long time, and Drillster applies it particularly well.”
“I have supported recurrent learning for a long time, and Drillster applies it particularly well.”
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The rollout began in five principal markets: the Netherlands, France, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Installers could complete certification training for different charging-point types through Drillster. The remaining European markets followed later.
“We appointed a local coordinator and delivery team for every country,” Jelle says. “They manage the installers, so we made them responsible for introducing Drillster to their teams. We involved these local teams in developing the training materials from the start. Together, we considered how the training should work, which subjects mattered to users, and how to turn those subjects into short drills. This resulted in drills for every charger type, supported by general drills about our company’s history.”
Adopting the new learning method still required work.
“The biggest challenge was getting our experienced installers to use Drillster. New installers know no other system, but it was a substantial change for people who had been with us longer. They are practically minded, want to get to work, and did not immediately see the efficiency of the drills. We therefore focused on introducing Drillster properly and explaining its value. We shortened the content, added many photographs and examples, and tailored it to different installer groups. For experienced installers, for example, we concentrated on common installation and maintenance errors rather than explaining how to install a charging point. This helped us make a significant step forward in adoption.”
The focus on adoption paid off.
“Our installers now understand why we moved to Drillster and recognize its value,” Jelle explains. “It is much faster than searching through a manual and gives us far more flexibility. Charging-point technology develops quickly, so new products are introduced regularly and training content often needs to change. We can now make those changes ourselves in Drillster, after which user proficiency levels are recalculated immediately.
“Our training process is much more scalable as a result. We schedule a short kick-off for new installers and then let them complete their Drillster training independently. Afterwards, we provide an FAQ. This continuous learning process helps them retain much more knowledge. Drillster has also given us a clear overview of our training materials, allowing us to align and standardize content between countries.”
“Drillster has made installer training much less labor-intensive while helping installers keep their knowledge at the right level.”
After using Drillster for some time, Shell Recharge Solutions is now exploring further ambitions. For Jelle, the next step is gaining more insight.
“Our installers use an app to test charging points after installation. It would be valuable to connect that app to Drillster. We could then see which installations are completed by well-trained installers. My ambition is to create a personal profile for each installer that combines Drillster training information with installation measures such as first-time-right performance and customer Net Promoter Scores. That would give local coordinators a clearer view of their installer teams. I look forward to exploring these possibilities with the Drillster team.”
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