Train the trainer: How Kanthal created an educational concept for its employees

Change is a constant in our professional lives, whether it’s starting a new job or updating an outdated IT system. But if change is so common, why aren’t organisations better at managing it? 

One company that excels at handling change is the Swedish company Kanthal. With nearly a century of experience, this manufacturing business understands what it takes to prepare for transformation. 

Kanthal has been a global leader in electric heating technology since 1931. As a company driven by innovation, continuous development is essential to attract and retain talent. Ola Björk, IT Manager at Kanthal, has played a key role in navigating this change. 

“I’ve been part of the control organisation for almost 29 years. I started out as an automation engineer and later transitioned into IT. Fifteen years ago, I became IT Manager for the control division. Back then, we had Movex and many other systems. In recent years, we began the transition to Infor M3, and it’s been an incredible journey. It’s still ongoing, and it’s exciting to be a part of it,” says Björk. 

In our podcast Leading Business Transformation, Ola discusses how Kanthal prepares its employees for this transformation. Jeanette Andersson, an Infor M3 Project Manager and education concept expert, joins the conversation to discuss the importance of training the trainer and what happens when this critical step is overlooked. Watch the episode on YouTube or listen to the podcast. 

In this blog post, we cover: 

• What’s "Train the trainer"? 
• How education can enable automation 
• How Kanthal employees feel about the Education Concept 

It’s like installing a Ferrari but driving it as a tractor. You can invest heavily in IT systems, but without giving people the tools to use them effectively, you’re wasting time

Train the trainer: A strategy for onboarding and continuous education  

Education and training are critical components of effective change management. For example, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed when starting a new job, but a solid education and training program can ease the transition. 

“If you bring new people into your organisation without proper training, you’re wasting resources,” says Björk. “It’s like installing a Ferrari but driving it as a tractor. You can invest heavily in IT systems, but without giving people the tools to use them effectively, you’re wasting time.” 

Kanthal began discussing a train the trainer concept after realising that many experienced users, now called super users, were nearing retirement. Columbus stepped in with its education concept, tailored for Infor M3 users. 

“We understood that we needed to address this issue, so we established a new governance structure for our business processes. Part of this was creating an effective education concept for new recruits while also training our super users, who are the trainers in this model,” explains Björk.

Education is a part of enabling automation 

Training, education programs, and onboarding can be time-consuming, but they save time and resources in the long run, allowing employees to focus on higher-value tasks. 

“This ties into automation, which is a process like any other,” says Björk. “Reducing the workload through automation starts with reusable training sessions. For example, e-learning provides a solid foundation for new employees, giving them a place to start.” 

Björk shares the positive feedback from colleagues about the Columbus education concept: “The response has been overwhelmingly positive. There haven’t been any negative reactions. In fact, everyone wants more training. New hires often say it’s a pleasure to join a company with such comprehensive resources available.” 

Want to get started on creating your own education roadmap? Learn more about our train the trainer and education concept for Infor M3 users.  

Alternatively, you can read this article by Jeanette Andersson on how to start educating your employees. Subscribe to our podcast