Horizon Maritime Services Ltd.

Challenge
Horizon Maritime Services Ltd. had already developed their own content that details company’s policies and procedures or covers relevant government regulations. However, they needed a Learning Management System (LMS) that could deliver these and other content remotely and could help them oversee and document the training in real-time. They have over 100 employees across eight divisions, many of whom were located offshore. Having a workforce in multiple sites, each with different compliance requirements, how could Horizon determine who and how many had finished the courses? How could they measure retention and assure clients of their employees’ compliance?

Solution
Horizon Maritime Services turned to dss⁺ Digital Online Learning Platforms. In addition to using the dss⁺ off- the-shelf course content, the Basic Authoring Tool allows them to create unique, company-specific course content in an engaging, professional format; while the LMS helps generate custom reports on training status and much more.

Why dss⁺? Content delivery across multiple locations
Clients of Horizon Maritime Services often require that Horizon’s employees be aware of specific regulations in certain geographical regions. Leading the implementation of the LMS, Barbara Murphy, Administrative Coordinator, simplified employee access to customized training, and took advantage of the platform’s scalability and automation features. The LMS allows administrators to track and manage delivery, and even provide employees with user manuals, which comes in handy when they are implementing new software.

Make-Your-Own Courses with the Authoring Tool
Through the Basic Authoring Tool, Horizon also customized courses to meet regulatory or operational requirements. For instance, they needed to educate employees on the policies and procedures for Bag Searches and created a course just for that purpose. In addition, Horizon relied on many of dss⁺ ’ Safety and Human Resources courses, including COVID-19 content, wellness, employee involvement, ethics, JSA, PPE, and food safety. Every Horizon employee—new hires, agency crew, onshore crew, and vessel personnel, including those assigned to their fleet of five large-supply vessels—all receive the same training. Those in remote sites have the content delivered via satellite.

Simplified documentation of training
Tracking training across multiple locations is a monumental task, and this is where the LMS proved particularly helpful. It allowed Horizon to manage content delivery as needed, determine the extent of employee compliance, and help ensure 100% completion. It was easier, Barbara shares, to know if and to what extent personnel were “up-to-date” in their training, and the administrators could act accordingly. They also generated custom reports, which included visual representations and could be filtered according to employee category or vessel type.

Result
Both tailored and off-the-shelf content helped Horizon drive the importance of safety practices and policies, thanks in part to the material’s comprehensive, no- nonsense format. A survey of learners found that the courses were “presented clearly”, “easy to use” and relevant to the tasks at hand. The content was deemed comprehensive but not “overwhelming.” Through the training reports, Horizon saw how much training had been done in a particular location, and which site needed which content. This information assured their clients of personnel compliance with certain regulations and operations. Lastly, the efficient content delivery across different work sites helped generate $70,000 savings on training each year, owing in part to the reduced need for face-to-face instructor-led learning.

Horizon Maritime Services and dss⁺ have been collaborating for the past four years, and both are looking to continue the partnership to enhance user experience through feedback and help learning be ever more responsive to regulatory changes.

Horizon Maritime Services Ltd.
Horizon Maritime is a proud Canadian company whose management team has been involved in the global marine business since the 1980’s. With locations across Canada, they are positioned to serve both the unique challenges of Canadian waters and those around the globe. Horizon Maritime is built on a foundation of trust and integrity, driven and developed by energetic, hands-on professionals in a collaborative environment. All of their operations are supported by an unwavering commitment to health and safety. They understand their customer needs and create innovative solutions for lasting success.