Munich (GER), January 2011 - Members of the Marketing Department staff at Wacker Neuson are well acquainted with heavy machinery: As representatives of a global manufacturer of high-quality construction equipment and compact construction machines, they demonstrate devices that support every phase of the building process to their clients. The equipment ranges from the classical rammer and the vibration plate and gas hammer to the mini-excavator and compact loader. However at the beginning of 2010, state-of-the-art computer technology was embedded into the most powerful vibration plate on the market - a development accompanied by an innovative service and operating concept.
The marketing employees know their firm's high-performance devices, but eliminating their wariness of the integrated cutting-edge computer technology proved to be an issue. Misgivings about "breaking something" due to improper operation or configuration were palpable. In collaboration with CBTL, Wacker Neuson developed an instructional program that allows the marketing reps to gain familiarity with the new technology in a game-like environment.
Remote-control operation of the machine and the device's display, signal lamps, and switches are emulated in the program exactly. This multimedia support enables users to become acquainted from the very outset with the proper actuation of the machine and its reaction to operator errors.
Videos and faithfully reproduced simulations of the processes create the impression of standing directly at the machine. One step at a time, the learner discovers the information in the device's diagnostic menu and acquires familiarity with the range of configuration settings.
Modern features such as theft protection and prevention of unauthorized reconfiguration are a key focus and simulated in great detail in individual exercises. At a more advanced stage, the operator learns to deal with automatic changes in the device configuration: each step is individually annotated to foster confidence with the novel technology.
But this learning approach was not only devised for the company's staff. End users, too, can familiarize themselves with the machine's innovative functions prior to actually commencing operation - with instruction is available in a variety of languages. Further information such as
maintenance and operating instructions can be invoked in the
instructional program to support the client in everyday tasks,
guaranteeing a long and incident-free deployment of the equipment.
