For several years now, our Harmony logo has carried the line "Team up for digital change". But you shouldn't just preach innovation, you have to practise it too. That's why we launched the Harmony School App earlier this year: an innovative platform that centralises training opportunities within Harmony and makes the whole training process simpler for our colleagues.
It's partly a showcase of our expertise, but above all an investment in the continuous development of our people.
First things first: what is Harmony School?
'Harmony School' grew out of our need to share our colleagues' knowledge and experience with each other in a structured way, on specific topics related to digital transformation. That way, we want to build a learning culture.
Within 'Harmony School', we also developed the 'Fundamentals', based on the idea that every Harmony consultant needs certain basic skills to bring client projects to a successful end. To meet our clients' needs, consultants need a foundation in business analysis and project management skills, among other things, as well as communication and stakeholder management skills.
Together with management, we set a fixed package of internal and external training that every new consultant must complete within two years. This prepares consultants to take on all kinds of client challenges, and it keeps us developing ourselves.
Why do we need an app for this?
At Harmony, we believe in the power of our people. We invest heavily in their development because we want to strengthen their talents and inspire them to grow. This commitment has led to an offering of more than 100 training programmes, through which we not only support and motivate our employees to grow but also contribute to our clients' digital transformation.
Until recently, we kept track of this extensive training offering in Excel and PowerApps. The system worked, but it didn't match our ambitions. No offence, Excel, but "digital change" had to happen internally too: we're going all out for an optimal "customer experience".
The core functionalities
The Harmony School App delivers 3 core functionalities that will make learning easier for consultants:
- Direct insight into learning opportunities: Colleagues can see at a glance which training programmes are available and enrol directly. No more searching through different systems: everything is available with one click.
- Personal learning paths: The app knows your growth path and training history. Within two years, you complete a carefully curated basic package, which you can supplement with training that matches your specific ambitions.
- Smart evaluations and recommendations: Learn from colleagues' experiences. Through the built-in rating system, you can see straight away which training programmes colleagues recommend and might therefore meet your development needs.
From idea to app
At Harmony, we encourage consultants to take part in internal innovation projects. Myriam, who has been with Harmony for two years now, is one of them.
"When Cleo told me about the Harmony School Project some time ago, the idea of developing an app to digitise the training overview and the process of taking training, I immediately saw it as a unique opportunity to learn even more about the technical design of learning platforms," she says.
"For this project, we formed a dynamic team of 4 colleagues, each with their own expertise. From product owner to analyst and tester, everyone flexibly took on different roles."
"We approached it just as we do with our clients: working agile, in short sprints, and together with our colleagues on the IT side for the development. The app was built in OutSystems. That's a low-code app development platform that lets you get concrete results very quickly."
Looking ahead
We're proud of what we've achieved, but we remain ambitious. In the coming months, we'll expand the functionality even further.
For example:
- A dashboard for admins that makes it even easier to match training needs and the training on offer.
- Proactive recommendations based on your development path.
- A direct link between learned skills and client challenges
The Harmony School app embodies what Harmony stands for. For our clients, this translates into consultants who keep learning and who don't just advise on digital transformation but also put it into practice themselves. For professionals, it shows how we invest in talent, with the latest technologies and plenty of opportunities for development.
Are you curious how we can help your organisation with digital transformation? Or are you a professional who wants to work at a company that truly invests in its people? Then I invite you to come and have a chat. The future of digital transformation starts here.
