For over 16 years Cortexa has led the way in online training for the merchanting sector, providing and refining training content offered to members of the Builders Merchants Federation through BMF Campus.
A significant upgrade in 2019 introduced tiered subscription levels to BMF Campus content. This means that any business can access valuable learning within their budget, with all levels delivered with the features, branding and reporting required.
Registrations for BMF Building Blocks, our unique series of essential industry primers, have been especially successful, with over 3,500 enrolments since these learning programmes were launched.
Frontline staff are key to generating customer confidence in any business and merchants are no exception, with customer relationships and satisfaction paramount. Each Building Block has six modules (see panel below for examples) that focus on key topics directly related to the practical use and application of different products.
They are designed to promote professional customer engagement, reduce product returns and enhance opportunities to upsell or increase revenue from recommending associated products.
Mid-Sussex Timber is one of the merchants reaping the benefits of BMF Campus. General Manager Craig Reeves explained: “BMF Campus is an ideal solution for us because it provides industry specific training through the supplier and BMF Building Block courses that our staff can complete flexibly.”
The courses are created in consultation with experts in their fields and updated to reflect changes in guidance, regulation, or product development. While suppliers are involved in content development, the growing library of online learning remains product and brand agnostic. Each course is delivered through an engaging mix of video, commentary, text and diagrams, and finish with practical work and a final assessment to ensure that knowledge has been retained and can be applied.
Building Blocks are just a small part of the full content library available through BMF Campus. And to help HR departments plug specific educational or compliance needs cost-effectively, we have consolidated associated courses into “Bundles”. These include sets of courses on key topics such as Soft Skills, Safety at Work, Microsoft and Leadership and Management training.
Additionally, while many merchants use the BMF Campus platform, others may choose their own bespoke and independently branded platform. Billy Wesson of Tippers explains how this works for them: “We’ve been able to incorporate our own branding throughout the platform which is a big plus for us. We’ve also used ‘Learning Plans’ extensively to provide clear and tailored training paths that our staff can follow and use to keep track of their development.”
Find out more by emailing info@cortexa.co.uk or call 0330 024 2881.
Sample Building Block courses/modules include
Timber as a Building Material:
Introduction to Timber
Building with Timber
Roofing
Internal Timber and Carcassing
Joinery
Components for Timber ConstructionHeating and Hot Water Comfort:
Introduction to Central Heating
System Controls
Boilers, Heat Pumps and Solar
Hot Water and Hot Water Storage
Heat Emitters
Water TreatmentsAlso available are Buildings Insulation, and Introduction to Residential Construction, which also comprise six separate modules.
A version of this article appeared in the January 2023 edition of PBM. Click here to view the full digital issue online.
