The introduction of a new CAD/PLM system or the migration from an existing system to a new one challenges many companies with the same issue: How can engineers, technical designers, and product designers be trained to use the new, often more complex digital tools confidently, efficiently, and sustainably in their daily work?

ARTECH Consulting GmbH has been supporting national and international companies with the introduction and transition of CAD/PLM systems for many years. This has repeatedly confirmed one key point: technical excellence can only be achieved if learning processes are designed on a sound didactic basis. Modern training formats such as e-learning, web-based training (WBT), and blended learning play a decisive role here, and their effectiveness is clearly demonstrated in numerous projects and research studies.

Why e-learning is important in CAD/PLM projects
Traditional training programs often reach their limits for a variety of reasons: Groups are large and heterogeneous, with participants having very different levels of prior knowledge; training time slots are limited; and operational pressure in day-to-day business is high. E-learning helps to remedy this situation by opening new didactic possibilities and specifically supplementing existing training processes. The advantages of digital learning formats include: access independent of time and place, individual, self-directed learning, repeatable content for consolidation, and a direct link between theory, application, and practice.

Experience from numerous projects clearly shows that didactically well-designed e-learning courses lead to better learning curves, greater independence, and more stable long-term skills than purely instructor-centered training.

The ARTECH approach: e-learning based on real workflows
Many e-learning systems remain abstract or provide knowledge independently of practical processes. ARTECH Consulting GmbH deliberately takes a different approach by developing workflow-oriented learning modules that start exactly where users operate in their everyday working lives. The digital training courses offered by ARTECH Consulting GmbH are characterized by the following features:

  1. Realistic scenarios instead of isolated functions: CAD and PLM tasks rarely consist of individual commands. That is why modeling tasks, document workflows, and PLM processes are integrated into complete, practical use cases.
  2. Multimedia-based, cognitively optimized learning material: Using modern multimedia learning principles, the following elements are combined to reduce cognitive load, promote understanding, and improve long-term retention:
    a. Videos
    b. Simulations
    c. Step-by-step instructions
    d. Interactive tasks
    e. Embedded knowledge checks
  3. Adaptive learning for different roles: Designers, developers, data managers, and project managers have different needs. The WBT modules are modular in design, can be filtered based on role, and can be combined individually. This concept has also proven itself in international projects.
  4. Interactive practice environments with real CAD/PLM models: Learners see instructions and the practice environment at the same time. This “dual view” principle facilitates transfer and has been proven to lead to faster skill development.

Blended learning: The gold standard for CAD/PLM training
E-learning offers a high degree of flexibility, but experience also shows that the greatest benefits in challenging system changes only become apparent when digital self-study phases are combined with live training. This approach, known as blended learning, not only improves depth of understanding, but also promotes exchange, discussion, and socially embedded learning.

The combination of independent learning and interactive sessions is particularly effective in CAD/PLM projects. Working through content in digital self-study phases creates a solid foundation and evens out differences in knowledge. Live sessions enable complex questions to be clarified, practical knowledge to be deepened, and cross-departmental exchange to take place. Additional e-learning units for follow-up, if available, ensure that knowledge is consolidated in the long term. This creates a continuous learning process that is significantly more effective than any single format on its own.

Companies that integrate blended learning into their CAD/PLM training strategy consistently report noticeable benefits, including faster adoption and higher system acceptance, while reducing support and maintenance costs, promoting more sustainable skills development, relieving the workload on engineering teams, and improving process quality in daily operations.

Blended learning is therefore not only a modern training method, but also a key success factor for a smooth and economically successful transition in the field of CAD and PLM.