Totara-powered DB Lernwelt Sets Guinness World Record for online training

The Deutsche Bahn AG is the second-largest transportation company in the world and the largest railway operator and infrastructure owner in Europe, functioning as a mobility and transport group. The DB AG operates the majority of the German rail network and railway traffic and is also involved internationally in the transport and logistics sector.

The Challenge:

The DB Group, comprising over 300,000 employees and approximately 600 affiliated companies, faces diverse learning scenarios and needs across different target groups, corporate areas, and countries.

The goal was to provide a common platform for all target groups and learning scenarios while administratively separating individual learning areas. Learning within the DB Group varies based on factors such as the target audience, corporate area, and country, resulting in different needs. For example:

• Executives should be able to choose self-directed training to prepare for the digital future.

• Mandatory training and certifications for roles like train operators or track builders need to be organised on the platform, with achieved qualifications documented securely.

• Both online and on-site (virtual or in-person) training sessions must be organised and conducted.

• Diverse requirements from different corporate entities within the group, such as approval processes and notifications, need consideration.

• The platform should be available in multiple languages for employees working globally for the DB Group.

Despite all this heterogeneity, the clear goal was to provide a solution based on a common platform. Not only did the diverse requirements for a learning platform have to be taken into account, but data protection requirements also had to be consistently implemented within the group. The individual areas must be separated, which limits the visibility of users and their data so that administrative roles in their respective area only have access to the people who are assigned to the respective area.

The Solution:

To address these complex requirements, Deutsche Bahn chose Totara Learn, relying on the expertise of MM Learning Solutions as an experienced Totara partner specialising in complex corporate solutions. Key factors in the decision included Totara Learn’s strong open-source foundation and modular system, providing the flexibility needed. Totara was also capable of supporting all necessary languages for international deployment.

The solution, named “DB Lernwelt,” was developed by MM Learning Solutions in collaboration with other partners, with MM Learning Solutions acting as the main partner and system integrator responsible for integration and release management.

The implementation involved configuring standard Totara modules for required learning scenarios (online and in person). For more specific requirements, the MM Learning Solutions specialists designed and implemented individual extensions in the form of plugins and integrated them into the overall solution to ensure the system remains releasable and future-proof despite the individualisations.

A particular challenge here was the implementation of the DB Group’s data protection regulations and the resulting complete administrative separation of the individual business units. 

Based on Totara’s standards and using additional plugins, an expanded separation logic was created that ensures:

• Administrators of a specific business unit only see those users in the system who are organizationally assigned to their own area or
• Managers who take on a trainer role in courses and can only see members of their own team, etc.

Integration into the existing IT infrastructure, including importing user data, single sign-on, and transfer of completion data into individual employee records, was facilitated by Totara’s open architecture.

“We needed a multi-tenant system that covers the completely different requirements of our units – in Germany and also on a global level. And that’s why we looked for a solution that covers all these different needs and requirements. This is a big step for DB Group as we did not have this solution in the past. This made it possible to create a range of business models that cover the needs and requirements of individual companies on a global scale.”

Christian Dorn, Head of Production & DB Lernwelt, Deutsche Bahn

Results:

DB Lernwelt went live in April 2018 and has been continuously expanded. Various corporate areas have been gradually integrated into the platform since its launch, aiming to include all corporate sectors progressively.

Since the launch, user numbers have consistently increased. By mid-2020, over 155,000 people were actively using the platform, and as of 2023, there are over 290,000 registered users, with more than 185,000 regularly and actively utilising the solution. DB Lernwelt has become the central training and academy platform for Deutsche Bahn AG, with over 700,000 successful annual course completions in 2022.

The platform’s acceptance is evident in achieving the first Guinness World Records title for the Deutsche Bahn AG: 3400 participants successfully completed a web-based training within 24 hours, setting the record for “Most users to take an online diversity and inclusion webinar in 24 hours.”

The shift in the learning culture within the DB Group is noticeable since the introduction of DB Lernwelt. Learners no longer just complete their compulsory training, but have access to a group-wide offer that they can use independently. The platform’s success highlights the ongoing transformation in how learning is perceived and organised within the organisation.

“We are continually developing the understanding of learning and what learning is, together with our learners and also within the organisation. What we want to do now is to continue working on this continuous change so that people are motivated to organise their learning themselves. A key goal is to further strengthen the learners’ technical framework so that they can exploit the full potential of the available digital learning offerings in the future. When I look at our training participants and customers, real change is happening right now and will continue to happen in the future.”

Christian Dorn, Head of Production & DB Lernwelt, Deutsche Bahn