Synergies between humans and technology
At the end of October, the World Class Business Leaders Conference took place in Leipzig, where Hubert Ortner, Managing Director of Formation4You, together with Andreas Kostelecky, Managing Director of Maxus Motors Austria, gave a presentation on the topic “Digitalisation in the training sector – synergies between humans and technology”.
Initial situation and challenges
The trainees come from very different functions – technicians, salespeople and managers each have their own needs and different learning profiles. In many sales and service networks, the following applies: technicians expect concrete technical content and applications, salespeople need argumentation and conversation skills, managers want strategic orientation and change competence.
The challenge lies in reaching asynchronous recipients precisely – that means addressing different target groups with different expectations and learning prerequisites in one meaningful overall process.
What is crucial is that the counterpart remains visible and audible – digital formats must not degenerate into anonymous monologue platforms, otherwise motivation and engagement suffer. It is not primarily an IT challenge but a cultural issue.
“The most important challenge in digital training formats is getting people into action. The human being is at the centre. Technology can strengthen and reinforce, but not replace.” – Hubert Ortner
Solutions: Hybrid learning formats as the key
To meet this challenge, Ortner and Kostelecky rely on hybrid formats:
- An initial online part with technical introduction and knowledge development (e.g. via Virtual Classroom, 60 to max. 90 minutes)
- This is followed by an in-person phase (face-to-face) in which joint activities, exchange and practical application are the focus.
The advantage: Each participant comes to the in-person session with a certain level of prior knowledge. This increases effectiveness and emotional involvement. At the same time, a real sense of community and networking is created during the face-to-face event, which is particularly important for target groups with different backgrounds.
A concrete example: At Maxus and Formation4You, technicians and sales advisors were trained together, even though these groups usually have little contact. They completed different Virtual Classroom trainings (technical or sales-oriented) – and then met together in the in-person training, accompanied the hands-on vehicle work and exchanged their perspectives. This resulted not only in learning transfer but also in cross-departmental understanding and collaboration
Training competence and didactics
Another critical success factor: Trainers must be didactically fit in digital environments. Online and hybrid formats require different skills than classic in-person training – for example, moderation in virtual rooms, activation of participants, interactive tools and transfer tasks. Good implementations of this kind lead to higher learning motivation and acceptance.
Studies show that conscious integration of human-technology synergies in the learning context improves learning and transfer performance. This is the case, for example, in the study “Human–AI Synergy for Future Learning”: it emphasises that technology must complement, not replace, the learning process; and that learners must be actively involved. Quelle: https://singteach.nie.edu.sg/2024/04/29/human-ai-synergy-for-future-learning)
Looking ahead: Learning of the future – today
Ortner and Kostelecky clearly focus on upcoming trends:
Personalisation and AI: Learning formats are increasingly personalised with AI support, for example through individualised tasks, adaptive learning paths or simulations.
Situational learning: In areas such as service reception or complaint management, role plays, simulations or virtual reality (VR) can depict training situations realistically.
Human + technology = team: Technology is not understood as a replacement but as a tool that amplifies human experience. Studies on human-machine synergy show that effective cooperation between humans and technology goes beyond efficiency – it promotes innovation, engagement and sustainable change. (Source: https://eajournals.org/ejcsit/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2025/07/Automation-and-Human-Synergy.pdf)
Aber machen Sie sich selbst ein Bild – den ganzen Vortrag können Sie hier sehen:
Takeaways for decision-makers and companies
- Digitalisation only succeeds with the human at the centre.
- Technology alone is not enough; learning culture, motivation and participation are decisive.
- A good partnership between companies and training agencies is essential. Only together can requirements be understood and suitable formats developed.
- Learning remains alive when humans and technology work together. Hybrid formats combine flexibility, practical transfer and community – ideal for heterogeneous target groups.
- Teams develop across functional and knowledge boundaries. When technicians, salespeople and managers learn together, cross-departmental understanding and collaboration arise.
Conclusion
The world of training is changing – faster than ever. But the change is not primarily technical, but cultural. At Formation4You we understand: technology can amaze, humans can connect – and only when both interact does true learning success emerge. Together with partners such as Maxus Motors, we shape learning environments that prepare for the future – for people, for organisations, for markets.
If you are interested in how we can jointly transform your training environment – we look forward to the exchange.
If you are interested in how we can transform your training landscape together, we look forward to hearing from you.