Innovative Automotive Services (IAS), based at the Research Park of the University of Antwerp in Niel, is raising 400,000 euros in subsidies from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO). As a provider of training courses for international automotive organisations and car dealers, IAS is developing Mobilar®, a ground-breaking skills management software. The recognition by VLAIO will accelerate its further development.
“The automotive industry is characterised by a high level of innovation with cars becoming more sophisticated and complex, and there is an increasing focus on the service economy. Finding the right solutions to digitise, visualise and manage the skills in automotive organisations is of strategic importance. In practice, however, we notice that the skill levels of employees are not or very subjectively measured”, states Mohamed Amrani, CIO and co-founder of IAS.
“A few years ago, IAS started with the development of Mobilar®, a skills management software to objectively screen functional skills of employees via a scientifically based weighting principle. The screening takes place entirely on-the-job and is integrated in the daily working environment. Over time, the fellow employees will be able to conduct the assessment themselves and ‘screen’ their colleagues. Firstly, the screening results allows employers to manage skills in a more targeted way and, secondly, it will allow for a more individualised training approach. This customised approach to training courses will make them shorter and more efficient, thus increasing the ROI of the training programs in the end”.
Already today the Mobilar® technology is being used as a screening tool within IAS for customers such as KIA, Nissan, BMW, MINI and Toyota. With the support of VLAIO, the tool will be further developed for employers to screen their own employees, map the skills gaps with the training programs available in the market, and provide eye-opening insights for a better management of human capital and its knowledge. After several successful projects in Belgium, IAS is initially focusing on car manufacturers at European level. In addition, the next step would be to expand to other industries.
Innovative Automotive Services (IAS), located at the Research Park of the University of Antwerp in Niel, is the company of Mohamed Amrani and Alexander Swannet. Since 2012 they have been developing innovative training concepts inspiring automotive professionals at national and European level.
IAS is constantly forcing itself to move away from the conventional training approach. They distinguish themselves by developing a diverse range of creative concepts such as task-based competence measurement, Studio-Based Training and the creation of data-driven and individualised training programs.
