Colonel Mustard, behind the Billy shelving unit, with the revolving CD tower.

It could be the answer to a new Cluedo-style training course devised by Hove-based e-learning company Brightwave for furniture giant IKEA.

Brightwave, in Old Shoreham Road, was commissioned by the Swedish home furnishings company to develop an imaginative online course for its UK sfaff.

The result was a programme with a whodunnit theme, where staff move around IKEA stores to solve a mystery. In the process they learn how to handle and process stock.

The course will form part of all new staff's induction process.

Neil Crowson, e-learning project manager for IKEA, said: "We needed to make sure our stock is processed correctly so customers can trust the product availability searches we offer on the internet and over the phone. Training workers how to use our systems accurately is a key part of making this process run smoothly.

"The training also helps us reduce stock wastage and keep costs low.

"We chose Brightwave because they were a good cultural fit and came up with high-quality creative ideas that could be turned into engaging yet measurable courses."

There are various quizzes throughout the course that participants have to pass in order to move on to the next area. One month after completion staff will be sent another assessment to check what information they have retained.

All assessments are integrated with IKEA's Learning Management System to make the learning easily trackable and measurable.

Charles Gould, managing director for Brightwave, said: "We're demonstrating e-learning can compare favourably with the best in classroom training.

"Serious games and simulations give learners the opportunity to explore content in a much wider sense than in a traditional course.

"By trying out different routes and solutions they are more likely to engage with the content and retain information.

"Coupled with solid assessments, these types of e-learning programmes are proving to be very effective."

Wednesday, June 14, 2006