The live factory in front of every learner: Leveraging the power of Digital Capability Centers for remote learning experiences in advanced operations

In early 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, nonessential workers were sent home. Suddenly, the in-person experiential learning developed by a large global consultancy firm was no longer possible. Their hands-on Digital Capability Centers, which replicate a live production environment, were closed temporarily. With learners still in need of training and a capable workforce more important than ever, the firm’s Operations Practice Learning team saw that a new approach was crucial. They created a remote offering that is livestreamed directly from a Digital Capability Center site to learners and facilitated by on-site faculty, delivering the learning environment of the center and preserving as closely as possible the benefits of a virtual hands-on experience. The remote Digital Capability Center offering is an effective and versatile simulation and experiential learning program that teaches the principles of excellence in advanced operations.