Autobacs Seven Co., Ltd.
E-learning for automotive maintenance staff: Conversion and migration of 32 Flash materials to HTML
Autobacs Seven Co., Ltd.
Human Resources Planning Department, Manager, Yuji Noguchi
Human Resources Planning Department, Talent Development Group, Kyosuke Sato
- Services
- Material Creation
- Purpose of Introduction
- : e-learning material production (Conversion of Flash materials)
Customer Requests
Autobacs Seven Co., Ltd. operates the largest chain of car accessory stores, including "Autobacs" and "Super Autobacs," and also engages in franchise development.
To maintain the interest of the staff, characters were introduced using Flash, which was mainstream at the time, achieving complex animations and interactive movements.
However, with the end of Flash Player support, it became necessary to switch from Flash.
While general e-learning materials can be easily converted, such as converting to mp4 for playback in Flash Player, for intricate movements like those of Autobacs Seven, it is necessary to recreate and adjust each one manually using a production tool called Animate CC.
This requires significant cost and time, and the number of engineers and production companies capable of handling it is limited.
In such a situation, we received an inquiry from Human Science in August 2018.
Human Resources Planning Department, Section Manager, Yuji Noguchi
Key Points of the Proposal
In the process of converting to HTML5, we requested estimates and sample creation from multiple e-learning production companies under the following conditions:
・To prioritize delivery time and cost, we would like to use videos such as mp4 as much as possible.
・However, sections with interactions or quizzes will be converted using Animate CC.
In Human Science, we investigated the data of all 32 teaching materials,
① Video version (MP4)
② Interactive version (recreated in HTML5)
③ Hybrid version (video & interaction)
and sorted them, creating samples for HTML5 conversion and migration in three patterns, and made specification proposals.
At Autobacs Seven, there were plans to change the e-learning system (LMS) along with the revision of teaching materials.
We considered multiple LMS options, and from Human Science, we conducted a specification survey of two types of LMS (differences in functionality compared to the conventional LMS, differences in UI), and simultaneously proposed specifications for the revision of teaching materials and conditions for mobile viewing.
As a result, we received an order in December 2018, and from January to June 2019, we carried out the conversion, modification, and migration of 32 teaching materials to HTML, as well as the registration and verification of materials in the LMS.
Customer Feedback from Clients
"I reached out to multiple companies, but the production companies either could not respond due to the lack of source files or provided estimates equivalent to starting from scratch.
Human Science provided a proposal with the same costs and deadlines as initially planned.
From the proposal stage, being able to discuss a concrete HTML conversion plan while reviewing the content together, as well as their flexibility in handling the number of revisions after testing on smartphones and the schedule, were key factors in our decision to place the order.
In fact, even after production began, their responsiveness and quality were impeccable, allowing us to place our trust in them without any concerns."
Human Resources Planning Department, Talent Development Group, Kyosuke Sato
From Human Science representatives
To recreate and convert educational materials for playback in Flash Player, a source file for editing called ".fla" is required. However, it is often difficult to obtain this file due to personnel changes or the expiration of storage periods at production companies.
Additionally, Flash requires Action Script, while HTML5 requires technologies like JavaScript, but there are not many e-learning production companies that possess both skill sets.
Human Science has a certain number of engineers and has been involved in numerous conversion projects from Flash since 2012, accumulating know-how, which allows us to offer proposals at lower costs compared to other companies.
We would like to continue supporting our clients' education and training with our technology in the future.
Published on March 12, 2021
