From compliance requirement to everyday learning

How Northline embedded microlearning and spaced repetition across its national workforce

Northline | Logistics & Distribution | Five years using Forget Me Not®

The challenge: turning compliance into something people actually do

Northline is an Australian-owned logistics business operating across 13 depots in metropolitan, regional and remote locations — from major cities to North Queensland and Alice Springs. With teams working in fast-paced, high-risk environments, safety is Northline's top priority, particularly around critical risks such as pedestrian and vehicle interactions and working at height.

When Tom Cleghorn and the Northline team reviewed their compliance learning, the gaps were clear. The organisation relied on a traditional online induction made up of large, information-heavy modules delivered at the start of employment. These modules weren't refreshed annually, leaving a gap in ongoing reinforcement. For a workforce that rarely sits at a computer, the format didn't fit the reality of day-to-day operations.

Taking people offline for long blocks of training wasn't practical. Delivering consistent learning across remote and regional locations was difficult. And without regular reinforcement, safety knowledge wasn't sticking the way Northline needed it to.

Northline needed a learning model that was accessible, repeatable and realistic for a dispersed workforce.

The solution: learning that fits in the flow of work

Northline chose Forget Me Not®, a microlearning and spaced repetition platform, to introduce a mobile-first approach built around short, repeated learning experiences.

Instead of asking employees to complete half-day modules at a computer, learning could happen in small pockets of time — during breaks, between tasks, whenever employees had a moment. As Tom explains, the goal was to use the "20 minute, 30 minute breaks" already available in the day, rather than carve out a large block of time for training. Forget Me Not®'s three-to-five-minute microlearning sessions were built for exactly that kind of window.

For a workforce spread across the country, this made learning far more accessible.

Starting small: a pilot that reshaped the approach

Northline began with a test-and-learn pilot focused on pedestrian and vehicle safety, introduced to leaders and selected depots first.

The pilot surfaced a knowledge gap in a high-risk behaviour that induction and toolbox talks hadn't fully closed — even among employees who had already completed both. That result became a turning point. Forget Me Not® wasn't just delivering learning; it was giving Northline visibility into what people actually understood, so leaders could reinforce key behaviours through coaching and toolbox talks.

That diagnostic capability quickly became one of the platform's most valuable features.

From pilot to business-wide adoption

The success of the pilot gave Northline the confidence to expand the approach across the business. Strong senior leadership support, active branch engagement and hands-on implementation drove early adoption, with leaders working closely with employees to resolve barriers and build familiarity with the platform.

Over time, local teams developed their own capability and confidence, and Forget Me Not® became part of the rhythm of work. The platform is now part of Northline's capability and wellbeing calendar, used as prerequisite learning before virtual sessions — a blended model where digital and facilitated learning complement each other.

In 2023, Northline was recognised by LearnX for Best Implementation of a Learning Technology, reflecting the organisation's practical approach to embedding learning technology across a dispersed workforce.

Making managers part of the learning process

Manager visibility has been central to sustaining adoption. Forget Me Not® provides live reporting, giving managers real-time insight into their team's progress and allowing them to follow up with employees while learning is still current, rather than relying on delayed reports. Senior leadership also receives visibility, creating a clear line of accountability from individual employees through to executive level.

"The kind of accountability and visibility Forget Me Not® provides has been really helpful. It's an ongoing benefit for us." — Tom Cleghorn, Northline

For Tom, this combination of leadership support, live visibility and practical implementation has helped make learning an expected part of everyday work.

The impact: from compliance to capability

Five years into its Forget Me Not® journey, Northline has built a broader learning capability around the platform. What began as a response to an annual compliance gap has grown into an ongoing program supporting compliance, capability and wellbeing.

• 91–95% ongoing compliance — Forget Me Not® is embedded into Northline's compliance program, consistently achieving high participation across the business.

• Knowledge gaps identified early — ongoing diagnostics help leaders spot gaps and reinforce key messages before they become incidents.

• A dispersed workforce reached consistently — mobile delivery ensures learning is accessible across metropolitan, regional and remote locations.

• Learning built into existing workflows — microlearning supports compliance, capability and wellbeing initiatives, including prerequisite learning ahead of virtual sessions.

• Real-time manager visibility — live reporting enables timely follow-up and accountability at every level.

What's next: reimagining induction

Northline is now focused on transforming its induction experience. The organisation has already reduced traditional induction content and introduced microlearning modules ahead of the annual learning program. The next step is to move the entire induction experience into Forget Me Not®.

With features like Burst and role-specific learning pathways, Northline is exploring how new employees can receive targeted, bite-sized learning from day one — reducing reliance on lengthy traditional modules and creating a smoother start for new hires.

‍