Case Study:
Australian National Maritime Museum
Building Consistent Capability Across Microsoft 365 Tools
As a national cultural institution with a diverse workforce and wide-ranging operational needs, the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) relies heavily on Microsoft 365 applications to support day-to-day activities across departments. From administrative and operational tasks to reporting, scheduling, and data analysis, staff use tools such as Microsoft Excel and Outlook daily.
Recognising the importance of staff using these tools efficiently and confidently, ANMM partnered with Beltan Consultancy to deliver a comprehensive, onsite training program. Over an extended period, Beltan delivered 23 days of training, supporting staff across multiple departments and skill levels. In total, 144 training attendances were recorded across the program, with many staff choosing to attend multiple sessions to deepen their capability or refresh existing skills.
What followed was a measurable uplift in efficiency, confidence, and consistency in how Microsoft 365 tools were used across the organisation.
The Challenge: Addressing Skills Gaps Across Departments
While Microsoft 365 tools were already widely used across ANMM, staff had not previously been offered formal training. As a result, skill levels varied significantly between individuals and teams. Many staff had developed their own ways of working, which often meant tasks were completed effectively, but not always efficiently.
ANMM identified several challenges:
- Skills gaps between staff members and departments
- Inconsistent approaches to common tasks
- Limited awareness of faster, more effective ways to complete everyday work
- Missed opportunities to fully leverage Microsoft Excel and other 365 applications
“Everyone uses Microsoft Office as part of their day-to-day work and had never been offered proper training.” the team explained. “There may be no right or wrong way to achieve certain tasks, but if there is a more productive and more effective way of completing tasks, that’s a win.”
Improving capability in this area was seen as a practical way to support productivity, reduce frustration, and help staff get more value from the tools they already relied on.
Designing the Right Training Pathways
To ensure the training met the needs of a diverse workforce, ANMM took a structured and flexible approach to placing staff into the most appropriate sessions. Staff were provided with a pre-course assessment alongside detailed course agendas.
This allowed participants to:
- Assess their own skill level
- Identify which courses aligned with their needs
- Opt into refresher training where appropriate
This approach empowered staff to take ownership of their learning while ensuring the sessions were relevant and well matched to each person’s expectations. The result was strong engagement across all levels, with many staff choosing to attend multiple courses. Some participants attended just one session, while others completed up to nine sessions, reflecting both the depth of interest and the value staff found in the training.
Beltan’s Delivery: Engaging, Adaptable, and Supportive
One of the strongest themes throughout the feedback from ANMM staff was the quality of Beltan’s delivery. All training sessions were conducted onsite and in small groups, using ANMM’s own facilities and computers, allowing for a highly interactive learning environment with minimal distractions.
Belinda’s ability to adapt content in real time was particularly valuable. With staff coming from varied backgrounds and skill levels, her flexible approach ensured everyone felt supported and challenged.
“Belinda is one of the best trainers we have come across in a long time.” ANMM shared. “Everyone raved about how good she was and how she made the courses fun and engaging.”
Participants consistently highlighted:
- Clear explanations and logical structure
- A patient, approachable teaching style
- The ability to tailor content to different skill levels
- Practical examples that directly related to day-to-day work
This adaptability helped build confidence across the group and ensured no one felt left behind.
Immediate and Practical Outcomes
Following the training, staff quickly began applying what they had learned. Feedback indicated noticeable improvements in efficiency and confidence, particularly in everyday tasks that previously took longer than necessary.
Staff reported:
- Using shortcuts and time-saving techniques in Excel
- Improved handling of complex tasks
- More efficient email and calendar management in Outlook
- Greater confidence exploring features they had not used before
“Quick tips in Outlook, through to undertaking complex tasks in Excel, made a difference.” the organisation noted.
These changes may have seemed small individually, but collectively they contributed to smoother workflows and better use of staff time across departments.
Participant Feedback: A Consistently Positive Experience
The strength of the program was reflected in the consistency of participant feedback. Across all sessions, staff described the training as engaging, informative, and immediately useful.
“Very informative – easy to understand and very engaging.” – Adam G.
“We had a worthwhile experience learning about new aspects of Microsoft Excel and how to tie these to practical applications in our workday.” – Liam M.
“Belinda was amazing. Very helpful and walked away with many tips.” – Debra M.
“Thank you for all the tips and tricks I wished I had known years ago. I’m using them today and am silently grateful every time I use them.” – Sharon B.
“Belinda was incredibly well-versed in the content and could adapt and teach it to many different skill levels within the group.” – Jordyn S.
“The trainer was patient, informative and knowledgeable. Easy to follow.” – Linda M.
This feedback reinforced Beltan’s reputation for delivering training that is not only technically strong, but also enjoyable and accessible.
Overall Value and Long-Term Impact
For ANMM, the value of the training extended beyond immediate skill development. Conducting the sessions onsite ensured staff could fully engage without distraction, creating a more immersive learning experience, without the need to travel.
“It’s been a positive experience all round.” the organisation shared. “We already have staff asking for further training in 2026.”
The success of the program highlighted the importance of ongoing capability development and reinforced the benefits of partnering with a training provider that understands how adults learn best in real workplace environments.
Recommendation
ANMM has no hesitation in recommending Beltan Consultancy to other organisations.
“Absolutely, we’d recommend Beltan without hesitation. Belinda was engaging and adaptable, tailoring content to meet our needs.”
As one final summary, the organisation noted:
“The training delivered by Beltan was a game changer for our team. Belinda’s engaging and adaptable approach made learning enjoyable and practical, and staff are now leveraging the Microsoft Office tools more effectively.”
Looking to Achieve Similar Results for Your Team?
If you are facing similar challenges or would like to improve confidence and productivity with Microsoft applications, I would love to help. Every organisation is different, and training is tailored to your team’s goals, skill levels, and way of working. Use the form below to start a conversation about what could work for your workplace.
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