Bradfords' own-brand Totara learning platform, built by Cortexa
The company
Trusted by trades and loved by locals, since 1770.
Bradfords Building Supplies has served builders, tradespeople and local communities for over 250 years. As the business has grown, so has the need for training that keeps pace across every branch and department.
Partnering with Cortexa, Bradfords moved from a generic LMS to a fully custom, own-brand Totara platform, giving colleagues a learning experience that finally feels like theirs.
The challenge
A growing business outgrowing a generic system.
Bradfords needed training that reflected its brand and turned years of business knowledge into something colleagues could actually use.
Limited engagement tracking
Without a modern platform, Bradfords had no clear way to see who was engaging with training and who wasn’t.
Business knowledge stayed on paper
Years of process documents, videos and PDFs sat unused instead of becoming structured, trackable training.
No accredited career pathway
Colleagues had no clear route to nationally recognised qualifications like the Timber Merchanting NVQ.
Off-the-shelf didn’t fit the brand
Generic LMS templates didn’t reflect the Bradfords brand colleagues and customers know.
The solution
A platform built around Bradfords, not a template.
Cortexa delivered a fully custom, own-brand LMS and put years of existing business knowledge to work.
Own-brand Totara LMS
A fully custom platform designed and branded to feel like Bradfords, not a generic system.
Cortexa-built e-learning content
A library of bespoke courses built specifically around Bradfords’ operations and culture.
Existing assets put to work
Video and PDF materials Bradfords already had were brought into the platform as structured, trackable courses.
NVQ-accredited pathways
As an approved centre, Bradfords now delivers the Award in Timber Merchanting directly through their academy.
BuildAI content creation
BuildAI turns everyday business information into structured, measurable training in a fraction of the time.
The result
From scattered knowledge to a thriving learning culture.
"We’ve been a Cortexa customer for over 10 years, but when in 2020 they helped us upgrade our LMS to Totara, we’ve been able to take our online training experience to a whole new level."
The future
Building on a decade of momentum.
Scaling BuildAI across departments
Extending AI-assisted course creation from induction training into procedural and regulatory content.
Deeper compliance reporting
Building out dashboards so managers can see compliance status at a glance.
More accredited pathways
Expanding beyond the Timber Merchanting NVQ into further nationally recognised qualifications.
Ready to build a platform that feels like your business?
Tell us about your teams and your goals, we’ll show you what a tailored Totara platform could do for your organisation.