ADSA’s Totara Academy, built and supported by Cortexa
The company
Setting the standard for the powered pedestrian door industry.
The Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) offers its members access to industry-leading accreditation, training and education. Its industry-wide Installer Card scheme operates alongside the Construction Safety Certification Scheme (CSCS) — only ADSA accredited installers are allowed to sign off powered pedestrian doors.
ADSA courses are designed to encourage the highest levels of knowledge and competence across the industry. Having run a custom Cortexa solution for over seven years, the Association upgraded to Totara in the summer of 2024.
The challenge
Maximising the reach, benefits and cost savings of a new Totara platform.
ADSA had built a hugely successful network of active learners, but examinations sat outside the LMS on a costly third-party platform and classroom training was managed largely offline.
Exams locked to the premises
Final assessments were delivered on ADSA premises via a supplied, locked-down iPad, or remotely only after learners downloaded an app.
A second silo of learner data
The third-party exam platform never reported into the LMS, creating duplicate records and cross-training overhead for administrators.
A convoluted renewal process
Re-certification relied on manually recorded classroom attendance, unautomated email reminders and manual re-enrolment onto refresher courses.
Workarounds capping ambition
Custom compromises stunted ADSA’s ability to offer more to learners and capitalise on high engagement — and the old contract was expensive.
The solution
An integrated assessment system that never stops turning.
Cortexa built a Totara solution that triggers a continual cycle of training, reassessment and qualification issuing — ensuring the highest installation standards and user safety.
Blended exams from question banks
Totara’s question bank facility serves a mandatory first section alongside randomised questions — 10 from 30 on sliding doors, 10 from 30 on swing doors, then control systems.
Timed, single-attempt assessment
A one-hour timer starts the moment the first question is answered, with learners restricted to a single attempt.
Accredited Installer cards
A complete record of achievement lets ADSA issue cards covering BS EN 16005 alongside CSCS site-safety accreditation with total confidence.
Automated three-year recall
The LMS prompts qualified installers to take a six-module refresher and hour-long exam every three years, then reissues their qualification documents.
Accessibility widget
A Userway plugin lets learners adjust contrast, text size and readability, with an instant dyslexia-friendly font switch. Feedback has been extremely positive.
Replicated for BS EN 17352
The same system has since been rebuilt for entrance control equipment training — turnstiles and swing lanes.
The result
Every trainee on the new system, and a retraining cycle that runs itself.
Figures from the first eight months since the new Totara Academy went live.
In summary
What the new Totara process delivers.
Technical exams, online
Full BS EN examinations run inside the platform, timed and secure, with no third-party app or supplied hardware.
Reasonable adjustments as standard
Learners with vision impairments, dyslexia and other needs can adapt the interface themselves.
A modern, engaging platform
Better presentation of learning content and a more interactive experience that encourages engagement.
“Cortexa have been the sole provider of our learning academy, which forms the backbone of essential learning for our members in the powered pedestrian door industry. Moving up to Totara for our online accreditations has taken our membership service offering to even greater levels.”
“All of these improvements have gone down a storm with our members and are saving us time and money in the process.”
Run accreditation for your industry?
Tell us about your scheme and we’ll show you how Totara can handle training, examination and re-certification end to end.