There are projects that do not start from scratch, but rather from a very clear need: to develop an existing platform so that it becomes more autonomous, professional and scalable.
This was the case with REHVA Academy, REHVA’s digital training initiative, set up to promote the science and practice of building services engineering internationally, with a particular focus on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). It opted to integrate Moodle and WordPress to automate the sale and management of its online training courses using SMATX.
Their aim was clear: to move from a limited, manually managed training platform to an automated, commercial e-learning ecosystem that was ready for growth.
The challenge: turning a training platform into a business channel
REHVA Academy had a Moodle platform that was originally set up as part of the Smart Square project, which was funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 101077241).
During that phase, use of the platform was more limited and its management was largely manual. However, once the grant had come to an end, REHVA needed to take it a step further: to take full ownership of the project and turn it into a sustainable training channel.
REHVA needed:
- A new public website to showcase its training programme.
- An e-commerce system for selling online courses.
- An integration between Moodle and WordPress that will automate enrolment and access.
- Prices vary depending on the type of user.
- Special offers for specific courses and profiles.
- A consistent visual experience across the website and the virtual campus.
Until then, Moodle had been operating in isolation. There was no public catalogue linked to direct purchasing, enrolments were carried out manually, and users had to wait to be granted access to courses.
For an online academy aimed at engineers and industrial companies, that experience was no longer enough.
The solution: a new website, an updated Moodle platform and SMATX as the connecting link
To meet this need, at 3ipunt we have developed a solution based on three pillars: a new WordPress website, integration with Moodle via SMATX, and a complete overhaul of the virtual campus.
The decision to integrate WordPress and Moodle made perfect sense for the project. On the one hand, WordPress and WooCommerce enabled us to create an attractive, flexible public website designed to sell courses. On the other hand, Moodle remained the ideal environment for managing training, users and learning.
The key was to connect both worlds without adding complexity to the REHVA team. That’s where SMATX comes in – 3ipunt’s solution for integrating Moodle and WordPress securely, seamlessly and automatically.
SMATX: comprehensive automation of course sales and enrolment
With SMATX, the process has changed completely. Now, when a user purchases a course via the website, the system automates the entire workflow:
- The user browses the course catalogue.
- Add the course to your basket.
- Make the payment via WooCommerce.
- SMATX creates the user in Moodle if they do not already exist.
- The system automatically enrols you on the relevant course.
- The user receives their credentials and can access the campus straight away.
This enables REHVA Academy to operate as an open, independent online academy that is equipped to deliver training on an ongoing basis.
In addition, a secure payment gateway was implemented with Worldline, along with discount voucher management and real-time synchronisation between the website and Moodle.
The synchronisation of ratings obtained from the satisfaction surveys carried out on Moodle has also been automated. This enables new users to view other students’ opinions before enrolling, thereby boosting confidence in and the appeal of the training programme.
A website designed to attract students and businesses
The project also involved the design and development of a new website for REHVA Academy. The aim was to create a modern, corporate and scalable portal to serve as the official showcase for its entire range of training courses.
The user experience was designed with a very specific target audience in mind: engineers, technical professionals and companies seeking specialist training.
For this reason, a clear and intuitive navigation system was created, allowing users to find courses, view relevant information and complete the purchase process in just a few clicks.
In addition, a specific feature was added to validate companies’ tax details against the VIES system, which is particularly important for an organisation with an international reach.
A more modern Moodle that is in line with the brand
Alongside the new website and the integration with SMATX, we have updated Moodle from version 4.5 to 5.1 to improve security, performance and stability.
We also fully customised the campus to reflect REHVA Academy’s visual identity, creating a consistent experience across the website and the learning environment.
The technical challenge: seamless integration
One of the key aspects of the project was to ensure reliable communication between WooCommerce and Moodle.
SMATX made it possible to automate payments, registrations, access and communications without the need for complex external integrations.
As this is a product developed in-house by 3ipunt, it has a clear roadmap and will continue to evolve with new features, improvements and integrations that meet the real needs of organisations that manage their training using Moodle and WordPress.
The result: greater autonomy and less manual work
The new platform allows users to browse courses, purchase them and access the campus entirely independently.
At the same time, the REHVA team has significantly reduced the administrative workload associated with registrations and access management.
The integration between the website and Moodle has also improved the visibility of courses thanks to the automatic inclusion of student ratings and reviews.
Technology in the service of education
This project demonstrates how a well-designed integration between Moodle and WordPress can streamline processes, improve the user experience and open up new opportunities for growth for an organisation.
Because when technology plays its part, training can focus on what really matters: creating value for people.
