Mobile Business Is On A Roll. Where Is Mobile Learning?

By Mohana Radhakrishnan, VP Client Services, Expertus

Mohana Radhakrishnan,
VP Client Services,
Expertus

Need it now. On the go. Welcome to life in today’s global enterprise fast lane.

We all feel the burn of escalating business demands. Hyperconnectivity is the new workforce normal. The proof is right in our hands, as we juggle a mounting array of digital devices, cloud-based applications, and password combinations.

Each day is a new opportunity to redefine not only where we work, but also how we get work done. And as organizations rethink the nature of work, itself, a related question soon follows: What does this fundamental shift mean for organizational learning?

According to the Bersin by Deloitte 2013 Corporate Learning Factbook:

“No longer is the L&D function ‘the place’ for learning; instead, the role of the L&D team is to facilitate and enable learning. L&D teams should build skills in performance consulting, gain expertise in new technologies including social and mobile, and work to cultivate strong learning cultures within their organizations.”

Mobile Learning Disconnect?
Lets look closer at one of those important new technologies — mobile devices. A recent Forbes article confirms that, at companies where workers are free to use their own mobile devices on the job, productivity is surging. And not surprisingly, TechRepublic’s recent BYOD Business Strategy Survey reveals that 62% of companies plan to embrace BYOD by year-end.

But despite the presence of mobile devices on the job — and lots of BYOD buzz — learning organizations seem cautious. In fact, according to an August 2012 Gartner Group report, “It’s surprising how few organizations are investing in mobile learning.”

Of the corporations Gartner surveyed, only 8% have extended their learning initiatives to mobile platforms — and only 18% more are expected to offer mobile learning by the end of 2013. Even more surprisingly, almost 60% said they either have no plans to add mobile to their mix by the end of 2014, or they do not know. (See graph.)

So, how should learning professionals view the proliferation of smartphones and tablet devices on the job, and the emergence of BYOD policies that formalize mobile business practices?

Mobile’s Role: Connecting the Dots

Clearly, while “going mobile” sounds promising, it requires a thoughtful approach. Learning leaders recognize that blindly converting an entire catalog of e-learning courses into smartphone or tablet format isn’t a viable mobile strategy.

As we’ve discussed previously, a successful learning experience doesn’t distract or disrupt learners. Instead, it should fuse three key elements — content, context and channel — in a way that supports continuous learning. Ideally, learning should fit seamlessly into an individual’s workflow — integrating with other enterprise systems and leveraging resources from across the organization in ways that feel natural, appropriate and relevant to learners at the moment of need.

Sounds good in theory. However, when those moments arrive — when a worker actually needs expert advice, instruction, reference information, or performance support from peers — is your enterprise LMS prepared to “speak smartphone” or “talk tablet”?

Overcoming Learning Platform Roadblocks

A major barrier to mobile learning adoption has been the lack of learning platforms that not only perform all the functions of an enterprise-class LMS, but also deliver a personalized, continuous learning experience. It’s not enough to support multiple learning modes through a central LMS. Instead, it’s about true, uninterrupted access to the right kind of learning resources and tools — anytime, anywhere, on any device — whether an internet connection is available or not.

Fortunately, with innovation in cloud computing, enterprise integration APIs and mobile development tools, this vision of uninterrupted learning is now a reality. It works. And it’s one of the core strengths in the newest version of the ExpertusONE dynamic LMS.

Learn more by reading the ExpertusONE Mobile product overview. Or see for yourself. Fire up the on-demand “test drive” demo now. We believe the future of enterprise learning should look like this. Let us know if you agree.

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Note from Mohana: If you’d like to discuss your organization’s learning challenges, or you’re interested in understanding more about next-generation enterprise learning solutions – contact me anytime at mohanark@expertus.com.

Image credit: Pixabay

Choosing an LMS Provider: What Matters Most?

6 Factors for a Successful Learning Platform Choice

By Kathleen Waid, Senior Director of Client Services, Expertus

Kathleen Waid,
Sr. Director, Client Services,
Expertus

If you’re an enterprise learning professional, you’re no doubt facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities these days. It’s not just about keeping pace with an extraordinary rate of technology innovation. It’s also about a fundamental change in the perceived mission and purpose of learning organizations.

As Bersin by Deloitte explains in its 2013 Corporate Learning Factbook:

“No longer is the L&D function ‘the place’ for learning; instead the role of the L&D team is to facilitate and enable learning.”

This radical shift from a training-centered “delivery” mindset to a learner-centered “empowerment” approach has tremendous implications for the type of technology needed for workforce development and performance support.

As a result, Bersin says that corporate training budgets are roaring back from recent deficits, to an average annual increase of 10% in 2011 and 12% in 2012. Not surprisingly, much of that spending involves the purchase of new learning platforms.

So Many LMS Choices, So Little Time

Although this news is encouraging, it raises a critical question: How can you be sure that you’re choosing the best next-generation LMS technology for your company?

Industry advisors such as Craig Weiss at E-Learning 24/7 offer detailed insights on How to Buy a LMS, as well as self-help tools for comparison shoppers. This kind of authoritative, independent advice is helpful, especially from experts like Craig who continuously tracks more than 500 LMS offerings.

However, as a next-generation LMS provider, we regularly sit at the table with organizations who grapple with tough technology questions. We see similar issues arise all the time. And we’d like to offer our “insider” perspective on how to find a strong platform fit.

Hint: It doesn’t start with the product. It starts with the vendor.

LMS Vendor Checklist – 6 Key Factors

• Objectives-Driven Demo – What does the product tour reveal? Is it only a cursory functional overview? Or is your head spinning from exposure to a vast kitchen-sink collection of features? Ideally, a demonstration will help you envision how the platform actually supports LMS processes and objectives that are directly relevant and meaningful to your business.

• Change Management Policies – Let’s face it, your business is going to change. But does your prospective vendor truly understand your organization’s need for agility? How easily will the platform adjust to continuous change?

• Implementation Expertise – The success of any LMS goes far beyond its core technology and design. Before you select a vendor, take time to clarify how the platform will accommodate existing content, and how your vendor will manage the data migration process. Furthermore, how competent and committed is the vendor’s professional services organization? Is ongoing customer service a primary strength for your vendor, or is it a weak link? When your business performance is at stake, there is no substitute for experience and reliability.

• Integration History – Of course, vendors know how to integrate elements within their own LMS environment. But are they skilled in seamlessly linking those systems with your existing LMS(s), with enterprise systems beyond the learning function, and if needed, beyond organizational boundaries? Also, be sure to research this essential consideration for leading-edge learning initiatives: Does your vendor offer a healthy REST API library, to ensure smooth, seamless integrations across cloud-based systems?

• Customer Referrals – Many vendors offer extensive customer lists – but how accessible are contacts from those lists? The proof is in the pudding. Don’t hesitate to ask real customers how the vendor manages engagements. Every project has unforeseen shifts in requirements, but it’s critical to understand how changes were managed. Was a change control process outlined in advance? Could the changes have been avoided by more carefully defining the scope of work (SOW)? Was project/relationship management clear, consistent and competent?

• Product Roadmap Input - How much input will your company have in the evolution of your vendor’s LMS platform? What mechanisms are in place to ensure that your suggestions will be considered? Will your voice be heard, or is the provider too large or too internally oriented to engage customers, and incorporate their feedback into product development priorities?

Want to Learn More?

Read the full Expertus LMS Success Insights report, “The Truth and Consequences of Picking an LMS Provider: Who Has Your Best Interests at Heart?”

Or to discuss your organization’s criteria for your next-generation learning platform, feel free to contact us anytime. We value your thoughts, concerns and ideas.

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Note from Kathleen: To see if a cloud-based continuous learning platform like the ExpertusONE LMS makes sense for your organization, learn more at our website or feel free to contact us anytime for a personalized consultation and demo.

Image Credits: Pixabay and Stock.xchng

LMS Wish List – Coming Full Circle in 2013

Updated Poll Results Underscore Key Issues & Opportunities

By Gordon Johnson, VP Marketing, Expertus

Gordon Johnson,
VP Marketing,
Expertus

As we roll into 2013, the business world is abuzz with predictions – and the learning and talent management industry is no exception. But yesterday, rising through the noise of New Year’s trend analysis, I heard an inspiring voice from a professional at a leading energy company.

Quoted in the newly published Bersin by Deloitte report, Predictions for 2013: Corporate Talent, Leadership and HR, this innovation advisor underscored the reality faced by corporations everywhere:

“In today’s economy there is no way anybody can be an expert in a substantial part of their total field. The modern ‘renaissance man’ is one who understands how to learn.”

As Bersin’s analysis indicates, the implications are clear. Business conditions are rapidly moving talent management and development toward a far more strategic role in the enterprise. This is great news for those of us who are dedicated to supporting the learning function. But significant challenges lie ahead.

We need better ways to empower these ‘renaissance’ organizational contributors in their learning endeavors. We must become more vigilant about removing structural, procedural and technological barriers. And we must focus deeply on facilitating the learning experience – whenever, wherever and however it’s needed to elevate job performance.

How can LMS platform vendors help? Here’s one way…

Listen to the Learning Community Early and Often

Click to download the 2010 LMS Survey Report

Throughout the years, we’ve regularly asked L&D professionals to offer their ideas on key issues, best practices and technology preferences. This open dialog is essential in shaping our product roadmap to ensure a good fit with market needs and expectations. Rather than keeping the conversation “under wraps,” we prefer to be transparent – so we can gather the broadest, most diverse cross-section of opinions.

For example, late in 2010, we partnered with TrainingIndustry.com to conduct an industry survey about LMS preferences. We gathered opinions from nearly 150 learning professionals, and we published key findings in a report called “The Current and Future State of Learning Management Systems.”

Then last January, when we launched this blog, it seemed wise to check-in again and see if LMS expectations shifted during the previous year. That’s when we re-framed a critical question from the 2010 survey as a simple one-question poll: “What’s On Your LMS Wish List?”

We Hear You, Loud and Clear

During the past year, 398 “Learning in the Cloud” blog readers replied to that informal poll. In June, we offered a mid-year snapshot of the results, comparing 3 key points with the 2010 survey results. Interestingly, sentiment about these 3 key issues have been highly consistent across multiple years, multiple audiences and multiple survey mechanisms:

• LMS satisfaction remains extremely low (only 1% of our poll respondents, even lower than in 2010)
• Personalized learning experiences are desired above all else (18% of respondents)
• Stronger analytics and integration with other systems are both essential to a “complete” platform (14% & 13%, respectively)

Clearly, a significant gap still remains between the perception of today’s LMS platforms and the ideal that most learning professionals envision. We believe this reflects the desire to re-engineer LMS platforms altogether, from a learner’s perspective.

It’s easy to say that an LMS is user-centered. But if the “user” is a learning administrator, then learners will not be served well. It’s entirely different to develop an LMS platform from concept to delivery, with learner needs, behaviors and input as its guiding inspiration. That’s one of the reasons we gather opinions from this blog. It’s just one of many “reality checks” to help us determine priorities.

What’s Your Opinion?

If you haven’t yet voted in the “LMS Wish List” poll, please do. Or feel free to share comments below. We’ll continue to review all input, look for patterns, and report additional findings.

As we said last January, our rationale is simple. We believe that listening is important. We’d rather create LMS technology that fits your needs than force you to accept our worldview. And ultimately, we hope that a spirit of open, collaborative dialogue will lead to stronger learning solutions for all of us in the business of talent management and development.

Here’s to even better learning in the years ahead!

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Note from Gordon: To learn how your organization can benefit today from continuous learning through ExpertusONE, take a 30-minute test drive right now. Or, feel free to contact us for a personalized consultation and demo.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Choosing an LMS: Finding True North

When to Take the Plunge and Commit to New Learning Technology

By Caleb Johnson, Director of Strategic Accounts, Expertus

Caleb Johnson,
Director of Strategic Accounts,
Expertus

In recent years, we’ve seen a fundamental shift in how professionals view enterprise learning. It’s no longer considered synonymous with a series of training events. Instead, it’s now widely embraced as a learner-centered process.

In keeping with this evolving mindset, L&D leaders are re-envisioning all aspects of their organizational development strategies – including their LMS platforms. It’s wise to consider new technologies that can better align with evolving business needs. But these days, the task can be daunting.

Navigating a Sea of Confusion

Learning decision makers shouldn’t have to be overwhelmed or frustrated by the selection process. But unfortunately, too often, they are. The complexity and perceived risks can paralyze even the most motivated organizations. Contributing factors arise from within the enterprise, as well as from external sources. For example:

INTERNAL ISSUES

• Weak IT standards
• An uncertain infrastructure roadmap
• Miscommunication with technical staff or disagreement about business requirements

EXTERNAL ISSUES

• The rapid pace of industry change and technology innovation
• Inability to track or evaluate the vast selection of available platforms and tools
• Confusing or conflicting messages from various vendors about features and functionality

Raising the Stakes in a Brave New Enterprise World

One very visible challenge is the ongoing industry debate about the relevance of LMS platforms in an era of cloud computing, the social enterprise and an increasingly mobile workforce. Late last year, we hosted a Think Tank about this issue, featuring key trends from Bersin & Associates and reactions from top learning executives. (Download “Talent Management Trends and Best Practices of High-Impact Learning Organizations.”)

This year, the discussion moved into high-gear, after several large-scale talent management suite vendors acquired LMS platform providers. Analysts continue to weigh-in on the implications for learning management systems in the talent management mix. For example, former Gartner Group learning technology expert, Jim Lundy, recently suggested that “resistance is futile” and standalone LMS offerings “will be absorbed.”

Other observers seem eager to declare the demise of LMS platforms. However, as I explained in a recent post, this would be a mistake.

Learning industry advisor, Craig Weiss, agrees. Recently he debunked the “LMS is dead” myth in deep detail. While outlining the capabilities of 500+ learning management systems he tracks, Craig offered this summary:

“The LMS is not dead. It’s not dying. It is not requiring an extensive set of variables in order for it to grow. It is not requiring talent/performance management to be an essential feature. It is not becoming a human capital management system. It is becoming something people need and want. And that is a fact…”

Waiting For an LMS Safe Bet?

All these varying opinions beg the question: Is it wise to commit to technology that seems at risk of becoming obsolete?

The truth is – waiting to choose a next-generation LMS is probably your riskiest move. Technology decisions are naturally complicated, and the context surrounding innovation is inherently complex. Therefore, in a world where workforce skills, knowledge sharing and performance improvement often lead to competitive advantage, delaying a learning platform decision can be more costly than moving forward with the best fit among today’s strongest contenders.

A smart way to get started is to learn more about how next-generation platforms are transforming learning in real-world environments. For example, to find out about the benefits of dynamic, cloud-based platforms like the ExpertusONE LMS, I recommend you download the Bersin research bulletin “ExpertusONE and the Dawn of the Continuous Learning Management System.“

Or to learn about continuous learning in action, read case studies like this: Software Giant Lowers Training Costs and Improves Readiness of Global Tech Team with Virtual Learning. (No sign-up required.)

And of course, whenever you’re ready to discuss your needs with learning technology experts, we’re happy to help you consider available options.

Whatever you do – I recommend you get started now. A whole new world of learning lies ahead.

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Note from Caleb: To see if a cloud-based continuous learning platform like the ExpertusONE LMS makes sense for your organization, learn more at our website or feel free to contact us anytime for a personalized consultation and demo.

Image Credit: Pixabay

The Return of the LMS…

Why Your Learning Platform Matters “Now More Than Ever”

By Caleb Johnson, Director of Strategic Accounts, Expertus

“A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away….” So goes the opening text crawl of the classic film, Star Wars.

Caleb Johnson,
Director of Strategic Accounts,
Expertus

Well it wasn’t that long ago or that far away – but in 2009, Dan Pontefract, one of the learning sphere’s smartest contributors, declared that “The Standalone LMS is Dead.” And the community took notice.

Someone had to speak up. It was already on the minds of many who had struggled for years to integrate legacy systems into corporate work environments. Frustration was at an all-time high – even in our organization, where we’ve specialized in implementing, customizing and managing LMS platforms since their early days in the 1990s.

Yet, this statement sparked a firestorm of industry debate – apparently because some people overlooked the adjective “standalone” before “LMS.” In 2010, Dan clarified his thinking further in a follow-up post “The Standalone LMS is Still Dead…“

“The LMS of today, for many organizations…is a relic from yesterday. If we can turn the existing LMS into a learning, content and collaboration ecosystem…we therefore no longer have a standalone LMS. We have an ecosystem made up of formal, informal and social learning components in addition to having a seamless, federated workflow for the employee.”

Fast-forward to today – and welcome to the era of the next-generation LMS.

It’s a time when learning functionality no longer must be held captive in isolated “training delivery” vending machines. Instead, it’s designed around the skills development, performance support and knowledge-sharing needs of today’s connected, global workforce. It’s built inherently to fit into networked environments, adapt easily to fluid requirements, and respond rapidly to fluctuations in demand. But we’re not the only ones who see the LMS through new eyes.

If last week’s HR Technology Conference is any indicator – many other learning technology vendors and their customers now share this perspective. After all, innovation has been brisk, and numbers don’t lie.

As industry analyst, Josh Bersin, revealed in his LMS market update, companies invested $1.9 billion in training technology systems in the past year. That’s an annual growth rate of more than 14%, even in the face of a global recession.

And the brightest spots in the LMS technology space are platforms designed and developed specifically to drive “continuous learning” by integrating formal, informal, social and collaborative skills development and performance support.

As Bersin puts it, “Now, more than ever, is the time to rethink your learning technology strategy and put in place a long term solution which makes your company a continuous learning organization.”

The concept of continuous learning isn’t new to Expertus. Actually, it’s the heart of the ExpertusONE cloud LMS.

In fact, it was Bersin analyst, David Mallon, who highlighted an early version of our ExpertusONE dynamic LMS when he declared that the market was shifting to continuous learning. (Download the full research bulletin “ExpertusONE and the Dawn of the Continuous Learning Management System.“)

In Mallon’s words, “Establishing distinctions between learning that is formal or informal, structured or unstructured, prescribed or self-directed, or even social or solitary…are of little consequence….For learners, learning is, in fact, continuous…”

No matter what terms the industry ultimately embraces to describe this brave new approach to enterprise learning, we’re excited to be at the forefront of innovation that is rapidly turning the “old school” technology model on its head.

Meanwhile, we recognize that many enterprise organizations still grapple with decisions about how to move gracefully from a legacy environment to a continuous learning approach. Even if you’re not yet ready for an entirely new LMS, viable options are available. For ideas on how to make the most of your infrastructure, read our CLO Magazine article: “What to Do With a Broken LMS.”

Also, if you’d like to discuss your particular needs with learning technology experts, contact us anytime to. We’re happy to offer advice.

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Note from Caleb: To learn how your organization can benefit today from continuous learning through ExpertusONE, visit our website or feel free to contact us for a personalized consultation and demo.

Photo credit: Katrinka Kober

Next-Gen LMS Sparks Talent Development for America’s Youth

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Takes Learning to a Whole New Level

By Kathleen Waid, Senior Director, Client Services, Expertus

Kathleen Waid,
Sr. Director, Client Services,
Expertus

We’ve all seen sobering statistics about legacy learning management systems. While those platforms once promised to facilitate organizational learning, now they seem to stand in its way. For example:

• 33% of learning professionals think legacy systems actually impede learning
  (The eLearning Guild)
• 45% of learning professionals assign a grade of C, D or F to their LMS
  (TrainingIndustry.com)
• 30% of large companies are replacing or upgrading their learning platform
  (Bersin & Associates)

So – what should you do if you’re one of the many organizations that are heavily invested in a legacy LMS? What steps will move you in the right direction?  Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBS) recently faced this very issue.

LMS Lessons from Big Brothers Big Sisters

BBBS is the nation’s premiere youth mentoring organization. Effective learning is essential to its mission, as president and CEO, Charles Pierson, explains:

“Our ultimate goal is helping our ‘Littles’ (at-risk youth) find their talent spark and develop it into a rewarding career. Providing dynamic, best-in-class training is the number one way we can accomplish this.”

A Big Challenge

BBBS had already invested heavily to enhance its legacy learning platform for delivery of employee online and distance training programs. Yet the system still only reached a fraction of the organization’s 630,000 internal and external audiences (employees, volunteers and mentees).

Two options were on the table:

• Continue pouring time and money into an antiquated system – creating custom modifications and workarounds, and adding social learning tools to extend the platform’s useful life – with no guaranteed outcome.

• Replace the existing software with a cloud LMS that integrates formal and informal learning with social and collaborative capabilities – and is designed to scale and adapt as organizations grow and evolve.

One Solution

After carefully weighing pros and cons, BBBS decided to switch to a cloud-based platform. Next, an extensive vendor search led to the ExpertusONE™ SaaS-driven LMS.

To minimize risks, the new system was first tested in a highly successful pilot program – and then rolled-out nationwide to all constituents.

The Expertus implementation team worked in tandem with BBBS throughout the migration to ensure that existing LMS data and content were properly integrated into the new environment, for a seamless learning experience and error-free training administration.

The new BBBS learning portal (branded “Impact U”) engages learners in a rich, personalized user experience – all driven by a single, robust underlying LMS engine and a catalog of 300+ courses. Highlights include:

• Instant “anytime, anywhere” access to relevant courses, resources, transcripts and status information – all within a unified, coherent web environment.
• Intuitive navigation and simple-yet-sophisticated search capabilities, so learners find what they need quickly and easily.
• Social learning and collaboration tools that reinforce continuous learning, support problem solving and foster relationships across internal and external communities.

At the same time, the new implementation addresses the operational requirements of BBBS’ decentralized, nationwide learning organization. For example, fluctuations in demand are no longer a factor in system responsiveness, because the cloud infrastructure scales as needed for uninterrupted, real-time training delivery. (For more details, download the full BBBS case study.)

Big Results

Only 6 months after full deployment, BBBS has declared its LMS replacement an “incredible success,” citing three key metrics:

• 84% improvement in overall performance readiness – for both internal and external audiences.
• 80% of learners say that they now know how to work better with BBBS.
• Significant costs (time, money and resources) to customize and update the old LMS have essentially been eliminated.

Already, the learning community is recognizing the value of BBBS’ approach. CLO Magazine recently selected John Kulikowski, BBBS Director of Learning & Development, as a 2012 Learning in Practice GOLD Award winner for his Learning Technology leadership.

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Conclusion

While risk is part of any technology implementation, the rewards can be immediate and profound. With a cloud LMS, learning operations can become more efficient and effective. But most importantly, moving to the cloud can have a meaningful, measurable impact on learners. And that translates into business value.

At BBBS, where it’s all about guiding our country’s youth toward productive futures, a better learning experience for all could make a genuine difference in someone’s life. Learning doesn’t get more valuable than that.

Note fom Kathleen: To learn more about the “Impact U” story, download the full case study or watch BBBS’ brief promotional video about the LMS rollout and response. To learn how your organization can apply cloud learning – or to see a personalized demo of ExpertusONE in action – contact me anytime at kathleenw@expertus.com.

Your LMS Wish List – Then and Now

By Gordon Johnson, VP Marketing, Expertus

Gordon Johnson,
VP Marketing,
Expertus

Astronaut Neil Armstrong once defined research as “creating new knowledge.” In the workplace, new knowledge has potential to create business value – so for corporate learning professionals, research can be a worthy endeavor.

Last year, we created a bit of new knowledge when we partnered with TrainingIndustry.com to conduct an industry survey about LMS trends. We gathered opinions and preferences from nearly 150 learning professionals, and we published key findings in a report called “The Current and Future State of Learning Management Systems.”

That report offers some helpful insights about what matters most to L&D professionals. But of course, it only reflects a snapshot in time.

Meanwhile, business and technology are zooming along at breakneck speed. So last January when we launched this blog, it seemed wise to check-in again with other learning professionals, to see if LMS expectations shifted during the past year. That’s when we re-framed a critical question as a poll: “What’s On Your LMS Wish List?”

Now, 6 months later, it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same…

LOOKING AHEAD THEN & NOW: 3 POINTS OF COMPARISON

1) LMS Satisfaction – Still a Long Road Ahead

In 2010, only 15% of survey respondents said their LMS deserved an “A” grade, while almost half (45%) chose “C” “D” or “F.” This year, not one respondent said they’re satisfied with their LMS. That’s right – no one.

What’s behind this apparent lack of enthusiasm for the status quo? Of course, it’s possible that satisfied customers aren’t interested in a “wish list” poll. It may seem short-sighted, but how much would they gain if their needs are already being met? On the other hand, you might assume that whenever a person is asked to share product improvement ideas, it’s natural to fill-in the blank with at least one suggestion. We agree that both of these factors might be at work here.

However, our poll features a prominent “satisfied as is” option. Also, it’s designed to accept multiple answers. That means even “satisfied” LMS users can vote for improvements. Yet thus far, no one has endorsed their current learning platform. It suggests that there’s still a significant gap between the reality of today’s learning technologies and the ideal that most learning professionals envision.

2) Putting Learners First is Vital. No, Really

Both in 2010 and today, “personalized learning paths” were chosen as the most essential feature of a future LMS (capturing 15% of all votes in 2010 and 18% this year). Yet learning paths are already available in today’s advanced learning systems, and they’re the most popular feature by far (with 62% usage reported in the 2010 survey).

What’s behind this enthusiasm for learning paths of both today and tomorrow? We believe it’s about more than the desire for incremental feature improvements. Rather, it suggests a more strategic desire to re-engineer LMS platforms altogether, from a learner’s perspective.

Who wouldn’t agree that learner-centered technology is a great concept? It’s the training community equivalent of supporting mom and apple pie. But it’s also much more easily said than done. Many vendors have found that the road to LMS effectiveness is paved with failed interfaces and integrations.

But why not start where the action is – in the lives of learners? Pay close attention to the ways people gain knowledge and competence to perform in the workplace. Look at when, where and how they seek information, insight, instruction, resources and reinforcement. Then define the standards and requirements needed to create a comfortable, relevant learning experience that fits into daily workflow.

It’s not your father’s learning management system. But it is an important part the process we use to develop our cloud-based continuous learning platform. And it’s one of the reasons we call it a learner-centric LMS. We hope it will serve as a model for future advancements.

3) Kitchen Sink? Or Holistic Design?

Our 2010 survey asked closed-ended questions. But in the spirit of open exchange, this year’s poll accepts “other” write-in answers, too. In fact, we encourage it. Consider it an ongoing, asynchronous digital brainstorming session. The more ideas, the better.

Thus far, among “out-of-the-box” responses, the most compelling comes from someone who said, “Really, it’s all of the above.”

Never fails. If you offer people a choice of chocolate, strawberry or vanilla, at least one person will request neapolitan. But this respondent has a point – perhaps the smartest approach is to view the list not as a menu of discrete features, but as a collection of related capabilities that, together, can fully enrich future learning experiences.

We’ll examine this concept more closely in other posts. For now, I hope we keep this constructive conversation going.

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

If you haven’t yet voted in the “LMS Wish List” poll, please do. Or feel free to enter comments below. We’ll continue to review all input, look for patterns, and report additional findings.

As we said in January, our rationale is simple. We believe that listening is important. We’d rather create LMS technology that fits your needs than force you to accept our worldview. And ultimately, we hope that a spirit of open, collaborative dialogue will lead to stronger learning solutions for all of us in the business of talent management and development.

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Note from Gordon: To learn how your organization can benefit today from continuous learning through ExpertusONE, visit our website or feel free to contact us for a personalized consultation and demo.

Image Credit: Stock.xchng

What’s On Your LMS Wish List?

By Gordon Johnson, VP Marketing, Expertus

News flash – 2012 is ushering in a new era for workplace learning and knowledge sharing.

Gordon Johnson,
VP Marketing,
Expertus

Does that sound like hype? Actually, not so much, if you’ve dug through the mountain of 2011 year-in-review assessments and 2012 predictions. An impressive collection of surveys and analyses focus on the intersection of talent management and digital innovation – where a fusion between corporate learning and the “social enterprise” is shifting into full throttle.

Industry insiders may differ on details, but they generally agree on the big picture. And as a cloud learning platform developer, we share their vision. But we want to take a closer look.

As the year unfolds, we’ll be checking the pulse of those who matter most in this so-called transformation – frontline HR and learning professionals. Is that you? Then we’d like to pick your brain.

We believe technology is great – but only when it makes a difference for your business. So we’d like your opinion about the capabilities that you feel would be most valuable in a learning management system (LMS). Please tell us … WHAT’S ON YOUR LMS WISH LIST?

This isn’t a one-shot question – it’s an open channel. We’ll discuss early responses in an upcoming post – and then continue to gather feedback over time, to see how preferences shift. Think of it as a sanity check that we’ll overlay on industry research – to uncover gaps and inform our own product strategy.

Why are we doing this? Simple. Listening is important. We’d rather create LMS technology that fits your needs than force you to accept our worldview.

You can enter as many choices as you like. So go ahead. Speak up. And if you’d like to leave detailed comments below, don’t be shy.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Here’s to a productive New Year – from all of us at Expertus.

Note from Gordon: To learn about how your business can benefit today from the ExpertusONE dynamic learning platform, visit our website or feel free to contact us for a personalized consultation and demo.

Moving Up – Taking Learning to the Cloud

How to Align Training, Technology and Collaboration with Business Goals

By Ramesh Ramani, Founder and CEO, Expertus

Ramesh Ramani,
CEO,
Expertus

Today, due to tightened budgets and diminishing returns, your senior leadership is likely challenged to demonstrate the value of training and related learning investments. They’re being asked to directly correlate specific workforce, partner and customer learning initiatives with desired strategic business outcomes.

Until a few years ago, technology and process constraints made this task incredibly difficult – if not outright impossible. However, today it’s possible to map learning relevance with business success – even in a world of changing demographics, preferences and generational styles.

The lines between training and learning are blurring. And cloud technology solutions are a perfect foundation for a strong, seamless bond across formal learning management and informal, collaborative, social knowledge-sharing activities.

Overcoming Our Challenges

Traditionally, organizations have grappled with 2 dimensions of the learning challenge:

• Technology limitations that inhibit support of seemingly simple business goals – for example, the concept of distributing the right information, to the right people, at the right time.
• Alignment of learning activities with business goals - a more challenging issue, because, among other things, learning programs aren’t the only factor that influence business performance.

What’s more, in today’s flat world, growth-oriented businesses more frequently depend on an extended-enterprise network to generate global product and services sales. But traditional remote training is not scalable enough to keep pace with today’s fast-changing business needs.

Developing the Solution

This is why learning in the cloud can be a game-changer for your organization. It instantly delivers content to a global audience. It fosters enterprise-wide collaboration. And it helps you link learning with performance – which ultimately drives innovation and achieves your targeted business goals.

Tip #1: Reduce Response Time by Embracing Agility

With a cloud-based learning platform, your company can be more responsive to fluid business conditions – dynamically and painlessly scaling resources, content and access up or down without burdening your internal IT organization and infrastructure.

A cloud-based learning solution can also be enabled to detect workload changes and automatically provision appropriate resources for your various user communities. This helps your business react more swiftly to competitive threats; drive simultaneous worldwide product roll-outs; and pursue more new opportunities, while containing costs and managing risks.

Tip #2: Drive Productivity with a Content Distribution Network

When augmented with other technologies, such as a Content Distribution Network, a cloud-based learning platform becomes a powerful tool to make appropriate localized content simultaneously available across many geographies – a level of optimization and efficiency that was previously impractical.

Now employees from across your organization can fully leverage learning tools, knowledge sharing, research, resources, within a seamless, real-time, unified ecosystem. They can also leverage the best practices and lessons-learned from your organization’s top performers. The result? Users will know more, be more productive and can work collectively to drive innovation – a key to sustainable competitive advantage.

Tip #3: Improve Learning Adoption with Prescriptive Content

Advanced data delivery is another cloud computing characteristic that promotes learner adoption. Because cloud learning makes prescriptive information and other resources available to each user precisely when needed, learners can better manage their time, and are likely to be more satisfied with the learning experience, overall.

Tip #4: Accelerate Innovation with Advanced Analytics and Reporting

Cloud-based learning solutions also facilitate new, powerful business analytics and reporting tools that can help your company gauge effectiveness and adjust it accordingly – by location or by business function. For example, the success of product launch support in one country can be retooled for another location – and this can be implemented very quickly without additional planning cycles.

Services such as these enable your company to target specific learning needs and objectives with minimal investment and risk. Viable applications include:

• Product/service roll-outs – Dramatically shorten rollout cycles by delivering comprehensive training, education and knowledge transfer virtually, on a global scale.
• New hire training – Provide on-boarding and ongoing mentoring programs virtually, to dramatically time-to-proficiency and enhance employee engagement.
• Business impact meetings – Bring key managers and experts together to accomplish targeted business objectives – through collaborative brainstorming and problem solving sessions.

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Conclusion

For some, cloud computing is still a nebulous concept for many to grasp. But it’s becoming a hot topic in boardrooms around the world – and for good reason. It’s already transformed many aspects of information technology. But it’s much more than a concept. Cloud-based platforms like the ExpertusONE dynamic LMS are playing a pivotal role in transforming corporate learning, workforce development and performance management.

Note from Ramesh: How will cloud learning and talent management impact your business? For more ideas, read my complete article, as featured in CLO Magazine. Visit the Expertus website. Or  email questions and comments to me at rameshr@expertus.com.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Building a Better Certification Program

A Roadmap for Improving Business Partner Loyalty,  Mind Share and Revenue

By Mohana Radhakrishnan, VP Client Services, Expertus

Mohana Radhakrishnan,
VP Client Services,
Expertus

Do you struggle to keep your partners engaged?
Are you challenged with providing global channel support?
Do you know which resellers are the most productive – and why?

In today’s tough economic landscape, channel partner sales reps face more pressure and obstacles than ever. There’s no doubt that they’re motivated to drive sales. The question is… are they motivated to drive your product or service sales?

Reseller certification programs still provide value to organizations. But, thanks to new technologies, they can easily be reconfigured and re-energized to keep your partners more supported, engaged and productive than ever before!

Consider these 3 ways that enterprise 2.0 learning innovation can engage partners more deeply:

Tip #1 – Add Dynamic Learning Paths

Web 2.0 technologies like dynamic learning paths and role-based course management make governing your partner learning tracks and curriculum much easier for both users and training administrators:

For Users:

• Only see and search relevant learning content via a personalized view.
• Quickly see next steps needed and current certification timeline.
• Save time and learn more with prescriptive content/course assignment.
• Alerted when new product or service details are available.

For Partner Training Administrators:

• No more rebuilding content lists and curriculum definitions.
• Simplifies curriculum content updates; just tag and publish.
• Zero enrollment headaches – certification paths/curricula are automatically assigned.
• Push new content globally and know when it’s received.

Tip #2 – Simplify Partner Reporting and Data Access

Can you see which partners are training, how often and when? Do you know which regions are leveraging your learning programs and assets?

Did you answer “No?” Then it’s time to simplify your reporting process. A next-gen reporting system provides quick and easy access to real-time stats of all your channel training activities:

• View completions and scores on-demand.
• See current status.
• Receive up-to-date channel, regional and individual-level insights.

Tip #3 – Integrate Your Learning and Certification Systems

Are partners frustrated with the time it takes for your certification status updates? Do you struggle with gathering this data? Are your certification programs aligned with your curricula?

There are new, dynamic learning platforms like ExpertusONE that seamlessly integrate all of your learning assets and programs with your partner management systems. This means you actually get real-time data sync and alignment.

To learn more about how a strong channel education strategy and learning technology can work together to drive partner engagement, we invite you to watch a special “on-demand” webcast, EMC’s head of partner productivity: “How to Build a World-Class Partner Certification Program.”

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Conclusion

With real-time, end-to-end synchronization, all of your systems are automatically updated, as needed. In other words, the most recent data is available simultaneously, across your entire program network, when a partner completes a new certification level, when you modify training program content, or when other changes occur.

This frees you to focus on building partner relationships, rather than focusing on verifying information that supports those relationships.

Note from Mohana: Would you like to discuss how your organization can apply any of these partner certification tips? I’m happy to help. Please contact me at mohanar@expertus.com.

Image Credit: Pixabay