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

Enterprise Learning: Easy as Breathing?

An Effortless Experience Requires Deep Effort

By Tom Bronikowski, Director of Strategic Accounts, Expertus

Tom Bronikowski, Director of Strategic Accounts, Expertus

Workplace learning. It’s actually a lot like breathing.

Both are vital for us to develop and grow. Both occur continuously. And like oxygen, the elements of learning are everywhere around us in our environment.

But there is also a stark difference between these two functions:

Humans are designed to breathe efficiently — even without conscious thought or effort. Learning, on the other hand, isn’t automatic — even when we’re exposed to new, interesting or important information. But we can improve the odds, with factors that work together to engage employees, customers and business partners in the learning process.

3 Pillars of Strong Learning Ecosystems

Content: The old adage says, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” But learning organizations can’t afford to leave content entirely to chance. The more relevant and compelling your core offerings are, the more effective learning outcomes will be. Of course, a lack of content is problematic — but conversely, an abundance of options can lead to information overload. It’s pays to seek balance. Get to know your audience, and map content to their preferences and behavioral patterns.

Context: Mindfulness matters. If we’re not receptive to learning within our work environment, the game is over before it has begun. But assuming that employees are open to development opportunities, just how seamlessly can learning interventions fit into your business workflows? Again, it’s essential to understand the scenarios that prompt learners to seek information, guidance, resources and reinforcement. Aim to anticipate those moments of need, and make meaningful learning choices available in the appropriate places, as required. Timing is everything. But relevance and timing together are irresistible.

Channel: Of course, with breathing, there’s really only one best choice — the human respiratory system is already integrated into the human body. Unless we’re ill or injured, this system is a highly reliable source of continuous oxygen flow.

But choosing the best workplace learning channel is often much trickier. Our mind and senses may be receptive. Appropriate content may be available to deliver at the moment of need. But in that moment, we also need pathways that connect us easily with sources of learning. And the array of options is expanding at a mind-boggling pace.

Instructor-led classroom training is still the bedrock of corporate learning — but it’s only one variable in today’s learning mix. Add virtual ILT classrooms; e-learning modules; peer-to-peer mentoring; collaborative knowledge-sharing; embedded mobile learning tutorials with real-time social media support, online libraries and contextual search engines, company document repositories…the list of options grows longer and more creative everyday, as technology innovation opens new doors.

To select the best channel mix, again, we must have deep understanding of learning scenarios. That’s where instructional design experts can add tremendous value. But even then – with content, context and channel aligned, learning is not a sure thing. In reality, there are so many potential distractions and distortions along the way, there’s always a possibility that the connection may fall short.

Your LMS to the Rescue?

Workplace learning points of failure aren’t always easy to avoid or to analyze. But this is where learning experts, technology vendors and business managers should work together and focus on moving toward better solutions.

These days, it seems that many learning industry professionals prefer to debate about where LMS platforms fit into today’s mix of formal, informal and social tools. Others seem interested in endlessly discussing semantics — what label is best to describe platforms that support learning in complex, networked environments.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. Each day, our customers ask us to help them create better ways to facilitate knowledge transfer, skills development and performance support in real business settings.

The enterprise environment is inherently complex and constantly changing. Learning will always be a part of that process — for any organization’s employees and contractors, departmental and cross-functional teams, business partners and customers.

As our CEO noted last year, when outlining our organization’s commitment to putting learners’ needs first, “Today’s problems can’t be solved with yesterday’s approaches.”

Imagine this: What if we stopped looking at LMS platforms as monolithic, top-down “training delivery” mechanisms? Instead, what if they worked as filters that make it possible to find, use and process actionable information far more easily than we could on our own? What if we saw them as companions that help guide us effortlessly across multiple sources of knowledge, guidance and support and along meaningful, relevant pathways? What if we embraced them as tools that help us shift seamlessly between organizational boundaries, business domains and learning modes?

That’s our goal. It’s lofty — but why not aim high?

The more friction we can remove from workplace learning processes, the better positioned organizations will be to advance their business agendas.

We believe it’s worth the effort.

To see how we put this philosophy into action with the ExpertusONE continuous learning platform, contact us anytime to schedule a demonstration with me or one of my colleagues.

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Note from Tom: What is the future of enterprise learning, in your opinion? To discover more about how cloud learning can play a pivotal role in the future of workforce development and performance management, visit our website. Or email questions and comments to me at thomasb@expertus.com.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Getting Real: Finding Value in LMS Pricing

How to Avoid Costly “Gotchas” When Choosing Your Next Learning Platform

By Kathleen Waid, Senior Director of Client Services, Expertus

Kathleen Waid, Sr. Director, Client Services, Expertus

Are you paying a fair price for your LMS? What is a realistic cost for technology that supports learning across the extended enterprise?

Good questions. Of course, in today’s world, the answers can be difficult to determine. Gone are the days when it seemed sufficient to estimate the price of a standalone LMS platform, and the content and services needed to deliver formal training programs.

But doesn’t this issue give you a Forrest Gump flashback?

“LMS pricing is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get!”

It shouldn’t have to be that way — even in a era where continuous learning is the goal, and requirements for global, networked organizations are increasingly complex. First, let’s take a closer look at how “learning management” is being transformed in several fundamental ways:

1) Innovation is Redefining the Learning Process

Technology is advancing at break-neck speed, along with demand for new cloud-based capabilities that help make learning experiences far more relevant, immediate, engaging, accessible and collaborative.

Meanwhile, the increasing prevalence of social media in corporate environments has opened new channels of informal learning and knowledge sharing that reach far beyond the firewall.

As enterprise innovation advisor Jim Lundy of Aragon Research says, “If you are just on the hunt to replace your existing LMS, you are doing it wrong. The other take is that if you are just buying a standalone enterprise social software platform (ESN) just for social learning, it probably doesn’t do learning well enough.”

2) New Business Context Surrounds the Learning Infrastructure

Lines are blurring between learning and other people-oriented enterprise functions.

According to market advisors at Bersin by Deloitte, “32% of all human resources dollars are now spent on talent-related programs (recruiting, training, leadership, succession, etc.).” What’s more, “Integrated talent management, which is still a new and complex initiative for many companies, is now the equivalent of ‘supply chain management’ in procurement: it’s something any well-run company must do.”

Cracking the Code on LMS Costs – Rules You Can Use

So, what’s a learning technology decision-maker to do? How can you know if LMS pricing is reasonable? Obviously, every situation is unique. However, there are several ways to avoid costly “gotchas” when purchasing a next-generation learning platform:

1) Be Prepared

Boy Scouts get this. They anticipate issues they’re likely to encounter. Learning technology decision makers should, too.

Before you evaluate vendors, take time to create your own detailed list of requirements. This will keep you from focusing on disparate feature lists provided by multiple vendors. It also provides a framework to compare across platforms the level of desired functionality that is included in the base price, while exposing elements that some classify as “optional.” Several red flags:

• RED FLAG: Are important features like advanced reporting treated as “options?” Any vendor who doesn’t consider learning analysis and measurement an integral aspect of today’s LMS environment isn’t focused on delivering value to its customers.

• RED FLAG: Is the data pricing model unclear? Does it make assumptions that are inconsistent with your business goals? How will costs scale with fluctuating demand for content storage? Be sure that the pricing plan supports your learning strategy roadmap, and avoids unexpected costs that are far beyond the standard LMS price.

2) Trust But Verify

Truth is, you’ll never have enough time to prepare for everything, fully. Eventually, you’ll need to rely upon your short list of vendors to fill information gaps and guide you. However, that doesn’t mean you should stop asking questions. In fact, asking questions early and often is the smartest approach. Pay attention not only to the answers themselves, but also consider the way each vendor responds. Several red flags:

• RED FLAG: Is the vendor spending more time pitching a pricing scheme to you? Or do representatives ask clarifying questions and listen carefully to your answers?

• RED FLAG: When you ask questions, are they answered directly, clearly and thoroughly? Do responses consider your perspective, or do they seem to serve the vendor’s interests first?

Get Additional Suggestions Now

For more detailed ideas about how to reduce platform pricing confusion, download full Expertus LMS Success Insights bulletin, “Options Options Options – Is Anything Included?”

Our Objective: Avoid Pricing Guesswork

It may seem unusual for a learning platform vendor to disclose “trade secrets” about LMS pricing. Some might think it’s similar to a magician revealing the secret behind a trick. But learning platform vendors are not illusionists. Learning technology is complex enough without requiring customers to navigate pricing schemes that are incomplete, misleading or unintentionally confusing.

Our goal is to take the guesswork out of you purchase decisions.

To discuss your LMS pricing concerns, 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 Credit: Pixabay

Learning Management and the Swiss Army Suite

Is Your LMS at Risk in a Super-Sized HCM Platform?

By Ramesh Ramani, Founder and CEO, Expertus

Ramesh Ramani, CEO, Expertus

If you’re like me, you’re curiously attracted to innovative gadgets – especially pocket-sized multi-tools. First, it was the familiar red Victorinox Swiss Army knife. Then Leatherman tools followed. Now countless other ingenious variations are available – even some the size of credit cards.

Each year, a slew of new options are introduced just in time for Christmas, and I find myself tempted to buy the latest, greatest designs. However, I resist. Not because I have too many of them. And not because they’re expensive. But because I realize that I simply won’t use them.

When I need to tighten a screw, I dig into my toolbox for my favorite screw driver. When I need to wrap a package, I grab the full-sized scissors from my desktop. Meanwhile, my Swiss Army knife gathers dust – tucked away in the corner of a drawer.

This actually reminds me of what’s happening in the talent management and learning technology space. After high-profile acquisitions involving LMS companies like Plateau, Learn.com and GeoLearning, some industry analysts are heralding the arrival of the all-in-one Human Capital Management (HCM) platform.

Without seeing sales figures for these “super-sized” HR-talent-learning suites, you might conclude that enterprise organizations are abandoning their dedicated LMS platforms in droves, hoping that the switch to all-in-one HCM will satisfy every need. But I’ve seen analyst data that suggests otherwise. And the behavior of our prospects and customers confirms that this just isn’t the case.

Why not? Essentially, for the same reason I hardly use my prized pocket knife. On one hand, it’s reassuring to know that it’s always available in a pinch, and that it promises a broad spectrum of functionality. On the other hand, it doesn’t perform exceptionally well in any capacity. And it certainly isn’t my “go to” choice for specific tasks.

Don’t get me wrong. We understand that all-in-one models are attractive, in theory. We often meet prospects who assume from the start that a “Swiss Army” suite would be ideal. But when they look more closely at their learning requirements, and consider the value that a highly adaptive, dynamic LMS can add to their HCM infrastructure, they usually recognize that a kitchen-sink solution demands too much compromise. Here are several reasons why:

1) Learning is Complex

On the surface, organizational learning may seem like a relatively simple and intuitive process – particularly in a networked environment. However, the practice of enterprise learning and performance support brings challenges that are unexpected by those from other operational areas, such as HR or IT. Representatives from those areas are often involved in purchasing integrated suites – but because they aren’t deeply familiar with learning needs, they’re likely to overlook critical decision criteria. This can be a costly mistake. We often see this after-the-fact, when customers seek us out to rework or replace an LMS that never fully delivered.

2) Learning is Specialized

It’s logical and legitimate to think of learning and development within the context of career progression and talent management. However, the ideal solution isn’t necessarily standardization on an all-in-one HCM suite. It’s naive, at best, to assume that any organization’s particular learning needs will be fully addressed by LMS technology that happens to be available within the “mother” suite. One size does not fit all. Would a surgeon select a Swiss Army blade over a scalpel? Success depends on matching the tools to the context at hand.

3) Learning Reaches Beyond Employees

Increasingly, enterprise organizations are grappling with how best to serve the learning needs of communities that exist outside traditional corporate boundaries – customers, channel partners and the contingent workforce. These learning experiences must be seamlessly integrated with internal information systems and business processes. However, HCM functions by definition focus on internal resources. Therefore, it’s risky to assume that all learning bases will be covered by an HCM suite. Instead, it’s essential to clarify how the LMS component will enable learning and knowledge-sharing across diverse internal and external global audiences.

Conclusion

These are only a few of the reasons for corporate learning professionals to be cautious about embracing an integrated HCM. But these concerns are important. They point to the need for thoughtful discussion about learning requirements – and a thorough analysis of the fit with any “Swiss Army” suite.

Bottom-line: If your LMS is indispensible – in the same way that a good screwdriver often is for me – then you probably want a platform that is optimized for your organization’s unique learning requirements. Don’t just settle for one that is available when you can’t find the tool you really want.

If you’d like to discuss how this applies to your learning environment, we invite you to schedule a consultation or a demonstration of our award-winning dynamic cloud LMS, ExpertusONE.

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Note from Ramesh: What are your thoughts about “Swiss Army Knife” HCM suites, and how LMS platforms should fit in? To learn more about how ExpertusONE stands out as a best-of-breed LMS, and yet fits into any enterprise HCM infrastructure, visit our website. Or email questions and comments to me at rameshr@expertus.com.

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, Senior 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.

Let Nothing Stand Between Learners and Learning

It’s Time to Bridge the Gap

By Ramesh Ramani, Founder and CEO, Expertus

Ramesh Ramani, CEO, Expertus

Today’s LMS market is ripe for disruption – and in my opinion, it’s long overdue.

Information technology has advanced at a dizzying pace in recent years. At the same time, a new young wave of workplace contributors has arrived on the scene, bringing “anytime, anywhere” expectations and social media cultural behaviors that defy every aspect of the traditional enterprise landscape.

What does this mean for LMS vendors? We must radically redefine the “learning management” concept at its core. It’s about meeting learners on their terms – at the moment they need support for diverse performance, development and knowledge-sharing activities. It’s about flexibility to serve a learner’s unique needs, as they shift over time. And it’s about rethinking all aspects of the classic LMS infrastructure, so that cumbersome systems get out of a learner’s way.

Despite an abundance of industry chatter, vendors have been slow to address these critical requirements. And that is precisely why we welcome the challenge.

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

To appreciate the new world order, let’s first take a quick look back:

Most first-generation LMS platforms were built more than a dozen years ago to support corporate training operations. Target users were managers and administrators who developed and delivered training programs. Training participants (“learners”) were secondary. For learners, interaction with an LMS occurred behind the firewall – often in response to compliance directives. Learning scenarios typically involved searching for a prescribed course, registering, attending and completing related training activities.

These highly structured LMS mechanisms spawned their own complex support environments – massive course catalogs, manual workarounds to compensate for functional limitations, and user groups to demystify arcane interface issues.

I was part of the learning community in those early days – and so was Expertus. While LMS vendors focused on building software, we focused on services to optimize those systems, and make them relevant in real-world enterprise settings. As our competence grew in integrating, customizing, upgrading and maintaining legacy learning systems, our vision for the next-generation solution became increasingly clear.

That vision is what is now reflected in our cloud-based continuous learning platform, ExpertusONE.

Today’s Problems Can’t Be Solved With Yesterday’s Approaches

Our design philosophy is simple: In the enterprise universe, success revolves around people – employees, customers and business partners. For them, change is the only constant. Therefore to deliver value, our product architecture and functional design must be people-centered – intuitive, agile, flexible and scalable.

How does this translate into LMS characteristics? It’s evident in many ways. For example:

• Simplified user interface
• Streamlined roles and privileges
• Sophisticated search capabilities
• Integrated collaboration tools
• Dynamic, personalized learning plans and
• Support for content delivery in all desired forms/formats

Perhaps this user-centered focus is why ExpertusONE is being embraced by global 500 companies. Perhaps it’s why social enterprise industry analyst Jim Lundy chose Expertus as a 2012 “Hot Vendor” in the Learning, HCM & Talent Management category. And perhaps it’s why e-learning and LMS market advisor, Craig Weiss, recently placed us at the top of his “Extended Enterprise LMS” directory list.

This relentless, user-centered focus is a bold approach. And it’s certainly more easily said than done. But I hope you’ll join us in demanding nothing less than the best user experience from learning platforms, going forward.

With the future of enterprise productivity and performance at stake, we believe nothing should come between learners and learning.

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Note from Ramesh: What are your thoughts about this learner-centered design philosophy? And what potential do you see for cloud computing to transform enterprise learning? To discover more about how cloud computing is playing a pivotal role in corporate learning, workforce development and performance management, visit our website. Or email questions and comments to me at rameshr@expertus.com.

Content Curation: Helping Employees Avoid Information Overload

By guest blogger Kelly Meeker, Community Manager, OpenSesame

Today’s World of Work: Information Everywhere

We live in an information age, exposed to ever-increasing amounts of data, news, ideas, opinions and conversations about information. Talk shows, tweets, blog posts, newsletters, email, instant message, news tickers, cable TV. We feel required to keep up – but it’s completely impossible to catch up, let alone keep up.

Guest Blogger, Kelly Meeker, Community Manager, OpenSesame

Take me. I use Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, Gmail, Quora, Google+, Pinterest, Gchat, voice mail, subscribe to countless newsletters and am a member of several professional organizations. Every time there’s a hot new social network or tool on the scene – Tumblr! Google Buzz! – I feel compelled to take it for a spin. My morning to-do list is getting longer and longer, but I’m definitely not getting any smarter.

Now imagine that every employee in your organization is in my shoes – spending an hour every morning just wading through content, not sure when to draw the line – and too overwhelmed to feel clear-headed for actual projects.

You have to be able to do work while still making time to learn about your work. That’s the magic middle ground the modern employee is trying to find, and they need help.

Scalability – The Big Shift for L&D

Enter the new learning and development.  We can’t all be our own curators, but training managers can – and should – shift their role from creating content (courses, curricula, PowerPoint presentations) to curating content.

Curating means researching, finding and buying the best training resources (whether off-the-shelf courses or otherwise) – and creating content only when necessary.

The new training manager is ruthlessly focused on scalable activities. What does that mean? One training manager can only create a limited number of courses or curricula. It takes time to research, design, storyboard, develop and test courses. Most organizations don’t have enough trainers to meet all their needs.

But one training manager focused on developing curated resources and communities of practice can reach many, many more people – even as they transform the way they do their work.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that training managers everywhere are changing their ratio: Instead of spending most of their time creating content, they’re spending most of their time curating content and connecting people. The side benefit? They can focus creative development efforts on topics and courses that are most valuable and important to their organization.

Getting Started: Tools for Curation and Network Building

If you’re shifting toward a curation model, remember that access is as essential as the content, itself. The easier it is to find and use pathways to information, the more likely your learners will engage with it and benefit from it.

Start by considering your current state: Does everyone in your organization know what resources already exist – and how to locate that content? Probably not.

If you haven’t conducted a comprehensive audit of all information and learning resources, this is a smart first step. It can provide a baseline for gap analysis and needs assessment – and it can inform your communications to users about content available to them.

Also, you may want to start thinking of yourself as a “learning” librarian – a wiki manager or collector of your organization’s institutional knowledge. With that concept in mind, check out these  resources for finding, sharing and organizing content, and building communities of practice:

• Dan Pontefract’s definition of Content Curators, from Brave New Org blog
• A Curator’s Tools & ToDo List, from eLearn Magazine
• David Kelly’s Curation series, from The Learning Circuits Blog
• Communities of Practice thesis by social learning expert, Jane Bozarth
• Leveraging Social Media for L&D, slides by Tom Gram & Dan Pontefract
• 5 Tips for Great Content Curation, by Steve Rosenbaum for Mashable Social Media

In addition, it might help to consider technologies that support an open, curated approach to learning content. For example:

• Cloud-based “continuous learning” platforms that make it easy to develop and manage diverse content repositories, while making it easy for learners to find and use relevant resources. The ExpertusONE cloud LMS is a leader in this type of solution.

• Tools that connect learning management systems to content catalogs – for example the OpenSesame API, which makes it easy to integrate more than 13,100 digital training courses into your learning environment.

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Conclusion

Clearly content curation, communities of practice, and continuous learning processes are rapidly redefining learning at its core. As we apply these new tools and techniques, we’ll all benefit from sharing lessons learned. We invite you to offer feedback and suggestions here, and we look forward to discussing these concepts with you in the future, whenever our paths cross at industry association events and online forums.

Editorial Note: For more learning content insights, visit the OpenSesame blog, or email Kelly Meeker at kelly.meeker@opensesame.com. And for additional information about how cloud-based technology can make enterprise learning more accessible and effective, contact us at Expertus info@expertus.com.

Social Learning & The LMS – Are You In or Out?

By Gordon Johnson, VP Marketing, Expertus

On TV’s Project Runway, supermodel Heidi Klum makes the choice obvious. Fashion designs are either “in” or they’re “out.” But in the world of corporate learning, the lines between formal and informal learning are increasingly blurred – along with the roles that learning management systems and social tools play in that mix.

Gordon Johnson, VP Marketing, Expertus

Recently, at a popular Twitter chat session known as #HRTechChat, host Brent Skinner posed several important questions:

Is social media really the new LMS? Or is that an exaggeration? Where does social media fit in here?

I replied with what I think is the best answer for today’s environment:

If social technology has a place in learning technology, it’s in the learning delivery tool, not the LMS.

In the heat of a Twitter chat stream, comments often can be overlooked.  But this prompted a brief spirited exchange. After the chat dust settled, Brent reflected further on my point, and offered his own interpretation in an HROToday / TalentManagementTech.com blog recap: “Sometimes, Social Media Isn’t Even Cool.”

Among other observations, Brent noted this:

” … It’s not very cool at all to expect social media to be the learning management system itself. An LMS needs order and structure, of which social media offers little … Guerilla learning might be a clever idea … but formal training still happens within the framework of structured environments. Only afterward does the informal, on-the-job, trial-and-error training begin (perhaps bolstered by social media).”

Now I’d like unpack that idea a bit more, myself:

Although it’s essential to integrate learning technology with an LMS, the greatest value comes from integrating it into a training program and the program’s learning delivery tool.

A Slice of Social Learning Life
Here’s an example. If you’re like me, you’ve probably participated in a traditional instructor-led course where you’ve met fellow students that share common challenges. Did it spark a useful exchange of ideas, tips and techniques that were mutually beneficial? At the end of the class, did you swap email messages and intend to follow up, but never really took advantage of the opportunity to continue the dialogue?

Well, what if the connection never dropped? What if you could seamlessly integrate that kind of rich, relevant social learning experience as the logical next-phase of the learning program? What if your interactions from that training class kept building over time – providing additional opportunities to reinforce learning, knowledge and competence?

That’s where the deep value lies in the marriage of social tools and learning technology. The LMS will still perform its function in the background – but now with socially adept technology that extends the life of a program, participants benefit from enhanced, continuous learning support.

Continuous Learning in the Real World
To us, continuous learning is more than a concept. It’s the foundation of a next-generation LMS we call ExpertusONE. And it’s transforming the way some of the world’s most innovative companies engage, educate and empower their workforce, customers and partners.

For example, at one of the world’s largest software companies, ExpertusONE facilitated fast, cost-efficient delivery of product training & ongoing learning support – before and after a major global rollout. To read more about this implementation and the impact it made on our customer’s organization, download the case brief (PDF format).

With cloud computing as a foundation, it can be surprisingly quick and easy to apply this concept in an enterprise setting. So, hopefully soon, the vast majority of corporate training programs will be supported by technology that enables dynamic, continuous learning.

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Note from Gordon: To learn more about the ExpertusONE dynamic learning platform works, visit our website. Or to see it in action, contact us for a personalized consultation and demo.

Related Note: For information about #HRTechChat (typically on Wednesdays at 4pm ET/1pm PT) follow host Brent Skinner on Twitter @BrentSkinner, or visit his HROToday blog.

Enterprise Learning Portals: Building Your Case

How to Develop a Business Case That Works

By Mohana Radhakrishnan, VP Client Services, Expertus

Mohana Radhakrishnan, VP Client Services, Expertus

In a 2009 TrainingIndustry.com survey, more than 90% of learning executives relied on learning portals as part of their infrastructure. Also at that time, nearly 60% of respondents planned to upgrade or launch a new learning portal within several years.

Looking back, I wonder what the outcome of those projects has been. Did the organizations realize measurable value? How long did it take? And did their sponsors commit to continuous improvement?

After all, for most global corporations, learning portals represent a major capital investment — even if you rely upon a SaaS-based learning architecture, and applications are delivered from the cloud.

In the past few years, the need for specialized learning ecosystems has only increased. So if your learning organization is like most, it’s essential to seek stakeholder approval for ongoing upgrades and enhancements to your portal environment. It’s never too soon to start.

Getting Started

If you want to speak the language of today’s C-level executives, you’ll want to quantify your expected return-on-investment (ROI) in a clear, complete, compelling way. But where and how should you start?

The easiest entry point is to identify groups who are not able to participate in learning initiatives. Then estimate the business cost of this lost opportunity. Here are some quick tips to help you develop a persuasive argument with straightforward cost-benefit analysis techniques:

1) Examine Training & Performance Reports – Extract business metrics that support your case. Examples:

a) Choose statistical indicators that expose problems in reaching unserved/underserved learners (e.g. Are enrollments and completions lagging?)

b) Compare the proportion of learners served vis-a-vis the total target population

c) Identify trends that are moving in an undesirable direction (e.g. Compare performance indicators over time with benchmarks from comparable organizations.)

d) Highlight the upside impact of existing portals on groups currently served (employees, partners, customers, and others), and extrapolate those results across underserved audiences.

Download the whitepaper – no registration required

2) Audit and Analyze Stakeholder Concerns − Interview stakeholders to uncover and document training roadblocks. Next, create a matrix with two categories: Issues that can be addressed by a next-generation portal, and those that cannot. Then estimate the cost of each portal investment that can make a positive difference. Finally, compare those costs with the overall cost of maintaining the status quo. In other words, over a 1-year planning horizon, calculate the total estimated net cost or lost revenue for each untrained learner x the size of the learning audience.

3) Determine the Portal ROI − Divide your total opportunity cost by 5 (a typical rule-of-thumb for large companies). If the result is six-figures or more, it’s a great indication that your next-generation learning portal proposal payoff aligns with industry benchmarks. In this case, your business sponsors should have confidence that their investment will be worthwhile.

Would you like to know more? If you want more details about how to develop a business case, download “How to Boost Business Revenues with Learning 2.0 Portals.”

Or for guidance about whether your organization should build or buy a portal, register to download our whitepaper, Learning Portals: The Build vs. Buy Dilemma (including the 5 Learning Portal Gotchas).

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