How integrated Learning Management Systems create an employee-centric learning culture.

Introduction
Modern organizations use a number of major cross-functional software packages and business apps like ERPs and CRMs, as well as function-specific tools for Finance, Engineering, etc. teams. A Integrated Learning Management System (LMS) helps a firm manage and create an employee-centric learning culture. and  usually at an individually customizable level to maximize value creation for employees’ individual needs. 

However, most organizations miss integrating their systems to generate holistic insights. That is, systems operate in silos and do not exchange their data. It consequently any analytics on an individual system’s data is only part of the picture. That makes it difficult to quickly draw company-level inferences. Additionally, using multiple software packages is cumbersome and resource heavy. Integration enables data to flow easily across systems, improving ease of use and improving more complex analytics for insights generation. 

Such is also the case with LMS and the effectiveness of a company’s L&D strategy. An LMS integrated with the CRM for example, allows lessons to be shared easily with customers and partners, or learning paths to be personalized for sales managers based on their key accounts. Similarly LMS integration with various eCommerce platforms, team management software’s, content management suites1 etc. helps employees used to the UIs of those software’s access learning without needing to log into a separate, unfamiliar system, which improves how frequently employees access training. 

Modern Learning is Multi-dimensional

The dominance of the classroom is over. Just 20 years ago it would have been unthinkable for people to skip college or trade school through a formal course if they wanted to be gainfully employed. Mid-career training and self-training too involved coursework and books. Today’s learners have a larger variety of learning style options in addition to the traditional classroom. There are instructional videos, podcasts, interactive games, social media-facilitated peer-to-peer and community learning, etc.

Innovation in learning has always been around. However the speed at which learner behavior is changing is unlike anything ever before. The same technology that facilitates learners to learn in a variety of styles has to evolve to keep up with the demands of learners.

Modern eLearning standards reflect this change in learning behavior. Tin Can API (also called Experience API or xAPI for short) is the latest standard in eLearning content creation. In just 5 years it has emerged as a strong alternative (some might say worthy successor) to the time-tested. Its universally accepted SCORM protocol. The key reason is xAPI’s central philosophy that learning happens in more ways than just formal lessons. People learn via interactions with other people, content, and beyond. Any of these interactions can trigger a need for learning anytime and anywhere. 

LMS companies constantly build new capabilities in their software packages to make them capable of  delivering a variety of content like serious games, real-world activities, offline learning, etc., designed to be consumed on static or mobile devices running a variety of operating systems. They also include features like integration with popular enterprise and B2C chat platforms, because learners like to collaborate via chat to discuss ideas, share content, etc. 

The democratization of learning styles

Being Agile and Eliminating Learning Bottlenecks

Clearly learning content creators and LMS software developers are incorporating innovations to facilitate learning in a collaborative environment. The bottleneck is now companies’ own learning and IT policies. To be fair, companies create their IT policies to NOT have to be changed frequently. Its because doing so is expensive and impractical. Furthermore small changes in IT infrastructure have to be measured against unforeseen impact on business operations.

It is therefore worthwhile for L&D managers and IT managers to have a better understanding of each other’s needs and constraints- in other words there should be better integration between these tactically important functions to guide a better LMS integration from a technical and value extraction standpoint.

From an HR perspective, better trained, better performing, more satisfied employees is a strategic goal with visibility all the way to the CEO. Therefore, just as IT teams have yearly meets with business operations, sales and other functions to assess needs and plan IT activities, they must recognize the need to proactively plan for LMS integration with other data streams to facilitate an employee-centric learning environment that creates a competitive advantage for the firm. Hope  you have liked A Integrated Learning Management System (LMS) helps a firm manage and create an employee-centric learning culture article.