LMS Evolution or Extinction Infographic

Is the Learning Management System (LMS) headed for extinction? No, actually the reality is far from it. After all, the LMS is really the heart of any effective talent management strategy. However the role of the LMS within the organization is clearly evolving across a number of very important key aspects.

The LMS Evolution or Extinction Infographic presents the nine key trends that are currently changing the role of an LMS. You will want to be sure to keep each of these trends in mind to assure that your LMS will meet your organization's needs both today and as they evolve in the future.

1. Informal & Social Learning

It is estimated that at least 75% of learning is informal:

collaboration
communities of practice
user-generated content

What to consider for your LMS

Ease of integration with corporate social networks
Syndicated search & expertise locator
Gamification options & capabilities
Performance support (“the 5 moments of need”)

Key question: Are you looking for a “socialized” LMS application or for an LMS as the social platform of choice?

2. Mobility

Mobile learning is

Personalized access
Context- & location-aware content
Performance support

Mobile learning is not

eLearning on smartphones

What to consider for your LMS

Clear strategy with objectives: evolution or revolution?
Responsive design across choice of devices
Native apps optimized for real-world use cases
Connectivity – what happens if a user is of ine?
Device & platform choice - lots of pros & cons

Key question: Should you leverage your existing learning content investment or start fresh with new mobile-speci c content?

3. Compliance

2 out of 3 organizations say that demonstrating compliance is very important to them
1 out of 2 organizations are relying on their LMS to demonstrate compliance
Only 1 out of 3 are ready for a compliance audit (for low performing organizations)
Only 2 out of 3 are ready for a compliance audit (for high performing organizations)

What to consider for your LMS

E-signatures in audit tracking
Competencies & certifications
Pro-active reporting, dashboards & analytics
Easy access to compliance content

Key question: Are compliance checklists & reactive reporting enough from a risk perspective vs. true workforce readiness & proactive compliance dashboards?

4. The Extended Enterprise

Franchise networks
Supply chains
Distribution channels
End clients (B2B and B2C)

What to consider for your LMS

Portals, branding & personalization
E-commerce capabilities
A new role of the LMS
- Revenue generation
- Quality management
- Documentation distribution
- Partner certifications

Key question: Can you leverage the same LMS investment for both internal & external audiences?

5. The Cloud

Disruption in every business
Predictable total cost of ownership
Rapid innovation
Global accessibility
Easy administration
On-demand self-service
Elastic capacity

What to consider for your LMS

Data hosting location for data privacy
Control over software updates – is it important?
Customizations – yes or no?
Security of application infrastructure & standards (ISO/IEC 27001)
Support for industry-specific regulatory and legal requirements

Key question: How much of your learning strategy are you willing to outsource or commoditize?

6. Integrated Talent Management

Ongoing performance management Learning management Succession management & talent pools Compensation Workforce analytics

What to consider for your LMS

Organic integration or collection of acquired technologies?
User experience – seamless or
Big (or small) data analytics across the full spectrum for unified decision making

Key question: How much of best-of-breed functionality & user experience is sacri ced in an ? integrated suite?

7. Security & Privacy

Global Services Organization Confirms Illegal Attack on Information Technology System News Release: A global services organization has confirmed today that the posting of certain data les on the Internet yesterday was the result of an illegal attack. We are conducting a full review of the nature and extent of the attack. At this time, we do not believe that the attack extended beyond data pertaining to a learning management system for a government agency

What to consider for your LMS

Authenticity - validated identity authentication (e.g. e-signatures or physical identification)
Integrity - secure infrastructure (e.g. ISO 27001)
Confidentiality - data privacy & control (e.g. Secure SaaS)
Availability - system architecture (e.g. intrusion/DOS detection & prevention)
Auditability - tracking & reporting
Regulations (e.g. 21 CFR Part 11, EU GMP Annex 11)

Key question: What people data or information do you think might be at risk in your L&D or HR department?

8. Analytics

What to consider for your LMS

Level of confidence in the accuracy & integrity of currently available data
Self-service reporting capabilities, time & effort required for a new report
Graph charting & visualization options
Ability to integrate data from multiple sources
OLAP technology & predictive modeling
User experience at all levels: administrators, business line managers, HR directors, executive team

Key question: Are you able to get started with analytics by focusing on small data that are already available to you before tackling big data?