Learning Platform For Companies: 4 Steps to the Right Solution

Masterplan Team

Learning Platform For Companies: 4 Steps to the Right Solution

The right learning platform can have a significant impact on the success of your business. But how do you choose the platform best suited to your individual needs? In our article, we'll give you a step by step guide through the selection process to the perfect learning platform for your company.

We will cover:

4 steps to the right learning platform
Checklist: What resources do I need to implement & maintain a learning platform?
Conclusion

In today's digital world, learning platforms are a requirement. They offer companies the opportunity to specifically promote the skills of their employees and increase the success of the company. Nevertheless, with so many providers, finding the right learning platform can be quite a challenge – but who are we to say?

Well, to any and all L&D and HR managers, don't worry! In this article, we'll give you the necessary orientation and guide you step by step through the selection process to the right learning platform for your company.

4 steps to the right learning platform

Before getting started, you should get an overview of the different categories of learning platforms. Essentially, Learning Management Systems (LMS) can be distinguished from Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) and Learning Engagement Platforms (LEP). You can find a detailed description in our guide (German!).

Then it's time to start the process of searching and choosing the right platform for your business.

A systematic approach can help save time and resources and ensure that the platform you choose meets the needs of your business.

Below, we'll highlight the steps needed to find the right learning platform for your business.

1. Determine needs

Before you start looking for a learning platform, you should first analyze your company's needs.

Who should learn with the learning platform and how does that pay into the business strategy?
What skills do your employees need to learn or improve and what training formats and features are needed to do so?
Should the learning platform be integrated into blended learning measures and be compatible with face-to-face activities?

These and other questions must be determined during the needs analysis. It is the first and most important step in selecting a learning platform.

Here are the most important factors to ensure the platform meets the needs of your business:

Requirement	Analysis	Requirement example
Business objectives	Ensure that the learning platform contributes to achieving your company's business goals. Consider what specific learning and skills are needed for your employees to move the business forward.	Your company has set itself the goal of promoting the digital competence of its employees in order to make the company fit for the digital transformation.
Target group	Define the target group for which the learning platform is intended. Consider factors such as employees' age, knowledge and experience, and their preferred learning methods.	Employees should be able to learn in a self-directed manner so that they can continue their education without being tied to a specific time or place and thus with the greatest possible flexibility.
Learning content	Define the learning content and the variety of topics to be made available on the platform. Depending on business goals and target audience, the platform should offer specific training for certain departments or positions in the company.	The sales department needs training on sales techniques and customer communication.
Features	Review which functions and features are important to your employees' learning experience.	Learners without a professional e-mail address should also be able to access the digital platform.
Integration	Ensure that the learning platform can be integrated with your organization's existing systems and processes.	The LEP is to be linked to a learning management system to enable automatic transfer of training data and results.
Safety	Make sure that the learning platform is safe and secure. Check what certificates are in place and what security measures are in place to protect your employees' data and confidential company information.	The platform shall be ISO/IEC 27001 certified to ensure that encrypted connections and access controls are used so that only authorized user:s can access the learning content.
Service	Make sure that the platform provider offers a reliable customer service that is available to answer questions and solve problems. Good customer service can help with onboarding and operating the platform, and ensure that employees receive support quickly and effectively when problems arise.	The platform provider is to offer a special onboarding workshop in which the company's employees are accompanied by experts and explained all the functions and features of the platform.

Use the listed needs as a guide to collect criteria that the learning platform must fulfill. The example requirements in the table serve as inspiration at this point.

2. Formulate Goals

After you have determined the needs for the learning platform, you should define clear goals for the learning platform. Think about what your company should achieve with the platform and what goals you want to set for your employees. The central question here is: Can the goals be measured and achieved with the learning platform?

Here are four frameworks you should consider:

Framework	ToDo	Platform requirement
Objective	Define what goals you want to achieve with the learning platform. For example, should employees acquire new skills or improve their performance? Should the platform promote knowledge transfer within the company? Formulate clear goals that are measurable and achievable.	Can the defined goals be achieved with the platform?
Time frame	Set a realistic time frame in which to achieve the goals. Consider factors such as employee availability, workload, and scope of learning.	Can employees learn on the platform in the specified time frame? Can employees organize their learning time flexibly?
Success criteria	Define the success criteria that you will use to measure the success of the learning platform. For example, you can take into account the participation rate, the completion rate or the satisfaction of the employees.	Can the learning platform demonstrably contribute to the defined success criteria?
Measurement	Determine how you will measure and evaluate the success of the learning platform. For example, feedback forms or the analysis of user data can be included here.	Can the defined success criteria be determined via the platform?

3. Perform a Cost-Benefit Analysis

You now know whether your company needs an LMS, LXP or LEP and have also defined the requirements and goals. This helps you to weed out unsuitable providers during the research and to narrow down the selection considerably.

A key decision criterion when comparing different providers is then the cost-benefit ratio. The costs for a learning platform can vary greatly depending on the provider. Therefore, you should perform a cost-benefit analysis to find out which learning platform offers the greatest added value for your company.

Here you should consider not only the initial cost, but also the ongoing cost and Return on investment of Learning (ROI of Learning).

By conducting a cost-benefit analysis, you can ensure that the learning platform will have a positive impact on your business and that the investment in the platform will pay off in the long run.

The economic return on learning can be calculated using the following formula:

ROI of Learning (%) = (benefit of the learning program (in Euro) - cost of the learning program) / cost of the learning program x 100

The calculation is essentially based on two key figures:

Firstly, the costs for the digital learning program consisting of three following items:

The development or acquisition costs
Implementation costs
The employee costs

On the other hand, the learning platform provides various benefits for your company, including productivity gains by reducing onboarding efforts and enabling you to train your staff faster and more effectively.

Learn more about costs, benefits and the calculation of the ROI of learning in our handbook "Return on Learning" (German)!

4. Plan an Implementation Strategy

Once you have decided on a learning platform, you should plan an implementation strategy. This should include training for employees to ensure that they can make the most of the learning platform.

Here are the key steps to consider when setting up your implementation:

Communication: Make sure that all relevant stakeholders in the company are informed about the implementation of the learning platform.
Schedule: Create a detailed implementation timeline that includes all necessary steps, such as installing the platform, training employees, and migrating data. Also take into account buffer times in case of delays.
Team: If necessary, put together a team that is responsible for the implementation. L&D and HR managers should be involved, in addition to – depending on the requirements and support of the learning platform – IT staff.
Onboarding: Plan training sessions for employees who will be engaging with the platform. This should not only include the use of the platform itself, but also the advantages and benefits of the platform for the company.
Testing: Test the platform thoroughly before releasing it to all employees. Consider both the functionality and usability of the platform.

Checklist: What Resources Do I Need to Implement & Maintain a Learning Platform?

Which people are responsible for implementing and maintaining a learning platform? What tasks should the platform's customer support take on and what resources does my company need to produce its own content?

Our checklist gives you an overview of which resources should be taken into account when implementing a learning platform in order to start digital learning in your company in the best possible way.

Resources	Description	Factors	Masterplan
Personal	Who is needed to ensure the implementation and maintenance of the learning platform?	Head of L&D
		Responsible Project Manager
		IT specialist	is only required if interface is desired
		Content developer	is not required
		Trainer	is not required
Customer support	What support is needed?	Availability (e.g. 24/7 or only at certain times)	✅
		Accessibility (e.g. by phone, e-mail or chat)	✅
		Fast response time	✅
		Accompanied introduction + kick-off	✅
		Content support/counseling (e.g. learning motivation/activation, support in creating a learning culture, etc.)	✅
Content creation	What resources are needed for the creation of internal content?	Upload possibility of own contents on the learning platform	✅
		Production equipment (camera, light, etc.)	Masterplan Creatorbox (tripod with light and clip-on microphone)
		Know how to create your own content	Masterplan course "How to produce your own content"

And Now... Let's Get to Work!

You did it! In this article, you've learned the key steps to choosing and implementing the right learning platform for your organization.

Now it's time to get to work! Take your employees and your company to the next level with the right learning platform!

Lade dir jetzt unseren Guide herunter, um zusätzliche Informationen zum Auswahlprozess und wertvolle Tipps für erfolgreiche Budgetverhandlungen im Rahmen einer Lernplattform zu erhalten!

Download our guide (German!) now for additional information on the selection process and valuable tips for successful budget negotiations within a learning platform!