The Measure of Success.

Even before you've deployed your new e-learning system, there are steps
you can take to ensure its victory.

BY CARMINE PORCO

Many corporations substantiate their e-learning initiatives after the fact by eliminating related jobs or reducing travel expenditures for training. Although these are viable cost savings, they should not be the sole motivation for an e-learning initiative. E-learning must demonstrate that employees are learning more efficiently and retaining more of the curriculum compared to in-class training. The bottom line is: Is e-learning improving employee productivity?

[Darwin Magazine]

I'm commenting on this article because I note that other e-Learning weblogs have picked it up and passed it along without much comment. I think e-Learning managers should read it, not because I think they should heed it literally, but because it illustrates the classic way that e-Learning programs get killed.

The writer makes the point that the pressure is on e-Learning, more than on other technology investments, to make a business case before the purchase of the technology. Leaving for the moment the question of whether it's true that an LMS purchase is treated differently than an ERP purchase (I think smart CIO's demand a business case in advance for ERP, CRM, and any other member of the alphabet soup club), there are some other issues here that e-Learning advocates would be wise to attend to.

One reason business leaders are skeptical about e-Learning is the really poor track record training has in most enterprises. It would be a mistake to think demonstrating the value of an e-Learning implementation on the basis of numbers alone will be effective.  Demonstrating only that e-Learning cuts the cost of training implementation and citing only numbers of downloads of e-Learning materials just invites the CFO to observe that the best way to cut costs in the training program would be to cut out the training program entirely. Better address the credibility issue and better show how the e-Learning will support the attainment of corporate goals near and dear to the decision-makers' reputations with the board and the shareholders.

If productivity is going to be cited as part of the return on e-Learning, be sure to translate it correctly into benefits that are valued by the decision makers. Productivity gains mean the company can achieve more of what matters most to it without having to add staff. I think the author has gone astray by implying that "learning more efficiently and retaining more of the curriculum compared to in-class training" equates to "improving employee productivity."

This is a minefield. Get a good guide before you enter it. Your best guide is not an LMS/LCMS vendor. Your best guides are your own CFO and CIO. You may not always like what they have to say, but it is fatal to fail to work with them BEFORE talking to vendors.

1:05:34 PM