1. Think About Business Needs Alongside The Technical Aspects Of Implementation
The first tip is to confirm that there was a need for an LMS in the first place and that you have aligned its implementation against your business objectives, as opposed to defining successful implementation by simply ticking boxes against a list of functionality. At Fuse, the first thing we do with our customers is to run a Customer Vision Workshop to define what exactly the "North Star" is and what great looks like for their business. For example, with our clients in the retail sector the "North Star" is proving that the learning investment made is directly correlated to an increase in the average transaction value. Whereas with a training company, it might be to prove that the investment is going to increase revenue, and in the hospitality sector, it may be an improved customer experience. The critical first element is to ensure that everyone in the project, on both sides i.e. the customer and vendor, have clearly defined their goals. Defining the "North Star" ensures everyone is laser-focused, guaranteeing that every action is directed towards achieving that goal.
2. Understand What Learning Metrics Need To Be Captured, Displayed And Then Correlate Them Against Business KPIs
The really special thing we have seen when the implementation of an LMS has been closely aligned to the "North Star", is that we are not just validating the technology; the cost of L&D is validated, transforming it from a cost centre to a profit centre. This allows the CEOs and Board of Directors to understand why continually increased investment in L&D is absolutely mission critical. Many LMSs traditionally have the baseline functions around Kirkpatrick level one and level two metrics, mainly focusing on awareness of concepts and proof of attendance. These are still relatively important for the base level understanding of our clients, however, the amazing opportunity we have now when implementing an LMS, is to align learning data against performance data.
The key is obviously to understand what that correlation is; whether that is an engagement or behavioural change. This correlation is better attained through clear, and easily digestible visual dashboards, which will help the learning team present to their stakeholders across the business.
3. Technology Is Only Part Of The Answer
With the implementation of a modern learning system, there needs to be a corresponding transformation of the existing L&D teams' skillsets. Fuse’s program - Instructional Design to Learning Design - becomes critical to ensuring that the L&D professionals have the skills of video storytelling, micro content strategies, blended learning, and community engagement. This then enables them to acquire the skills to achieve those learning data metrics which can be correlated back to the business.
4. Understanding That Engagement Is The Goal
Once you have made that correlation between engagement and business data, then engagement becomes the ultimate goal. There is a direct relationship between engagement and a continuous learning culture, so we need to be thinking about this not just as technology, but how we achieve “learning organizations”, and how we can measure engagement as a metric of that.
5. Don't View Implementation As The Sole Objective
Historically, vendors implemented an LMS with the goal to come back in three years time when the renewal was due to start the cycle all over again. In the modern world of learning, that is no longer the case. Now, engagement and creating a continuous learning culture is the main focus; implementation is just day 1 of that journey. With Fuse, implementation is Launch Day, where experimentation and learning together is crucial, both for the customer and our team. We end up learning every day, determining how to pool best practice amongst clients that use a similar technology, and how we can continue to work together to achieve that "North Star".
Implementation is just the first step; the start of the race.