Frustrations of L and D Leaders with Their LMS

The Learning and Development (L&D) landscape is constantly evolving, driven by advances in technology, changes in the global workforce, and the ongoing need for upskilling and reskilling. L&D leaders have their work out for them, owing to the marked changes they have to deal with, such as:

The rise of online learning

Which has only been accelerated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Global Market Insights predicts that the e-learning market size will reach $1 trillion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 20% (2021 to 2028):



Business-learning alignment

With LinkedIn's 2023 Workplace Learning report throws light on the trending L&D priorities for 2023:



Unsurprisingly, the same report claims that employees are looking for more personalized learning experiences that are tailored to their specific needs, interests, and goals.

Microlearning

Which is becoming increasingly popular. It allows learners to acquire knowledge and skills via bite-sized learning opportunities. L&D managers can create digestible, short courses on topics that your employees might find relevant (think: relating to in-the-moment challenges or opportunities).

Blatant skills gap

Which continues to be a major challenge for organizations as they struggle to find talent with the right skills. McKinsey claims that up to 43% of executives are experiencing skills gaps in the workforce. Collectively, 55% claim that they expect the skills gap to persist or worsen over the next ten years:



Upskilling and reskilling programs

Have emerged as a raging priority to close the skills gap and prepare employees for the future of work. For 36% of UK L&D leaders, upskilling employees is paramount.

Employee retention

It's a major cause of concern for 92% of L&D professionals in the current climate of the 'Great Resignation.'

The writing is on the wall: The current L&D landscape is characterized by a people- and skill-first approach to drive organizational success. However, issues such as skills gap, increasing employee attrition, and a lack of an L&D-driven culture are preventing L&D leaders from unlocking the value of the L&D strategies.

7 Challenges of L&D Adoption: A 360-Degree Perspective

Lack of Flexibility

What does a lack of flexibility in L&D adoption actually mean? It basically refers to the inability of learning and development programs to adapt to the unique needs and preferences of individual learners, organizations, and the changing business landscape. This can manifest in various ways, such as:

• Rigid course structures
• Inflexible learning platform
• Lack of options for personalized learning paths

Key challenges:

Limited engagement:

Learners are less likely to engage with L&D programs that do not cater to their specific needs, interests, and learning styles.

Poor learning outcomes:

When learning programs do not adapt to learners' individual needs, the learning outcomes can suffer, leading to lower retention rates (and ROI) for the organization.

Ineffective learning transfer:

Learners may struggle to apply their new skills and knowledge to their work when the training does not align with their specific job requirements and work environment.

Proposed solutions:

To address these challenges, L&D professionals must:

• Adopt a more flexible and learner-centric approach to designing and delivering training programs.
• Offer a variety of learning options, such as self-paced courses, micro-learning modules, and social learning opportunities.
• Leverage adaptive learning technologies that personalize the learning experience based on individual learner needs and preferences.
• Use recommender systems to push content via instant channels such as chatbots, drive peer-based knowledge sharing on collaborative channels, and integrate curated third-party content with tailor-made in-house content.

Use-case: How Gyrus Aided Training Adoption for Thousands of Learners with Minimal Computer Skills



The Joint Industry Board (JIB) offers a Joint Apprenticeship Training Program to provide safety and advanced technology courses for electrical workers who want to maintain their skills and be up-to-date on the latest advancements.

Key requirement:

• Conform to their Learning Organization needs
• Scale as the organization grows (within budget)
• Offer a friendly user interface that aids adoption for a diverse group of learners with minimal computer skills
• Transfer 45,000 employee records and 1.5 Million records of historical data within 1 year efficiently without hampering the member certifications

How Gyrus helped:

Discovery phase:

The Gyrus team conducted a thorough review and developed a detailed understanding of the customer’s requirements.

Custom phase:

The team initiated a custom detailed data import including:

• Extensive skill import
• Close coordination of the two LMSs to minimize the impact on members
• Extensive custom branding
• Close customer support post-implementation through the phased rollout

The result: Gyrus' proprietary and nimble business model allowed the company to adaptorate them into the product easily and quickly.

Poor User Experience

Poor user experience refers to the difficulty users face when trying to engage with a new learning and development (L&D) system, ultimately leading to low adoption rates.

Key challenges:

• Lack of relevant content or courses that are not aligned with the needs of the users.
• Complex user interfaces that make it difficult for users to navigate the system, such as the inability to access:
• Online training courses with ease
• An item on the dashboard
• Important icons and items on the navigation bar
• Limited access to support and assistance when users face challenges with the system.
• Poor system performance, such as low loading times or system crashes that disrupt the user experience.
• Broken links and improper labels within the LMS.

Proposed solutions:

• Designing intuitive, streamlined, and user-friendly interfaces that are easy to navigate and understand.
• Offering relevant and engaging content that aligns with the needs and interests of the users.
• Providing access to resources, training, and support that can help users overcome challenges they may encounter.
• Investing in high-quality technology and infrastructure that can support a seamless user experience.
• Using a simplified platform that allows you to:
• Generate in-depth LMS reports and analytics
• Manage online content easily
• Access the quiz creator section at the click of a button

Aspect of UX	Good UX	Bad UX
Navigation	Clear and intuitive navigation, easy to find what the user is looking for.	Confusing navigation, difficult to find information or complete tasks
Design	Visually appealing and consistent design that enhances usability.	Inconsistent or cluttered design that detracts from usability.
Speed	Fast loading times and smooth performance.	Slow loading times or frequent errors.
Responsiveness	It trains you to excel in particular work.	It rains you to excel in leadership skills.
Content	Relevant and useful content that meets user needs.	Irrelevant or outdated content that does not meet user needs.
Accessibility	Accessibility features that make the site usable for people with disabilities.	Lack of accessibility features that make the site difficult or impossible to use for people with disabilities.
Feedback	Clear and informative feedback that helps users understand what's happening on the site.	Vague or unhelpful feedback that leaves users confused or frustrated.
Consistency	A consistent and predictable interface that follows standard conventions.	An inconsistent interface that makes it difficult to learn or use the site.
Personalization	Personalization features that allow users to customize their experience.	Lack of personalization features that make the site feel impersonal or irrelevant.

Use-case: Most LMS systems do not take into account the user-friendliness of the interface, leading to low adoption rates. For instance, if your users are not able to jump between courses and assessments without opening multiple tabs, you can say goodbye to them.

Think your organization is in a similar soup? Pivot your design and start by asking the UX team the following questions before redesigning the user experience:

• Does the LMS tool have a robust search functionality? Can the search bring up relevant results?
• Is navigation consistent across modules and screens?
• Is the learner able to move from one module to the next in less than three clicks?
• Is it possible to de-clutter or customize the navigation items?

Deep-diving into the current pain points will provide you with a roadmap of how to proceed ahead.

Limited Customization

If your organization has embraced a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to using an LMS without considering the unique learning needs and preferences of targeted users, you are most likely to struggle with issues of limited customization. The lack of customization can ultimately lead to low engagement and ineffective learning outcomes.

Key challenges:

1. Lack of data or insights about individual users' learning preferences and needs.
2. Limited options for tailoring content or courses to specific groups or individuals.
3. Inability to provide personalized feedback or coaching to learners.
4. Limited integration with other learning platforms that users may prefer.
5. Lack of access to customized features and functionality by the vendor to support the organization's industry-specific needs. Some examples include:
• Providing customizable dashboards that display the information most relevant to the client's industry. For example, a manufacturing company may want to see data on employee safety training.
• Offering customizable reporting features that allow clients to generate reports based on their industry-specific needs. For example, a financial institution may want to generate reports on employee training related to anti-money laundering regulations.
• Developing integrations with industry-specific tools to provide a seamless learning experience. For instance, a healthcare organization may want to integrate its LMS with a medical simulation tool to provide hands-on training to employees.

Proposed solutions:

The Harvard Business Review suggests that L&D leaders focus on 'lean learning'--a concept in which "employees not only learn the right thing, at the right time, and for the right reasons, but also that they retain what they learn"  or else, learners will forget 75% of the new information in just six days:



Use-case: STRATA Skin Sciences Wanted to Train Employees Across different Locations—And Here's How Gyrus Helped.

STRATA Skin Sciences is a medical technology company focused on the therapeutic and aesthetic dermatology market.

Key requirement:

The brand wanted a self-hosted LMS through which they could provide training for about 150 employees in different locations across the US. For the LMS system, their top-3 priorities were:

• SSO feature for security
• Availability of 21 CFR part 11 (an electronic signature requirement for admin-designated events)
• Compliance audit trail

How Gyrus helped:

Implementation phase:

Gyrus provided a sandbox for use in training and learning outside the self-hosted environment. The sandbox was helpful for self-hosted customers as it allowed easier sharing of views and examples.

Establishment phase:

Once the training began, Strata re-evaluated the options and decided to switch to Gyrus Aim Learning Cloud. Ease of user access via remote access was a key factor, along with other internal considerations. The Gyrus team quickly created the v17 instance for them. They also developed training module plans and transitioned them to the new environment.

The result:

Strata quickly became independent with the Gyrus system and has since participated actively in the brand's Customer Council, analyzing product design and developing new enhancement ideas to improve user experience.

Integration Issues

Integration issues in L&D adoption are more commonplace than you'd think. Without the ability to integrate your LMS with third-party tools such as CRM, Data Warehouse, HRIS systems, compliance systems, and so on, organizations cannot deliver a 360-degree learning experience. Here are the key integration challenges your organization might face:

Inability to integrate with CRM systems:

A CRM system is used to manage customer relationships, while an LMS is used to manage learning and development. Integrating these two systems can be challenging, as they may have different data structures, making it difficult to map data between the two systems.

Inability to integrate with Data Warehouse systems:

Data Warehouses are used to store large amounts of data from multiple sources. Integrating an LMS with a data warehouse can be challenging because of the sheer volume of data that needs to be processed and the complexity of mapping data between the two systems.

Inability to integrate with HRIS systems:

An HRIS (Human Resource Information System) is used to manage employee data such as employee profiles, job titles, and performance data. Integrating an LMS with an HRIS can be challenging because the data structures of these two systems may differ significantly, making it difficult to map data between them.

Compliance Issues:

An LMS is often used to deliver compliance training. However, integrating an LMS with compliance systems can be challenging because compliance regulations are continually changing, and compliance systems need to be updated frequently to remain compliant with new regulations.

Integration complexity:

Integrating an LMS with other systems requires technical expertise and can be time-consuming. LMS systems may require custom APIs, plugins, or other integrations that can be complicated to implement and maintain.



As a result of these, the learning process is burdened with inefficiencies, redundancies, and errors. Consequently, learner engagement and learning outcomes suffer.

Key challenges:

1. Lack of interoperability between different learning systems and incompatibility.
2. Different systems using different data formats or protocols, making it difficult to transfer data between them.
3. Limited compatibility with other systems, making it challenging to integrate them effectively.
4. Limited options for customizing or configuring integrations based on specific organizational needs.
5. Skyrocketing budgets due to purchasing replacements or, worse, investing in a new system altogether.

Proposed solutions:

1. Investing in high-quality LMS that can support seamless integration across different systems.
2. Using common data formats and protocols to enable data exchange between different learning systems.
3. Providing APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that can facilitate integration with other systems.

Use-case: If your organization is currently using a separate LMS and LCMS to manage its learning content, you are likely to face integration and compatibility issues in the long run.

To address this, you must:

• Invest in a new learning platform that offers seamless integration between the LMS and LCMS.
• Leverage a platform that offers APIs for enabling integration with other learning tools, such as a virtual classroom or assessment tools, into the platform.

Inadequate Reporting and Analytics

Another side-effect of a misaligned LMS is not having access to accurate and meaningful data about learning outcomes and performance. This can happen when L&D solutions lack robust reporting and analytics capabilities, which can make it challenging to measure the impact of learning programs and make data-driven decisions about future learning initiatives.

Key challenges:

1. Limited data collection or inconsistent data quality.
2. Lack of analytical tools or resources to interpret and analyze data.
3. Limited integration with other systems that may provide additional data.
4. Inability to track learning outcomes or measure the effectiveness of learning programs.

Proposed solutions:

1. Setting clear learning goals and objectives and tracking progress against them to measure the effectiveness of learning programs.
2. Collecting accurate and consistent data about learning outcomes and performance.
3. Providing analytical tools or resources to interpret and analyze data effectively.
4. Integrating with other systems that may provide additional data and insights.

Use-case: Let's assume your organization has invested in a costly LMS tool only to find that you cannot drive game-based learning--a big mistake as most learners are generally highly engaged with this learning format. Without truly understanding your employee's current requirements, you cannot deliver an exceptional learning experience.

To address this, you must look out for a learning analytics system that allows you to collect data on individual learners' progress and performance. For instance, these are the most in-demand soft skills employees want (versus what they get):



As per the State of L&D report, employees also want the following integrations within the learning program:



Without capturing these powerful insights, L&D leaders will be in the blind about what their employees need and prefer. Long story short, the tool should also help you to:

• Interpret and analyze the data effectively.
• Identify high-performing learners who can be targeted for leadership development opportunities.
• Measure the impact of your learning programs and make data-driven learning program decisions.

Technical Issues & Lack of Support

If your LMS tool is difficult to implement and use, it is already a failure. Like most tools, LMS platforms too can experience technical hurdles, such as issues related to software, hardware, connectivity, or other accessibility-related glitches and bugs.

Key challenges:


• Inadequate IT infrastructure or resources to support the implementation and use of L&D solutions.
• Compatibility issues between different software or hardware components.
• Inadequate internet connectivity or network issues that affect the availability and performance of L&D solutions.
• Inadequate technical support or resources to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues.
• Inadequate training or support for learners to use new software.
• Lack of mobile access for the LMS, preventing learners from accessing content on-the-go.
• Limited access to experts or mentors who can provide guidance and support to learners and trainers.
• Inadequate communication and collaboration among learners and trainers.

Proposed solutions:

To ensure that your employees navigate the technical hurdles mentioned above and don't get stuck on their learning journey, make sure to:

• Offer ongoing support via multiple channels and platforms, such as instant messaging, voice messaging, chatbots, and more.
• Provide adequate training, workshops, and support for learners on how to use new software.
• Create a dedicated support portal, complete with how-to tutorials, relevant documentation, frequently asked questions (FAQs), troubleshooting guides, and a helpdesk for submitting support tickets.
• Continuously evaluate the system and speak to your vendor about prevalent issues.

Inadequate Data Tracking

Inadequate data tracking occurs when L&D teams are not able to accurately measure the impact of their training initiatives due to a lack of proper data tracking mechanisms in place or due to a lack of reliable data sources. It goes without saying that tracking and analyzing the training data can help evaluate the effectiveness of your L&D programs and empower the team to prep smarter for the future.

Key challenges:

• Incomplete data about the learners, such as their learning progress, participation, and feedback.
• Inefficient data analysis, leading to an inability to gain insights into the training program's efficacy.
• Inconsistent data tracking across all training programs to maintain data accuracy.

Proposed solutions:

To address the challenges of inadequate data tracking, L&D teams can adopt the following solutions:

• Investing in data tracking tools to capture comprehensive data about the learners (think: learning progress, analyzing feedback, etc.).
• Ensuring consistent tracking methods across all training programs to help maintain data accuracy and make it easier to compare the effectiveness of varied training programs.
• Analyzing training data effectively using data analysis tools to gain insights into the training program's effectiveness.

Use-case: How Gyrus Helped BWX Technologies to Ensure Employees Meet Industry Standards and Compliance. BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) is a leading supplier of nuclear components and fuel to the U.S. government.

Key requirements:

As a provider of quality assurance in the nuclear field, BWXT wanted:

• To deliver critical training to assure that their employees meet industry standards and compliance requirements.
• Two self-hosted environments to keep the division data separate and confidential.

How Gyrus helped:

Implementation phase:

The Gyrus team began with detailed discovery and team planning. With multiple team members participating from two divisions, it quickly became apparent that the two division needs were quite different. Hence, the two divisions were put on separate implementation tracks to better serve their specific needs.

Establishment phase:

To establish their self-hosted platforms on Gyrus’ v16 platform, IT personnel from each division worked hand-in-hand with the Gyrus IT Analyst to walk through each step of their system setup. The divisions were then able to load and test their own data.

Setup phase:

To cater to BWX's specialized needs for assessment setup and test results delivery, Gyrus worked with BWXT to gather detailed specifications and requirements and created a custom assessment module and webhook API that will become standard offerings for future customers.



The result: BWXT benefited from a highly secure self-hosted environment that met strict organization standards.

5 Tips to Select the Right LMS

First things first, understand that every organization's L&D goals differ, and by extension, so will their LMS needs. So, when picking the right tool, it is important to understand what your employee's learning needs look like. To that end, conduct a few brainstorming sessions with the team to analyze:

1. The core of what the employees need to learn
2. How you can apply real-world learning situations immediately
3. How employees can get immediate feedback and refine their understanding
4. How to ensure that this process continues in the long run

That said, here are five expert-approved tips on how to evaluate the right LMS option that will help you get started on the right note:

Understand the impact of an LMS on the effectiveness of L&D programs

Choosing the right LMS is crucial as it can greatly impact the effectiveness of your L&D programs. A poorly designed LMS can lead to a lack of engagement among learners, which can result in decreased retention and poor outcomes. Conversely, a well-designed LMS can significantly enhance the learning experience and make L&D programs more effective. Therefore, when selecting an LMS, it is important to consider factors such as:

• Ease of use
• Content delivery
• Accessibility
• Customization options

Determine your organization's specific needs

Before selecting an LMS, make sure to identify the unique needs and requirements of your organization. To ensure that the LMS you choose is aligned with your organization's needs, consider factors such as:

• The size of your organization
• The type of training programs you offer
• The number of learners you have
• Budget
• Learning objectives and goals

Pro tip: It is crucial to involve everyone in this decision-making process, from the down up. You want varied perspectives so that you can select a holistic solution that caters to everyone's needs without compromising on customization.

Evaluate the LMS features

When evaluating LMS options, it's crucial to assess the features and functionalities of each platform. In addition to the must-have features mentioned previously, factor in functionalities such as:

• Content authoring tools
• Tracking and reporting capabilities
• Gamification elements
• Integration with existing tools
• Mobile compatibility
• Social learning capabilities
• Training tracking, reporting, and delivering functionality
• Access to blended learning formats, automation features such as sending alerts about upcoming courses or learning paths, adding/removing learners via the CMS, and so on
• Drag and drop functionality to course-create and manage courses
• Security and data privacy compliances

Pro tip: Remember to make your feature list as comprehensive and customized as possible to help you deliver engaging and effective training programs.

Research vendor experience and reputation

An important step that most L&D leaders skip is not researching the vendor's experience and reputation when evaluating LMS options. To make the most out of your L&D tool:

• Look for vendors with a proven track record in LMS development and support
• Check customer reviews and ratings to gauge the vendor's customer service and support
• Ensure that the vendor is financially stable and has a long-term commitment to product development and innovation

Consider integration with other systems

Finally, it's important to consider the integration of the LMS with other systems used within your organization, such as HRIS, CRM, and other business applications. Note that the ability to integrate the LMS with other systems can significantly enhance the efficiency of your training programs, streamline processes, and eliminate the need for duplicate data entry. So, ensure that the LMS you choose offers integration capabilities that align with your organization's needs.

A Personalized LMS is the Key to Unlocking L&D Potential

They say that an L&D program is only as good as the LMS in use (and rightly so). Evidently, the biggest hurdle for Learning and Development (L&D) leaders in their L&D journey is the lack of robust Learning Management Systems (LMS). With a poorly-aligned LMS system, the frustrations for L&D managers can be wide-ranging:

• Issues with user experience and poor UI design
• Lack of LMS access on any device/browser
• L&D leaders having to step into troubleshooting tech mode instead of curating high-quality courses
• Constant glitches and bugs that hinder accessibility
• Lack of customization options and inflexible functionalities as well as features
• Outdated LMS technology
• Easy to use with little to no learning curve
• Inability to integrate with your existing apps and software
• Challenges with data analysis and reporting

While LMS systems are critical to the success of L&D programs, they can also hinder progress if not tailored to meet your specific organizational needs. The need of the hour is for L&D leaders to work closely with LMS providers to get to the bottom of their needs while ensuring that their systems provide the necessary tools to drive growth and development within the organizations. Thoughts?