E-learning and LMS blog articles

Need some help deciding if an online learning platform is right for your business? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve seen the amazing effects online learning platforms can have on L&D for countless organisations, large and small – so if there’s anyone who can give you 5 reasons to take the leap and invest, it’s us. Let’s begin.

1. Online learning platforms bring all HR processes into one place

Yes, online learning platforms require administrative management, and this can be off-putting for many businesses. But it’s important not to overlook the countless hours of administration that can be saved once an online learning platform is properly configured and synchronised with your HR ecosystem. Below are just some of the ways you can save hundreds of HR personnel hours every year with an online learning platform:

• Automated onboarding courses empower new starters to learn unaided
• HR system integrations bring all HR data together in one place
• Comprehensive reporting tools make generating and sending reports easy
• Hierarchies functionality enables you to map out the platform to match your business structure and automate training delivery based on role, position, or department2. 

2. An online learning platform makes money for your business

It’s not just in reduced personnel hours that online learning platforms deliver a healthy ROI. When used to its full potential, a learning platform can drive profits in a number of ways:

1. Reduce staff turnover – the process of replacing staff is a costly one and should be avoided wherever possible. An online learning platform helps retain staff by offering attractive career development and training opportunities. After all – a LinkedIn report found that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development.
   
   
2. Optimise performance – a learning platform encourages learners to do better. By tying educational goals to company targets, learners are primed to put learning into practice – working more efficiently and achieving better results for the business. Deloitte stats show that businesses with strong learning cultures are 52% more productive and 17% more profitable than their peers.
   
   
3. Harness the expertise of subject matter experts – when combined with an LXP (learning experience platform), an online learning platform enables businesses to use the knowledge and expertise of their existing employees. This effectively ‘free’ training and knowledge sharing can build best practice and self-improvement into the flow of work – empowering employees to do better and deliver impressive results

Driven employees with clear development opportunities are happier and work more effectively

3. Learners remember more from digital learning courses

Online learning platforms aren’t just great because they’re convenient. They also do their job better than traditional methods. Don’t believe us? Take a look at the stats:

• Thanks to their interactive and engaging content, online courses increase learner retention rates by up to 60% (Research Institute of America).
• Learners spend 40–60% less time to complete workplace learning when delivered electronically than they would in a traditional setting (Brandon Hall).
• The Oxford Learning College reported that 9% of students said they found completing an online course easier than learning in a traditional classroom setting, while 78.2% of the students said they would recommend e-learning.

4. Staff training is accessible anywhere with online learning platforms

Most online learning platforms come with mobile functionality as standard, which makes training ideal for busy, remote, or travelling employees (did we mention that our Totara LMS comes with its own mobile app?) Here are just some of the benefits:

• Whether juggling multiple departments, offices, or even global regions, an online learning platform keeps training consistent no matter where in the world it’s accessed. Deploy content in multiple languages and even by regional tenant using multitenancy.
• If your teams don’t have the flexibility to complete training at set hours, they can complete it when it suits them. They can even access training on their mobile phone for complete autonomy.
• With a mobile app, online learning content can be downloaded for completion in internet free zones. This makes it perfect for employees on the move or required to work in the field.

Online learning platforms can be accessed on mobile - meaning learners can complete training anywhere, anytime

5. An online learning platform saves money and energy

Environmentally conscious businesses will be well aware of the need to minimise their carbon impact. Activities such as face-to-face training events only increase a business’s carbon emissions, as well as the end bill. But you guessed it, online learning platforms do the exact opposite:

• Eliminate the need for costly travel, venue hire, and hiring external experts – significantly reducing training costs and carbon emissions. In fact, the University of West Georgia found that online learning helped to cut CO2 emissions by 5-10 tons per semester for every hundred students.
• Online learning is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by 90% (The Stockholm Environmental Institute).
• Online learning platforms also do the great service of eliminating the need for a physical paper trail across the L&D and HR spectrum – saving tonnes of paper every year.

What next?

Convinced yet, or still unsure? Talk to one of our experts about your L&D requirements and we’ll give you a no-nonsense, obligation-free appraisal. Or why not take our 2-minute survey to see which online learning platform would be best for your organisation?