Before embarking on the journey to choose the best LXP and LMS, it is essential to shift the spotlight onto the specifics of your learning program. The critical step of conducting a needs analysis is not just a common requirement, it is the cornerstone of the success of your LMS or LXP.

This careful examination serves as the compass, guiding you through the landscape of your learning environment. By delving into a needs analysis, you can examine the importance of the functionalities, features, and capabilities essential for your program’s success.

This thorough approach also ensures that the chosen learning system harmonizes seamlessly with your organizational objectives, effectively addressing the diverse learning needs of your learners.

Let’s now look at certain factors that you must consider as you conduct a needs analysis to pick the best LXP/LMS.

Key Factors in Selection

1. What are your learning goals?

Consider what you aim to accomplish when you choose the best LXP and LMX. Now, align this with your broader business strategy and think of what you wish to achieve for both your learners and the organization. Do you need better compliance management? Are there skills gaps in your team that you want to address? You may want to give your employees more access to resources within their daily workflow.

In fact, it may even be a combination of learning needs that you are trying to achieve instead of just one, so it is crucial to identify the most urgent goals while deciding on how to choose the right learning system.

2. Who are your learners?

The primary factor to consider is your people. Ultimately, a learning platform is useful only when it is actively used by your people and it helps them progress.

Begin by examining the job roles or departments within which your learners operate. Check if you want to address the needs of the entire workforce or a specific team. Consider the diverse workforce, distinguishing between blue-collar and white-collar or frontline workers. For frontline and blue-collar workers, especially those continuously on-the-go, the need for mobile access becomes paramount. Also check the tech proficiency of your learners. Assess their existing skill sets and look at the gaps you aim to address once you pick the best LXP and LMS.

Maybe your focus also extends to customers, partners, or resellers? When you have clarity on this, evaluate the working dynamics of these individuals and decide what they may require from a learning platform. If your audience spans across various teams and individuals, consider their varied needs before you zero in on how to choose the right learning system.

3. How and when do your people want to learn?

Consider the most preferred learning environments and methods of your learners. By answering these two questions, you are essentially exploring the most effective learning approaches that are tailored for your people and objectives.

If traditional day or week-long courses are, more often than not, shunned by your people, it might be time to explore alternatives. Perhaps your learners thrive on bite-sized, on-demand content? It is also likely that some of your learners are more receptive to evening sessions at their own pace rather than a morning training to-do. Meanwhile, there may be some who prefer productive learning experiences in the early hours.

Also consider the devices and content types that align with your learners’ preferences. Many who spend long hours in commute may need a mobile app for on-the-go learning.

4. What is your existing L&D strategy?

This one’s important for choosing the best LXP and LMS because it helps you identify the areas that are currently effective and pinpoint those that require improvement.

Assess how much of your learning strategy is linked to your existing learning platform or the absence of one. There are likely aspects that could be enhanced or approached differently with a different platform, so take note of them to check the key factors in selection. You don’t have to postpone improvements until you find a new system. There may be steps you can take now to change the situation.

5. How fast are you growing?

This question should be answered because you need to understand your platform’s ability to scale up based on your potential for further expansion in the future.

While it is essential to choose a platform that suits your existing learning requirements, it is equally crucial to ensure that it can scale alongside your company’s growth. Consider factors such as the increasing number of employees, areas of the business likely to expand, and how these dynamics might impact your learning strategy.

Upcoming trends

Once the above questions are answered, it’s now about understanding whether the LXP or LMS you pick is the right fit to manage an ever-evolving landscape of professional development and all the trends that mark the L&D landscape.

Here’s a look at some:

Upskilling and Reskilling

The global workforce faces an increasing skills gap, making upskilling and reskilling strategies crucial for attracting and retaining talent. A learning platform that offers customized learning paths and content tailored to individual styles is a preferred and cost-effective solution for internal upskilling.

AI in Learning

AI integration is becoming more pivotal than ever for employee skilling, shifting from a top-down model to personalized content, automated processes, and continuous AI-driven assessments. AI-powered LXPs are becoming essential, adapting to employee progress for enhanced learning experiences.

Learning in the Flow of Work

Learning paradigms are fast evolving with AI-driven intelligent systems identifying learning moments, delivering just-in-time content during work. Learning platforms need to offer support for on-demand microlearning modules and immersive technologies like AR and VR that seamlessly integrate into the workflow, eliminating the need for dedicated training time.

Microlearning

Microlearning is becoming more popular mainly due to its ability to break down information for improved retention and engagement. LXPs or LMSs should offer microlearning to optimize learners’ time, enhance their knowledge retention and comprehension while catering to their busy schedules.

Gamification

Gamification brings a fun approach to learning, enhancing engagement and motivation. It remains a highly popular feature in learning platforms to accommodate diverse learning styles, empowering learners through interactive challenges and missions.

Data-Driven Insights

Deep integration of AI-driven analytics continues to elevate the effectiveness of training programs, empowering learners and aligning L&D efforts with organizational goals. AI-powered LXPs are playing a key role in scrutinizing engagement data, offering insights into popular courses and addressing potential engagement gaps.

Ethical Considerations for AI

As AI evolves, prioritizing ethical considerations and privacy safeguards will remain crucial. More collaboration to ensure transparency and trust, adhering to data protection laws for user privacy protection, regular reviews and updates are all integral areas to focus upon when picking learning platforms.