We live in an age where technology is continuously evolving, which is why the significance of workforce training cannot be overemphasized. Effective corporate training programs are critical for organizations to stay competitive in today’s fierce market. With ever-evolving demands of the modern workforce, many organizations opt to outsource their training and development programs.
Enterprises face ample challenges while outsourcing their training programs, such as meeting budgets, quality of work, language barriers and more. Also, data privacy and trust may be a concern. Organizations can face challenges when communicating with the extended, remote workforce. To address them, modern learning management systems (LMSs) for the extended enterprise are a viable solution.
The seamless delivery of e-learning solutions via extended LMSs helps cater to the training needs of diversified audiences while saving costs on travel and logistics. With the deployment of robust learning platforms, organizations can deliver effective training content to keep employees engaged, improve productivity and achieve business goals. With the support of localization features, companies can provide online courses in different languages based on the preferences and locations of extended audiences.
How Does an Extended LMS Address Training Outsourcing Needs?
As the extended workforce works from diverse locations, it is imperative to use a robust e-learning platform to cater to their needs. Organizations can deliver extended enterprise learning to remote employees and partners with varied profiles, as in these examples:
Dealer Training
Industries with extended dealer networks, such as the automobile sector, face ample training challenges. Ensuring the consistency of training for these employees is critical for good customer service. Companies can seamlessly integrate extended LMSs with their dealer management systems (DMSs) to deliver training anytime and anywhere. They can also use data from the DMS to trigger the LMS to deliver relevant training to employees. Delivering different online courses based on job role and preferences boosts learning efficiency and skills competency.
Extended Sales Force Training
From tracking sales force performance to fostering client relationships, the extended LMS can help salespeople perform at the top of the game. For instance, short assessments can help the sales team align the right product to the right customer.
Channel Partner Training
Organizations in varied industry domains, such as manufacturing and telecom, often work with independent partners who resell their products and services on a global scale. As the channel partners are spread across diversified locations, extended e-learning platforms can be a great solution to deliver training that bridges those geographical barriers. The mobile-enabled extended learning platform helps external partners learn about new products at their own convenience. As a result, the extended LMS can improve productivity, sales and customer satisfaction.
Use Cases for the Extended LMS
The Automotive Industry
As stated before, dealer training can be a daunting task. To address this problem, one automobile company deployed an online extended LMS that is mobile-supported, flexible and easy to access. It experienced the following benefits:
- The seamless integration of its LMS with its DMS to deliver training at the point of need
- Accessibility of online courses across personalized smartphones and tablets to enable learning on the go
- Localization to deliver training in multiple languages, which boosted overall learner collaboration and knowledge retention
- The ability to upload different training courses based on job role and learning preferences, resulting in increased application of training to real-life situations
Retail
Retail companies often face challenges when it comes to training their salespeople. Successful implementation of an AR-based mobile LMS for the extended sales force of one retail company resulted in the following benefits:
- Sales employees could take their customers through the solution anytime and anywhere using personalized mobile devices.
- Salespeople became more proficient in selling products to the right audiences.
- Incorporating videos gave the marketing team an edge and boosted customer satisfaction and engagement.
Banking, Financial Services and Insurance
With the ever-evolving demands of the modern customer, training for the extended sales force in banks and other financial institutions has become more important. One financial institution used a mobile app, which became popular and provided a myriad of benefits, including:
- The sales force could access training content on their mobile devices and at their own convenience.
- Engaging mobile learning content delivered customized information to all salespeople.
- The delivery of mobile-enabled courses improved the overall geographical reach.
- Gamification helped boost learner motivation and performance.
While e-learning began as an internal workforce training program, organizations now realize the need to deploy training to the extended enterprise. When extended enterprise training begins with strategic decision-making, it can make a great impact on an organization’s overall reach, brand value and growth. With an extended LMS, organizations can create and track attainable goals – and then achieve them.
