Category: Content Development

Learning Content Management: A Real Solution for 2008

For many years the corporate learning market has struggled with the issue of content management.  Training programs create many forms of content:  powerpoint slides, checklists, job aids, video, audio, as well as the massive amount of content provided by e-learning, including HTML pages, Flash objects, assessments, audio, video, interactivities, blog entries, and more.

As more ... Read more»

Social Networking: Meet Corporate America

This week I was on a panel at the Oracle Users Group discussing the needs of the multi-generational workforce.  Most of the attendees (HR and training managers) were focused on identifying what their organizations need to do to attract, manage, and integrate younger workers into their organizations.  

Our research clearly shows that the Millenia (20s) ... Read more»

MetLife’s Multi-Generational Workforce

I recently completed a meeting with 200 of the top HR executives at MetLife, one of the most successful and sustainable global insurance companies.  MetLife’s Vice-President of People, Deb Capolarello, is developing an integrated talent management strategy to help the organization integrate all its well-established HR processes into business solutions. 

One of the problems MetLife ... Read more»

Story-Telling as Corporate Learning

I recently had a conversation with Tamara Elkeles, the Chief Learning Officer for Qualcomm.  Qualcomm is a highly successful technology company which focuses on many technologies embedded in the cellular telephone industry.  The company is in the Intellectual Property business, primarily licensing technology to cellular providers, telecommunications companies, and manufacturers.

Tamara has a very successful ... Read more»

A New Organizational Learning Model: Learning On-Demand

Much has been written in the last few years about “informal learning” and the need for a culture of learning in organizations.  We know from our research that today’s tight labor market and the changing demographics of the workforce are creating an even greater and greater need for a new model.  Let me discuss our ... Read more»

Rapid E-Learning… and the Need for a Learning Architecture

The Origins of Rapid E-Learning

Some years ago (2003) we were doing some consulting with a major tools provider and first coined the term “rapid e-learning.”  Yes, it was us.  In fact, I first realized the market for this back in 2000 while I was working at DigitalThink, and we developed a product we called ... Read more»

Learning Outsourcing Marches Ahead: New Economics

We have always regarded the term “learning outsourcing” as a misnomer.  The very nature of a training function requires that many of the topics, programs, and solutions are outsourced – after all, training managers are expected to be able to train and support every function in the company.  How can they possibly do this without ... Read more»

Offshoring Content Development

The Trend toward Offshoring

There seems to be a stampede of U.S. companies rushing to outsource their operations to offshore companies, dramatically expanding the economies of India and China.  What is fueling the trend is the desire to gain access to lower cost, high quality labor.  Top business functions for offshoring include customer service, IT ... Read more»

Channel Sales Training Best Practices

We estimate that sales channel training alone makes up more than $6 Billion in products and services.   All product companies, from software companies to medical device manufacturers to beverage bottlers, have sales channels to train.  These “extended enterprise” sales forces must be regularly trained on new products, promotions, service and support procedures, and general selling ... Read more»

Managing Compliance Training

Compliance-related training is a very big business.   Bersin & Associates estimates that complying with regulatory guidelines accounts for as much as 30% of training-related technology expenditures.  Many technology expenditures (LMS systems in particular) have been justified simply on the basis of keeping more accurate and accessible compliance records. 

Our current research has revealed some interesting ... Read more»

Saba Acquires Centra

In the last 12 months we have seen many mergers in the learning market take place:  Oracle’s acquisition of Peoplesoft, SumTotal’s acquisition of Pathlore, Saba’s acquisition of Thinq, and KnowledgePlanet’s acquisition of KnowledgeImpact.

Why these Mergers are Occurring

In general the enterprise learning and LMS markets are maturing.   The LMS market has grown big enough ... Read more»