Chronicle

«Behind the challenge of measuring the effectiveness of e-Learning: the company’s entire strategy »

Everyone agrees on the need to measure the effectiveness of e-Learning devices. But most trainers have trouble doing so, struggling to prove performance levels. But what if the solution was to take a step back and to adopt a more global vision, putting e-Learning in its place, i.e. at the heart of the company’s strategy? This is the belief of Yann Teyssier, CEO of ITycom.

The aim of Digital Learning is to pass on knowledge. Its effectiveness therefore lies in the skills acquired, the talents developed… but also in the performance gain for the company. How can we quantify these benefits?Many players in digital training are asking themselves this question. Less than 10%(1) would be able to demonstrate the concrete impact of e-Learning on their company’s business! This is all the more surprising since a third of HR managers make digital learning their priority(2)

Identifying business-oriented KPIs is crucial

The answer to the performance-monitoring dilemma involves a global vision and the definition of indicators (KPIs) that are not only related to training, but that are business oriented, because digital training’s impact must be global, based on the company, its activities, its interactions, its organisation. KPIs focusing solely on training – out of line with business indicators and trade – transform training into a cost centre, with no return on investment !

According to the e-Learning, course, the impact can be measured through a wide variety of indicators.

Indicators related to the performance of the customer relationship – sales growth, customer satisfaction score, better use of a product or service by the customer, etc.
Indicators associated with compliance and risk management, such as legal costs, workplace accidents, and training time for new regulations.
The introduction of new and sustainable internal practices, as evidenced by indicators such as the cost of replacing skills, training time on uses, etc.
Onboarding times for the teams – a Learning Engagement Platform that can quickly establish a real training reflex with employees, who can train using content that is always up to date, interact with an expert via the platform when needed, etc.

KPIs must be identified before training

Training actors to highlight the full potential of learning, focusing on KPIs in line with the company’s strategy… Is the customer relationship the key priority? The evolution of the Net Promoter Score (NPS), following relevant training, is an indicator that is recognised by decision-makers.

Of course, using personalised KPIs means defining them upstream, combining them with the strategy and the training objectives: guaranteeing compliance with the company’s priorities and putting training at the heart of its strategy.

Finally, beyond the short- and medium-term impact of ane-Learning programme, training managers must be able to adopt a longer-term vision. This is because training is also a tool for retaining talent, developing employees and building their career path, and therefore a tool to promote employee engagement and involvement.

This is a key argument for companies, and the consultancy firm Mazars Consulting evaluated the cost of disengaged teams at more than €12,000 per year per employee !

Designer e-Learning: more partner than provider

Il est évident que la question de la mesure de l’efficacité d’un projet d’e-Learning doit être abordée très en amont de la conception. Avec son partenaire concepteur et/ou fournisseur de solutions e-Learning, l’entreprise doit échanger sur ses objectifs, sa stratégie et ses priorités. L’objectif est clair : définir précisément la stratégie de l’entreprise, qui doit être soutenue par la formation.

C’est ainsi que la solution de formation pourra être conçue pour répondre aux attentes, et que les indicateurs les plus pertinents seront identifiés. Autrement dit, le partenaire e-Learning de l’entreprise n’est pas le partenaire de la formation, mais le partenaire de l’entreprise, de ses activités, de ses ambitions.

Yann Teyssier, CEO d’ITycom