Learning management

Learning management

Kendle International Inc., a pharmaceutical research company in Cincinnati,employs researchers throughout the globe who must be trained before every clinical trial. Scaling back on training to meet the constraints of a recessionary economy would compromise quality, so a new approach to providing that training was required.

The company decided to adopt online training – and embarked on a hunt for an emerging technology known as a learning management system, or LMS –software that automates the administration of online training programs.

Such systems can register users and track the courses they take; they record data on a student's progress, and can forward reports to management. In "traditional"training, this is all done by the (human) trainers. However, such software is also expensive. A typical LMS might cost several hundred thousand pounds. This means that selecting the right system is very important – if there is to be a return on that investment.

There are several factors to consider when making a choice, both in terms of the functionality offered, and the way in which the software can integrate with existing in-house systems and IT expertise. Since installation and ongoing development is likely to take a number of years, besides the product, it is important to select an effective partner/supplier.

There were at a lot of aspiring players in the LMS business two years ago– perhaps as many as 200 of them were "credible". Today, there is only half that number – but still enough to make the choice a daunting one. This shows that the still-developing industry is weeding out its weakest links. Those that are left are more likely to be around in the years to come –they are over the most dangerous start-up hurdles. So, the growing market is being supplied by fewer, mature competitors

Sherry Gevedon, Kendle's director of global training and development, and a small team of assistants spent nine weeks in 2000 interviewing more than 50 vendors. At the start of the selection process, Gevedon and her team had to make sure that top management really wanted the system and supported the move. They also had to check that the IT department could provide the necessary infrastructure to underpin the new system. They knew that they wanted to be able to customise the software and that it should be flexible enough to allow for later development. They eventually got down to a shortlist of three companies– only at this stage did price become a significant factor. Eventually,they settled on California-based Saba Software.

In May of 2001, the company went live with its "eKendleCollege", an online "corporate university" that serves hundreds of associates at 21 different domestic and international locations. In the first 15 months,associates accessed more than 5,000 online courses and there were few in-person training sessions.

As an illustration of the effectiveness of the new approach, consider this example. About 300 Kendle associates had to get up to speed on the basics of a new trial, such as its size and information about the drug. Before the advent of the LMS, they needed four two-hour training sessions. Many of the participants had to travel to receive instruction, and would spend three days in the program. The online university made it possible for all 300 employees to complete the training in a matter of hours without leaving their offices. This saves about$500,000 in travel and hotel costs alone.

Gevedon says: "The training programs now are running more efficiently than they did before, and staff development has been bolstered. And the company's savings on e-learning programs have already offset most of the investment in the LMS."