Situation
To proactively prepare for a company-wide initiative to double in size over the span of five years, the HR organization of a leading textiles company was in the middle of an HR technology transformation. A full suite HRMS cloud-based software had been purchased, minus a learning management system, and the implementation was under way. The primary goal of recruiting talent to fill new and expanded facilities was supported by the underlying goal of retaining both new and tenured talent through professional development efforts. Therefore, the procurement of a learning management system was an essential next step to the HRMS implementation in order to build a robust training and development program.
The previously selected HRMS software provider had just entered the competitive market of learning management through a recent acquisition, which raised the question as to whether their module, in its early maturity, would suit the company’s needs or if a best-of-breed approach would provide the desired level of functionality. If the latter option were to be pursued, however, the ability of both vendors to support a relatively seamless integration between the HRMS and the LMS was a critical factor. The customer needed expertise to assess integration capabilities of the HRMS and prospective LMS systems.
Solution
BusinessForward provided a Technology Selection Solution to assess vendors including the existing HRMS provider, and other top class midmarket LMS providers. The requirements were prioritized by the Manager of Organizational Development in alignment with the talent management strategies at the company. We provided the client with a comparative cost analysis scored against the percentage of integration requirements met across priority levels. In addition, we mapped the data integration flow as validated by the vendors, provided a review of each vendor’s preparedness and willingness to assist with integration setup, and presented recommendations for integration methods where multiple options were present.
The sales and technical teams of a selected set of LMS vendors was invited to review the requirements and obtain the associated cost estimates. Capability to meet the requirements was tracked for each vendor and price quotes were outlined for each component of the integration.
Results
By conducting technical integration reviews with the vendors on behalf of the client and compiling the information, we helped the client to:
- Gain a comparative perspective of available vendor integrations
- Clarify the path to establishing those integrations
- Identify one-time and ongoing costs
- Objectively weigh the complexities, benefits, and risks of integrating with a third party LMS
With preliminary integration concerns out of the way, the client is now prepared to focus their attention on a functional review of the LMS selection process when that phase of the implementation begins.