Audience- HXM customers, SuccessFactors consultants, LMS (learning management system) enthusiasts, people hunting for LXP in the market and many others.
Before we delve into the discussion here are few definitions/acronyms that could help to understand the topic in a better way:
Learning management system (LMS)- It is a software application or web-based technology that provides a range of functionalities to manage, deliver, and track learning processes within organizations. It also manages user information for personalized delivery including their user profile, job functions and preferences.
Learning Experience Platform (LXP)- It’s a digital learning system designed to offer personalized learning experiences to users, often employees within organizations. LXPs use various content formats, AI-driven recommendations, and social learning features to create a tailored learning path for individuals based on their preferences, skills, and learning goals.
There are various features to assess when it comes to specific organizational learning needs. SuccessFactors learning solution is very comprehensive system. Here are some of the common features that can help us to understand whether it is really a LXP or just an LMS:
| Sno | Feature | Exists | Explanation | |
| 1 | Personalization | Create personalized learnings tailored to individual preferences, skills and learning goals | YES | With the advent of personalized recommendations (using AI/ML), new intuitive learning home page and skill-based learning powered by talent intelligence hub, SuccessFactors learning suffice the need of personalized learnings. It is required to have attribute library with skills and other required attributes in TIH(talent intelligence hub) and have learning courses mapped with skills/attributes. Growth portfolio provides the view of these earned skills and other attributes in one place. |
| 2 | Analytics and Reporting | Platform’s capabilities in tracking learning progress, generating insights, and providing detailed analytics to measure the effectiveness of learning initiatives. | YES | SuccessFactors learning has close to 130 legacy reports that cater to various aspects of learning, audit, system administration. Along with legacy reports we also have people analytics for learning where we can create modern, interactive, and intuitive reports. We can always use linking options in story reports to combine data from different areas like EC and learning on different sections in one common story report page. SAP will soon release the package of story report templates which will make it much better. |
| 3 | Integration and Compatibility | Integration with other systems or existing learning management tools | YES | SuccessFactors learning has an option to integrate with most of the widely used learning content providers like LinkedIn learning, Coursera etc and for connecting other internal learning systems there is an option to use connectors leading to one central learning system having data from all the connected systems. Above all we also have an option to use odata(webservices) in learning to view, create and update the learning records. |
| 4 | Content authorizing Tools | Platform provides tools for creating and uploading custom content, such as videos, presentations, or interactive modules. | NO | SuccessFactors learning provides options to upload and access content like images, word files, pdf, presentations, etc along with packages like SCORM and AICC but when it comes to authoring tools SuccessFactors learning does not have one. We could always use product like SAP Enable Now to create content packages or any other tool for authoring content. |
| 5 | User Interface and Experience | Platform’s interface for ease of use, navigation, and overall user experience. | YES | SuccessFactors learning has new intuitive home page and new modern Fiori UI which enhances the user experience and navigation is simple and easy. |
| 6 | Mobile Compatibility (Learning anywhere, anytime) | Platform supports mobile learning, allowing users to access content across various devices. | YES | SuccessFactors learning is also available on SuccessFactors mobile app and users can access mobile enabled courses and content from handheld devices like mobile, tabs etc. |
| 7 | Social Learning | Platform’s social collaboration tools, discussion forums, and community engagement features to facilitate peer learning and knowledge sharing. | NO | SuccessFactors learning does not have any inbuilt functionality for social learning. SAP and Microsoft expanded their partnership with new learning integrations and in near future we may be able to use Microsoft teams as a tool for social learnings integrated with SuccessFactors learning. |
| 8 | Adaptive Learning | Adaptive learning technologies that adjust content based on user performance and preferences. | YES | SuccessFactors learning supports adaptive learning by using option of objectives connected to learning items (Courses), based on learner’s preferences or evaluations content options can change dynamically. |
Final verdict– Based on all the above-mentioned points we can say SuccessFactors learning is a modern LXP which suffices most of the learning needs and with upcoming AI/ML based features like personalized recommendations, enhanced searches, Skill based learnings and integrations make it one of the best available LXPs.