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Lars Hyland

CLO

Totara Learning

Buy better - a new

approach to learning

technology procurement

This is the second part of an article on the

procurement of learning technology and puts

forward a new approach that focuses on

open technology, flexibility and value

generation.

In Part One, Buy better - what's wrong with

learning technology procurement today we

looked at how the process of procurement is

failing organisations. Here, we will explore

how procurement practices need to change

to support better outcomes for businesses

looking for new technology.

Needs are changing, so should

practice

The Global Chief Procurement Officer Survey,

conducted by Deloitte in 2018, revealed that a

"clear shift in procurement focus towards

innovation and value requires an acceleration

in the pace of change, especially in

leadership, talent and innovation."

The top three business drivers for

procurement leaders are cost reduction

(78%), new products/market development

(58%), and managing risks (54%). Learning

strategy and the technology investments that

are its foundation are critical to realising these

business needs. At the same time, it's

important to understand how learning is

changing in the workplace. This will strongly

influence the choice of technology you should

be investing in.

The table summarises this shift from reactive,

'just-in-case', generic, proprietary solutions

where the vendor is in control and typically

yields the stop/restart, 'invest and stagnate'

experience described earlier.

Instead, the world of work now needs to

support 'just-in-time', continuous learning

that is proactive and differentiated to the

needs of each learner using open

technologies, where the customer is in

control and can enjoy the cumulative benefits

of an investment cycle that is adaptive by

design.

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