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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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