I always love to get reader/social media followers sending questions around our industry.
I try to do a monthly retort session, but I admit, that it isn’t always possible.
No worries, this month we cover product reviews, AI, systems that are catching my eye, the rise of HCM focused with learning and what I would have in a learning system (if I was a vendor).
Q: How do you decide which vendor are selected for a product review?
A: I would love to say it involves all these calculations and explorations and statistical forecasts and variables, but the truth of the matter comes down to interest.
Interest as in, I find this interesting and others might too.
I never accept vendors who reach out and say, “hey can you do a product review of us?”
I’m not a marketing engine or hype machine.
The vendors I select are anything from start-ups to well-known and in-between.
Perhaps they are doing some cool stuff with AI (nowadays) or stand out in a specific segment, and are not well known (for a variety of reasons) or are doing stuff that just makes you go ‘intriguing.’
I’ll be candid here that there are plenty of vendors (globally) I reach out to, that either just retort a non-interested, or they are interested and ask the process to which I respond, and then they decline.
Then there are vendors who are all-in, and then when it comes time to the metal to the pedal, place so many restrictions into place, it just isn’t worth the headache.
For example, I had one vendor who wanted me to sign an NDA forbidding me to show the system publicliy. Uh, this is a product review that is public.
I had another vendor who said I couldn’t say anything negative about the system, ignoring that it is a product review and not a Public Relations piece.
There are vendors who want to see the post before it is posted, “to review and correct from their perspective,” ignoring that the word – Indpendent means just that and in Journalism school 101 they teach you never to show a piece ahead of time.
If I have questions or seek follow-up I always reach out to the vendor ahead of time for clarification, however the usual mode of operandi is as follows:
a. I see the system – and ask a lot of questions (I have already seen in the system in the past six months, so this is more of a refresher – and seeing what is new)
b. The vendor provides me learner and admin access: and adds fake humans and fake human data, some content/courses, enough for me to generate a report and see metrics.
They are fully aware that I will take screen shots of interest more on the learner side, with some admin, plus metrics; and now with AI – I will take a mini-short video or two – to show what it can do – if it stands out: or at least a screen shot.
They are also aware that it is 100% independent and this is from my perspective, whereas I look at it from an expert angle.
Oh, and that it is completely free to them – i.e. I never charge for a product review.
That’s it.
These next few months, my goal is to do due two reviews a month if possible.
Upcoming reviews are BenchPrep, Absorb LMS, DigitalChalk, Eurekos, Pifini Sales Enablement (very new and intriguing), ExpertusOne, Pluralsight – their learning system and not content per se, BizLMS, Thrive Learning (who have quickly gone into the elite status of AI in the learning system industry), Talent LMS and Cornerstone.
I can say that before the 4th of July (in the states) you will see product reviews of BenchPrep and Pifini Sales. BenchPrep is next week (week of the 15th of June).
Then in July, Pluralsight and either Absorb or Thrive.
I’m hoping by October to have a review with Docebo.
“Thanks but no thanks”
This list includes 360Learning, Workday Learning, Chronus (a mentoring platform), Schoox, and SuccessFactors (I heard years ago, they were not enthralled about the Turkey award – but uh, yeah, it was a turkey).
I never take it personal.
There are vendors who want a shiny and rosy look (since they present themselves as such), and others who are interested but different folks come into marketing or analyst relations and a go, becomes a no or a hold.
That’s the nature of product reviews.
Q: You mentioned on a recent post that you have a believe that there will be at least one 100% learning system by the end of next year. What would that look like?
A: Well, I can explain how I see a fully AI learning system (so what you see below is my vision. I believe there will be a vendor that takes a chunk of these items or similar and goes full AI).
Regardless, the AI is the most relevant.
Let’s look at it as a blank canvas, something we are alll familiar with.
What if we allow the learner to enter into a prompt window – let’s call it an AI Assistant, which nowadays vendors are giving it a name. I’ll call mine Hippy.
A learner asks Hippy to create a background design of X,Y, and Z. Hippy creates that background for the learner, then provides suggestions such as, do you wish to add an area showing your learning courses/content?
And then offers other suggestions such as – in this area do you want it to appear horizontal, vertical, or offer you an option to choose either or at any time?
And so on.
They can add their own widgets – or sections just by asking Hippy.
They are prompted whether they want AB or C in this or that area – knowing that they can be moved around by the learner.
The learner can ask Hippy to create the learner page in German, including showing courses that are available in German, where they – the learner can select from.
And so forth.
Hippy becomes 100% personalization assistant for the learner and the days of the admin having full control, or ‘personalization’ which is nothing more than giving the learner a widget picker and maybe moving up or down, goes by the way side.
If I want the ability to add mini-videos, Hippy can create an area for that.
On the admin side Hippy can lock in certain areas and add items automatically, so going higher up, Hippy places a section for learners to add mini-videos think Tik-Tok or Instagram shorts along those lines.
If you are buying content, you want to either have a storefront in place or the catalog right there. Hippy can do that, for the admin – and then target specific learners or customers or ‘Recommended’ based upon what the learner asks Hippy – ‘Hippy show me the courses that are for MRI machine which are focused only on X in the machine, no longer than two minutes of video, and has navigation for me to move around.”
Hippy shows that.
Heck, in the customer or learner side, that same type of question can be posed, so that what the learner now sees in that personalized look, are those courses, even simulations.
Perhaps you only want to see courses that are audio only or have that option – because that is your learning preference – Hippy does that.
Nowadays if you use Spotify some tracks offer audio or video option. Why can’t content do the same?
The admin side goes further than it has before, because their is a brief setup automatically by the vendor – hence the edition side, and there is the plug and play of MCP, but that canvas’s look is open to the admin.
In onboarding the admin, the vendor recommends adding ZYTA based on the head of Training, Learning, etc. use case, including not just now, but shows them how to add as the system evolves.
Maybe I just want to generate reports on learners taking X content and whether they passed Assessment blah.
Hippy generates that – you can view it on screen, or PDF it.
Perhaps you want an area that lists all the content, that you can pick from to add to the learner, or that catalog you want the learner to see – bam.
Maybe you want Hippy to design your side based on what you find of use to you, and what you need.
Hippy can go to your calendar, and identify the courses/content.
Hippy can identify the skills you want to learn, by you asking it. And Hippy can associate it with your job role or level of interest to a potential new role.
It’s all Hippy – because in the end, learners just want to go in take some content and bolt – on the L&D side; on the customer side, if they buy it, they will go back and forth, it if it product related they will go in, and into the sections of relevancy and back and forth.
And wouldn’t it be great if the learner asks to show the mentors that are the best (rating/score wise) for a job role or skills and the system shows them who those folks are and then they can select and schedule?
Time saver city.
Admin.
In other words, as the system evolves instead of the vendor having to add visual elements that an admin may not use, Hippy can suggest or recommend the elements the admin would use or request or even based on what Hippy sees, add it to the system itself, and shows the admin how to use it.
The vendor is still adding things, showing it, and onboarding once again, but based on what Hippy sees of repetition and/or what Hippy sees is a must based on actions of the admin, it appears.
Hippy can show the admin the calendar, add learners to sesssions, create sessions, see them, etc. – all via Hippy – ask and Hippy makes it appear.
Then you can save your ‘Favorites’, and next time, Hippy show me my list of favorites – Hippy shows it on the screen.
Fast, efficient.
Hippy automatically includes the content creator option.
The admin goes into the content creator and zing – options are available – based on requests from the admin or instructional designer (going by the way side), and suggestions.
Down the road as AI improves, so does the power of Hippy.
Hippy becomes your go to in the platform.
Hippy go to the MCP store and find the one for Workday. Open it up. Type in my user name and password. Login. Test to make sure it works.
Hippy does it.
See the power of Hippy?
For folks who believe AGI (Artifical General Intelligence) whereas AI surpasses Human Brains and where you hear the fear of AI destroying humans, that is unlikely to appear to at least 2030 – just in time to destroy every data center out there.
Hey, I just saved humanity.
You are welcomed. Hippy on the other hand, has already devised how my electrical outlets will take me out the next time I plug in my laptop.
Hippy – Darn You.
Q: Do you think HCMs will replace LMSs or other types of learning platforms?
A: No. If I want training, I see zero benefit of going to an HCM.
I mean an HCM is for internal, you are not buying one to have external customer/partner training, let alone association training, and so forth.
If I am doing internal training or learning and I only want a system to do that, than having an HCM with a learning piece to it, wouldn’t make sense.
The pluses for folks who buy an HCM with learning included in it or as an add-on but it is from the HCM vendor is the ‘one-stop shop’ approach, and the ‘easy to do’ including the removal of the hassle of finding an LMS or other learning platforms.
I often see the LMS more so as the target, as it relates to an HCM, which is odd, since as I wrote about in the past, there are all types of learning systems, including various learning platforms.
The folks who are in HR usually are the buyers of an HCM, not the person overseeing Training.
As for L&D, as the buyer of the HCM, I still see HR more on that side, and L&D is now placed into the box of using the LMS or learning component within the HCM – which goes high into career paths, and other career side of the plate – as part of the learning experience.
I’m personally not sold on the idea that the next big market is HCM for learning or that learning is going to be heavily driven by HR.
I’ve heard these stories before because an HCM with learning isn’t new, nor the whole HR-focus front.
For the record a talent development system is not the same as an HCM.
They could though make a couple of steps and go into the HCM route, which will only add to the confusion.
That to me is troubling – because when I hear a vendor tell me they are focused on the HR buyer or that they are getting inquiries from the head of HR and point that way, then I have a vibe of where this is heading.
And the impact it will have on the vendor.
In the long run.
Q: What would be the top three features or capabilities you would want in a learning system today?
A:
a. AI Assistant with prompt suggestions on the learner side: ditto on Admin side – if it can allow me to add learners to a learning path with content (I just saw a system that did this, plus a lot more cool items), the better.
b. Content around AI that is included at no charge and exists automatically when the learner logs into the system – it is contatestly updated – AI literacy is going to be a big problem, and the idea that the people using it at work know the ins and outs, and the potential issues, is a huge fallacy.
If the client is using Claude, then a how to use Claude, best practices.
At least two courses around what is generative AI.
A course of mental well-being, when it comes to using AI.
And that AI issues. – Oh this should be engaging content, nobody wants a text with some pictures or a person in front of a green screen. Where is the snooze button?
c. If you are using AI the text ‘AI may create fake or false information, always review before accepting.’ Just because a product you are using doesn’t list that text, doesn’t mean you can ignore it as well.
Trust me, the moment somebody uses an AI product that lacks that text, and mess up, and it impacts the company, then when you are being sued, you can think it won’t matter.
I’m going to add a fourth – Ongoing onboarding and training refreshers for the administrators and the folks overseeing the department where the learning system or learning tech sits.
You can’t push content and the idea of go in and tada finish and you gain synthesis (which isn’t accurate), and assume (wrongly) that the onboarding session will do it all for folks to remember.
It won’t.
Bottom Line
Recently the CEO of Verizon noted that AI will be (and has already begun) to replace human workers in customer support – as in you call in.
That AI chat box and ‘Alison’ is likely not a real person but AI – forgets that just as the AI replacement, that mistakes can happen with AI – fake and false information.
I wonder if the CEO took that into account, or if any CEO that replaces humans with AI, recognizes this.
The point of it all is that AI is here to stay.
Understanding its implications, but equally how it can benefit a learner, regardless of their knowledge or skill sets around technology in a learning manner, and even managers, administrators, folks running the departments, educators and even students – needs to include knowledge that can be understood, because it changes so frequently.
What was relevant six months ago, isn’t today.
It is rapdily changing, and learning should too.
I say should, because there are plenty of people who truly don’t want it to happen.
They say they do, but then ignore everything identifying here are the opportunities, recognize the challenges, and find a way it benefits the person on the training.
Vendors are either in one box or another, and I can say this and feel confident about doing so, that you will continue to see a variance in those pushing foward – not just by adding AI to their system, but doing so – thinking from the learner side.
That’s the difference maker.
The secret sauce.
Synthesis is the game here, and whether it is a product review, or functionality or a debate between an HCM as the future of learning (it isn’t), the learner should be the driver here.
I think this is something we all can agree on.
Even Hippy.
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