SumTotal Systems, a Skillsoft company and leading learning-centric talent development platform that helps complex organizations break performance barriers, has announced increased mobile app functionality, several new content connectors, and additional features that enable seamless access to learning in the flow of work.
According to them, usage data collected from the SumTotal platform revealed that COVID-19 was a key catalyst for the growing shift to mobile learning consumption. This has marked a crucial pivot for people in environments without access to desktop computers, like manufacturing facilities, as they now have more opportunities and access points to learning.
Learning has been paramount to helping employees adapt to constant change and has necessitated organizations to meet learners where they are, whether that’s at their kitchen table, in a healthcare facility, in a manufacturing plant’s break room, or working deployed on-site. Over the last year, organizations using the SumTotal mobile app have seen a 400% increase in their employees accessing mobile learning, with up to 80% of those courses completed entirely on a mobile device.
“How and where we work has irrevocably changed. At the same time, learning has quickly emerged as table stakes for keeping pace,” said Morne Swart, Vice President Global Product Strategy and Transformation, SumTotal. “With access to contextualized learning delivered at the precise moment of need, and on any device, SumTotal is empowering organizations to break barriers to learning and development, productivity, and performance.”
Throughout 2020, SumTotal conducted 18 Research & Usability studies generating feedback from more than 500 customers and over 40 design partners surrounding how customers are leveraging learning and talent development to meet their current and future needs. The resulting feedback has shaped a reengineering of the SumTotal platform along with emphasis on its mobile experience. As organizations have adjusted to working remotely or in-person at socially distanced facilities, there has been a greater call for seamless access to rich learning content delivered directly in the flow of work.
Instructor-Led Training to a Blended Learning Strategy
“In 2020, the unprecedented conditions created by the pandemic accelerated our ongoing shift from 100% instructor-led training to a blended learning strategy,” said Kyle Peavler, Vice President, Training & Development, Clean Harbors.
“The SumTotal platform afforded us the technical capabilities necessary to pursue our strategic vision for training that incorporated greater mobile learning. The onset of the pandemic provided a timely opportunity to activate our plans and enable mobile learning across our entire workforce. With more than 10,000 field-based employees, providing mobile training for our workers, particularly those with limited office time or access to a company-issued computer, has transformed our learning culture. As a compliance-driven organization, SumTotal helped us maintain our resiliency during a challenging period.”
Since July 2020, more than 75% of Clean Harbors’ employees have used the SumTotal Mobile App, completing more than 88,000 courses. The SumTotal platform served as an essential resource that enabled Clean Harbors to continue to meet stringent regulatory and safety requirements at a time when classroom learning was either unavailable or was a limited option.
Functionality Design
Aligned with Skillsoft’s purpose to deliver accessible learning technologies, SumTotal has debuted the following functionality designed to accelerate learning and skill development:
- Valuable new content integrations and partnerships: Updates to SumTotal’s App Marketplace include seamless, self-provisioning content integrations for Udemy for Business and Coursera in addition to integrations with Skillsoft Start Bundles, LinkedIn and EdX.
- Learning in the flow of work: Virtual classroom integrations with Zoom and Microsoft Teams provide a simple integration of learning in the flow of work empowering retention and application of ideas learned.
- Customized, intelligent learning programs: Organizations can now combine numerous product areas to create automated, personalized, and prescriptive learning journeys built from new and existing functionality, including continuous, 360-degree feedback, performance reviews, competency gap analysis, and development planning.
- Improved usability and experience: UX updates shaped by dozens of design partners resulted in a new configurable landing page bringing together all required training, personalized development and career plans, and talent development visibility into an engaging UI with at-a-glance metrics. Embedded video and images within continuous feedback enables organizations to provide engaging coaching and mentoring, share practice content for review, and attach credentials and certifications for outside learning course completion.
About SumTotal
SumTotal provides a unified, comprehensive learning and talent development suite that delivers measurable impact across the entire employee lifecycle. With SumTotal, organizations can build a culture of learning that is critical to growth, success, and business sustainability. Their award-winning technology provides talent acquisition, onboarding, learning management, and talent management solutions across some of the most innovative, complex and highly regulated industries, including technology, airlines, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals.
Skillsoft and SumTotal are partners to thousands of leading global organizations, including many Fortune 500 companies. The company features three award-winning systems that support learning, performance, and success: Skillsoft learning content, the Percipio intelligent learning experience platform, and the SumTotal suite for Talent Development, which offers measurable impact across the entire employee lifecycle.