Artificial Intelligence (AI) is dominating the workforce more than ever and at a rapid pace – the rise of AI and automation is greatly redefining our future and the future of working.

A report commissioned by Google indicated only 9% of Australia’s listed companies are making sustained investments in automation, compared to 20% in the US.  While many fear AI, it should in fact be viewed as an opportunity to positively transform the workplace. Workplaces across any industry should take this opportunity to refocus on the advantages they bring such as quality learning and development, team building, human connections and skills to safeguard jobs.

According to a report commissioned by Udemy, the biggest challenge for 78% of Learning and Development (L&D) Managers is keeping their employees’ skills up to speed with change. With the rise of AI and automation being implemented in the workforce, leaders need to be quick to jump on the L&D wagon to prepare their organisation and staff for the upcoming changes.

Businesses will need to start building teams that are equipped to lead and push the boundaries  of automation to their advantage. To effectively implement the right tools to cater to your L&D needs, there are plenty of effective Learning Management Systems (LMS) in the market. However, the LMS is never one size fits all. To maximise the potential of the LMS, we need to move away from the one-dimensional programs and look at a  more human-centred approach, mapped against the business culture, team and leadership influences.

Here are 5 reasons why AI and LMS should be implemented in the workplace:

1. Boosts Productivity

LMS with personalised learning programs delivers learning tools and outcomes that can be tracked and reported which will greatly improve the efficiency and productivity of teams.  A best-of-breed LMS allows this by using an AI style rules engine drawing on rich metadata on the staff member as a result of robust integration with the HR information systems.

This approach not only helps an organisation align its objectives with its learning strategies but it also produces an effective and automated business process allowing its learning and development professionals to focus on improving the learning systems and content.

Automation provided by the LMS means they can focus on developing the system and learning, not simply serving it.  Having quality LMS systems like the one’s Androgogic use from Totara will provide better training and essentially equip a team with the right skill sets and knowledge required to work effectively and efficiently, essentially boosting productivity.

Rich metadata can be captured such as individual job roles, business unit, associated cost center data and leave status which are used by the LMS’s AI-style rules engine to automatically apply learning pathways appropriate and required for each staff member.

2. Measurable results and reporting

When investing in LMS programs and implementing changes to internal learning and development, the question organisations often ask is about return on investment. The LMS is a cloud-based system which stores information accessible to all staff and allows you to easily collate data and measure the effectiveness of the program. This data includes completion rates, engagement, time, course results and grades which will all be congregated into reports conducted by the LMS.

Not only providing quality and consistent training with a personalised approach, LMS systems are cost effective when it comes to maintaining in-house software systems.

3. Cost effective

Traditional training programs like seminars and facilitations generally require high costs like travel, printed materials, cost of program instructors, venues and other on floor expenses. Implementing a high quality LMS program delivers a resourceful tool that is readily available for employees anytime, anywhere, saving time away from the desk!

The Capterra LMS Industry User Research Report found the top reasons users selected LMS software systems was based on functionality (53%), followed by price (32%), support (5%), company reputation (3%), and software popularity (3%).

4. Deliver content instantly

Implementing LMS programs allows you to centralise training programs under one consolidated platform. Housing all your learning materials and courses in one place makes the delivery of training more convenient, allowing employees to acquire new knowledge and skills at their own pace, instantly and in a personalised way.

5. Continuous learning

In today’s era  of ongoing digital and technological advancements, employees need to be continuously upskilled, training programs need to be incessantly evolving and engaging. A Careers and Learning report commissioned by Deloitte indicated 83% of employees say job training is important to them and push for their organisations to shift to flexible, open career models that offer enriching assignments, projects, and experiences rather than a static career progression.

Having the LMS system readily available allows for a more flexible workplace where employee development, learnings and growth are core. Importantly, training provided with LMS systems  increases employee satisfaction.

By Alexander Roche Founder and Principal Educational Technologist for online learning infrastructure and services company Androgogic servicing Higher Education, VET, K12, corporate and government markets with over 1 million learners on Androgogic hosted systems.