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May 6, 2013

What Agile Technology Means for the Future of Learning Software

Alan Young

Fundamental trends such as Social, Mobile, Cloud, and Big Data are now blurring the difference between personal and professional use of technology, and are a part of the standard vocabulary found within today’s society. An IDC research study, (IDC Predictions 2013: Competing on the 3rd Platform,November 2012), states that “2013 IT spending will exceed $2.1 trillion, up 5.7% from 2012,” due to Mobile, Cloud, Social and Big Data technologies. “Nexus of Forces,” an independent research firm term, has even been used by some to describe how the integration of these technology pillars will come to influence our way of life.

And technology isn’t the only thing that’s being redefined. Much of today’s workforce is of the millennial generation (18-32), which require a new form of message consumption and learning. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the civilian, non-institutional labor force will reach 164 million in 2020 in the United States. Of these future workers, 8%, or almost 14 million, are members of the Internet Age.

Millennials will not only redefine learning as we know it, but will require an increased demand for technology that can deliver relevant and timely content more concisely. In fact, it is this highly contextual, yet individualized learning, which enables today’s workers to develop, sustain, and increase their productivity.

So, what exactly does this mean for the future of learning software?

In less than a decade, the learning requirements and paradigms demanded by the working population will be vastly different than those that existed in the previous generation. Software companies looking to deliver products and solutions to solve simple or complex business problems will need to make their employee learning solutions more granular, while adapting to the business context of timing, depth, and form. The following are several tips to remember when implementing agile learning technology into your business:

Faster Learning Leads to Faster Software Adoption

All software companies develop solutions with the employee in mind, in hopes that their products will be adopted by a variety of businesses. In order to do so, these businesses must look to adopt agile employee learning solutions, which train workers in a quick and efficient way.

Content management and performance support features assist with avoiding the “shelf effect,” by providing employees with the tools needed to quickly comprehend new software and onboard these solutions into their businesses. They also provide software companies with a more efficient business process as well as a clearer identification of internal roles to gain client trust, thus increasing user adoption. 

Cloud Learning Increases Worker Productivity

Believe it or not, future learning technologies will no longer be based on server documents, but accessible via the Cloud. This type of learning is ideal as it permits mobile accessibility, while allowing workers to ask pertinent questions, edit content, and deliver documents on-the-go, no matter the location.

Cloud learning can also be integrated with social business sites, such as Yammer and other solutions enabling employee collaboration and alignment. With this tool, workers can quickly and efficiently relay important information, share documents and make last-minute revisions, providing additional time to jump start on other assignments.

Knowledge Preservation & Substance is Key

Relevant and timely content is the “new norm” as millennials no longer have the learning capacity or bandwidth to read 50 page documents and extract key information. Software companies should look to avoid this knowledge “vacuum,” by delivering vital materials in a way that is concise and succinct, while enabling self-organization and management through non-intrusive learning.

Let’s take gamification as an example. This technology provides entertainment-based learning and knowledge retention for millennials, while providing vendors, brands, and manufacturers with a creative way to drive efficiency and performance across their business sectors. According to a 2012 white paper by Deloitte, “[gamification] will be in 25 percent of redesigned business processes by 2015 and will grow to a more than a $2.8 billion business by 2016.”

Gamification has become so efficient that companies are even starting to use common video-game techniques such as points, badges, and leader boards to make their websites more interactive and to reward people for their contributions. Videos and graphics also help to create captivating, interactive content, delivering the same information in half the time.

Maintain Resource Management & Cross-Office Collaboration

Future learning software must have the capacity to create a culture that enhances a business’s internal execution, productivity, and collaboration. Software companies can utilize agile technology features, such as dashboard reporting, to track critical news and developments from internal and external teams both globally and nationwide.

Translation features are also equally important as they enable workers to create, revise, and share content with a variety of project teams, no matter the language, time-zone or location. This in turn, creates a more collaborative learning culture that’s aligned with the overall business mission and strategy.

The development and delivery strategy of future technology must fully embrace and adapt to this societal evolution. Agile software development strategies combined with the right awareness and visibility into the customer’s wants and needs makes this possible. By embracing this evolution, software companies will be positioned to deliver sophisticated and adaptable productivity tools and skills for future and present learners and will become more nimble, responsive, and visionary to better service their clients.

Author Bio:

Alan Young is the Chief Technology Officer at ANCILE Solutions. He has more than 20 years of experience with enterprise business applications and infrastructure management companies and is responsible for all aspects of ANCILE’s technology strategy including: technology roadmap definition; product portfolio strategy and deliverables; new product research; and providing technology vision to the analyst, partner, and customer communities.

 

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