How to Make A Case for Business Learning Technology

It can sometimes be difficult to convince senior management that your company can benefit from something such as learning technology. However, you may realize as you work day in and day out that the company can improve their process and productivity and see better results if they implement e-learning technology into their company structure. 

Convincing You Senior Leaders

So how exactly are you supposed to convince higher management that they should invest large sums of money into a technology solution? After all, there are budgets to keep and factors to consider. So what you will be asking of your senior management is not to be taken lightly. 

And because of such, it’s essential that you demonstrate to them the importance and value of implementing learning technology. If you want to be taken seriously and genuinely feel this solution will be an excellent investment for the organization, you must show them that you are serious about the endeavor and that they should be too. 

You can do this by building a solid business case that will look into various factors of implementation, including but not limited to budgets, benefits, value over time, uses, etc. You want to be able to answer the questions they will ask you and demonstrate that you took the time to investigate how and why learning technology would be the best investment for the company. 

Getting Started

Okay, so you have decided to build a business case to prove your point to your senior leaders, but you don't really know what a business case is or what you must include in it. Well, a business case is a comprehensive document that presents the benefit of implementing a particular project to justify the need. It consists of an analysis of the risks, costs, and value for money, as well as an action plan. 

Now that you know what a business case is, it's time to start your research. 

Since you are building a case for e-learning, you must begin looking at what value it can bring to the business, employees, and its overall training strategies. Here you can back up your findings with data and information gathered from trusted sources or case studies from learning technology companies. 

What You Should Include

As you build this business case, you should know specific key points that your managers will be looking for. Therefore it's essential that you make sure to include them in your presentation. In addition, whether the results are negative or positive, you must consider all facts to give a better view of the scope of investing in an online learning platform.

Some of the key aspects to include in your business case are:

• The current state of the employee training program and process.
• Impact on business: objectives, performance, productivity, and efficiency.
• Organizational need: Improved training, better organization, improved quality of work, and employee satisfaction and retention.
• Cost and cost savings of implementing learning technology.

Each of these includes more complex and detailed information and data that will support your case. Your analysis will look at the ins and outs of why and how an online learning platform can affect the business for the better. 

The Good, Bad, and the Ugly

Although your business case will include and cover all the benefits and good things that an online learning platform can bring to the employees and the business, you will also show the downfalls and negatives of adding a technology solution. 

Of course, the upfront cost will be of concern for the senior leaders. However, your job is to show them why the upfront cost of a learning platform will be outweighed by the cost savings of the platform for the longer term.

It is, after all, an investment, and it may take some time to see a positive return on ROI with the learning technology being put in place. The idea is to be open and honest in your findings so that a proper decision is made concerning your ask. 

Give Them Options

It's great to build up a thorough case, but it won't have the best impact unless you can provide solutions and options for your team to consider. Inform them of the different learning platforms and custom options a third-party technology partner can create. 

It is not enough to say we need to improve our employees' training with a technology solution. You must come with more evidence as to why and how it can be done. When you can not only pinpoint an area that needs improvement but also provide solutions and an action plan of how it can be changed for the better, you will build a stronger and more reliable case for your managers to consider. 

Start Building Your Case for Technology 

In truth, it won't be too difficult to build a positive case for the implementation of learning technology. And if you have been paying attention, the world is leaning more and more on technology to aid in more efficient business operations in every aspect. Businesses both big and small are understanding the value that technology can bring to their daily processes and are harnessing it to gain a competitive advantage. 

Work smarter, not harder, and why not use technology to help you get there? If you are building a business case for e-learning and development, contact us to set up a demo to see how our technology solution can bring a positive impact on your company's learning programs.