Learning and development (L&D) teams have access to more and more tools to help them design and deliver training. While it can be daunting to select from the variety of tools out there, most teams have relied on factors like price, testimonials and capabilities to make investment decisions. These are important considerations, but they are not the ones that make or break a successful tools selection and adoption. Instead, L&D teams should put three things at the top of their consideration list: tool integration, stakeholder buy-in and implementation impact.

Let’s look at each factor and how L&D teams can put them together to make better tooling decisions in the year ahead.

Tool Integration: Will it Work With Your Learning Ecosystem?

Today, L&D specialists work with a “learning ecosystem” where multiple tools must work together to create an efficient process. Understanding how a new tool will integrate with others in that process is crucial for optimizing team processes.

For example, if a team generates quiz questions with artificial intelligence (AI), does their learning management system (LMS) support uploads from a template or will someone have to manually retype each question? If teams need both written and video documentation of the same process, is there an easy way to build both at once? Does an LMS support interactive trainings built in other tools? Are reporting and trackability needs still met?

It can be helpful to map out the design process and training requirements and determine what impact a new tool will have. If it does not automate well with the other tools used and creates inefficient, manual work, it might be a good idea to look for a different tool.

Tool websites often list which software integrations are available, which seems helpful in theory. But those “integrations” can look very different within your learning ecosystem. For instance, a quiz-making tool might suggest that it “integrates” with an LMS, but in reality, it can only link to it. If what you need is a seamless tracking and reporting flow, this tool might not meet your project goals.

If it’s possible, do a free trial with the tool being sourced and use it in a typical workstream. This will help you identify technical limitations that may impact team process and efficiency in advance.

Stakeholder Buy-In: Are Decision-Makers Aligned?

Anyone who works with cross-functional teams knows the importance of getting stakeholders on the same page. This is amplified in tool-sourcing decisions as it represents a cost to the company and requires team utilization for success. Furthermore, given the number of tools available, there’s always someone in the room who thinks they could have selected a better option.

All software solutions have benefits and drawbacks. There’s rarely a “perfect” fit. The key is to make sure all stakeholders are aware of those benefits and drawbacks and have had an opportunity to weigh in.

Include stakeholders early in the sourcing conversation. Set up a kickoff meeting to come to an agreement on what problem you are trying to solve and what an ideal tool would look like. Ideally, every stakeholder should participate in a free trial and provide feedback. Stakeholders can compare and discuss the tradeoffs between tools so that they are aware of any downsides in advance.

It can also be helpful to do a quick write up of the selection process and why the selected tool was chosen. If there is turnover in positions this can be a quick and proactive way to help new key players understand why a tool was selected.

Implementation Impact: Will People Actually Use It?

Behavior change is an incredibly challenging aspect of any business decision. For every role that will be expected to use a new tool, you must ask: How does this fit in their current daily process? Is it adding more work? Is navigation intuitive? Anything involving extra clicks, a separate tool or another login could cause barriers to utilization.

Come up with a plan on what new behaviors are expected of users — and ensure they see value in adopting these new behaviors. Make sure leadership reinforces this usage and check with the vendor for features that track and promote adoption. Ideally, end users also participate in a free trial of the tool to provide feedback and usage data.

Spending money on a tool that people never use is a common but costly error.

6 Steps to Make Data-Driven Tool Decisions

These three key factors of tool selection can be incorporated into the following sourcing process:

1. Define the problem you’re trying to solve and success criteria. It is important to engage stakeholders early to ensure everyone is on the same page of what success looks like. Aligning on must-haves versus nice-to-haves from the start will make it easier to gather information and compare tools during the sourcing process.
2. Map your learning ecosystem to identify integration points. Work with team members that will be using the tool and pinpoint what technical requirements need to be in place for this tool to work well with the rest of the development process. Add these findings to your requirements list.
3. Research and compare tools. Use the analysis you have done so far to review tool websites and ask questions during demos. Also be sure to review testimonials from users and any articles that compare different tool features.
4. Trial and test with both end users and admins. Remind stakeholders of the goal of the project and the requirements initially identified. Test the tool to understand the experience for end users and admins and compare to existing work streams. The more compatible a tool is with existing behaviors, the greater the chance of successful adoption will be.
5. Collect feedback and data, then make a decision. Write up the benefits and drawbacks of each tool compared to the identified success criteria. Regroup with the stakeholders to get feedback and make a final decision. Documenting the tool comparison and selection can be used if any new stakeholders join the teams affected by this tool.
6. Plan the rollout and adoption strategy to ensure sustained use. As stakeholders have been involved in the selection process from the beginning, they are more likely to be supportive in assisting with adoption. Be sure that everyone is clear what behaviors are needed for success and how these can be supported.

A Smarter Approach to Tool Selection

Selecting a new learning tool is an exciting and challenging experience for an L&D leader. It can lead to great developments in building trainings in new and engaging ways, increases in team efficiency and skill development opportunities for L&D specialists. However, failing to consider its impact on the entire system can lead to costly issues.

Tool integration, stakeholder buy-in and implementation impact are three of the most common areas that new tools fail. Consider these factors up front to cut through the noise and make the best decision for your organization.