When companies invest in large-scale technology like LMS systems or other workplace software tools, they invest for the long haul. Most companies search out tools that will last them for years, even decades, so that they get the maximum benefit from their financial investment. As a CEO myself, I understand why companies want to play the long game with their technology. Financially, it makes sense.

But it’s time to re-evaluate that process.

Never before in history have we encountered such a rapid shift in the way that we work, and it’s happened in two waves. The first was the sudden, industry-wide shift to remote and hybrid work, which compressed years of change into months and forced companies to rethink tools they’d used the same way for a decade.

The second is AI, which has reset what employees expect from every piece of workplace software in an even shorter window. Together, these two shifts have changed more about how we work in the past five years than the previous twenty combined.

Most companies haven’t kept pace with either shift, let alone both. Many companies are relying on the same learning technology they adopted decades ago, leaning on legacy LMS systems to carry them through a completely different working world. These systems don’t meet the needs of modern employees, and they don’t offer the best of the resources that modern technology can offer. Companies are missing out on valuable learning opportunities that could positively impact their overall operations, and they’re only saving a few dollars in the process.

If you haven’t seriously re-evaluated your LMS in the past few years, this is that evaluation. And if you have, it may be worth evaluating it again.

It’s time to leave behind legacy LMS systems and move forward into the digital world so that your company can increase training effectiveness, optimize workplace learning, and promote employee engagement. No, this isn’t about having the newest and shiniest toy or spending money that you don’t need to spend. It really is worth it to update and invest in new technology, and this is the perfect moment to do so.

What is a Legacy LMS System?

A legacy LMS system is an older, often outdated, system used for managing and delivering online education or training programs. These systems may have limited functionality and may not be able to integrate with newer technologies or accommodate newer forms of e-learning such as mobile or social learning. They are often replaced by newer, more modern, digital LMS systems.

What Are Some Defining Characteristics of Legacy LMS Systems?

Some defining characteristics of legacy LMS systems include:

• Limited functionality: Legacy LMS systems often have a limited set of features and may not be able to accommodate newer forms of e-learning such as mobile or social learning.
• Outdated user interface: Legacy LMS systems often have an outdated user interface, which can make them difficult to navigate and use.
• Lack of scalability: Legacy LMS systems may not be able to handle large numbers of users or handle high levels of traffic.
• Limited integration options: Legacy LMS systems may not be able to integrate with other software systems or third-party tools.
• Limited support: Legacy LMS systems may not be actively developed or supported by the company, which can make it difficult to get help or resolve technical issues.
• Limited reporting and analytics: Legacy LMS systems may not have advanced reporting and analytics capabilities, making it difficult to track student progress or evaluate the effectiveness of the e-learning.
• Limited accessibility: Legacy LMS systems may not be compliant with web accessibility standards, which can make it difficult for users with disabilities to access and use the system.

It’s worth noting that not all legacy systems have all these characteristics and that some systems that are not considered legacy might have some of the above characteristics.

Where Legacy LMS Systems Stand

The signs aren’t just theoretical anymore. They show up in the data. Over 52% of LMS users point to poor integration with systems like HRIS and CRM as their biggest source of dissatisfaction. As a direct result, 37% of organizations are actively planning to replace their current platform. Nearly half of those companies want the switch done within a year, which tells you how urgent this has become for a lot of teams that thought they’d stick with their system for the long haul.

Keeping your current LMS comes with costs of its own. Replacing an outdated LMS can cut administrative costs by as much as 60%, simply because so much time goes into working around a platform’s limitations instead of running training through it.

The shift toward AI adds another layer of complexity. More than half of L&D teams are increasing their use of AI-powered tools, raising the bar for what they need from their LMS.

3 Reasons to Leave Behind Your Legacy LMS System

1. Take advantage of changes in work culture and set your team up for success

One of the biggest changes to the working world was ideological. We think of our jobs differently than we did before, and AI is accelerating that shift further. We needed to re-evaluate the way we work, and the result has been a more comprehensive, caring, and future-oriented approach to business.

Related post: Now Is the Perfect Time to Rethink Your LearnTech – Technologies That You Should Focus On

That’s why this is the critical moment to also reevaluate the tools that your company uses. Most digital tools were originally designed around a much narrower idea of how and where people work, tied to specific computers, a fixed number of seats, and a single physical network. Few imagined how drastically that idea would keep expanding, and companies that are still catching up are now facing an even bigger rush to invest in digital-first, mobile-friendly, AI-enabled work tools.

Now that we understand our needs and values more comprehensively, we can choose software that sets us up for what’s next. Learning technology is critical at any company because it impacts every part of the employee’s journey and can also reach customers, sales team representatives, and partners. Every one of these stakeholders interacts with the workplace differently now than they did a few years ago, demanding tools to keep pace with the evolving changes. Your company needs flexible mobile LMS tools that are useful beyond simple onboarding courses and can provide all stakeholders with the learning they need access to.

We have also seen employees and partners measuring every workplace tool, learning platforms included, against the AI-powered, consumer-grade apps they use every day. This expectation adds another critical requirement LMS platforms must invest in to ensure their customers are set up for long-term success.

2. The digital world of LMS means your tools are flexible and mobile-friendly

In order to move a learning and development strategy into the digital age, companies must embrace flexible, mobile-friendly tools. Legacy LMS platforms require large databases, significant amounts of computer memory, and they are hard to manage and operate. Most systems are not intuitive in design, adding a learning curve to the learning process—anyone taking a course first has to figure out how to manage the system. And now, for companies that have used the same LMS platforms for many years, many systems cannot run effectively on modern computers.

Aside from those technical dilemmas, legacy LMS platforms do not cater to the needs of modern learners. Where companies may have used training software for simple, introductory courses taken in short time frames from an in-office desk, modern learners need much more. They need to be able to take courses from any device, wherever they happen to be, and pick up a course in progress without losing their place. Even further, corporate learning has transformed into a comprehensive development strategy—it’s not just employee onboarding anymore; it’s about the employee’s whole experience. And, to make matters even more complex, employees are not the only ones who take training courses. Now, LMS platforms are used for sales teams, internal stakeholders, partners, and even customers. The learning management systems worth investing in are the ones that can be operated from a variety of locations and can be flexible for different types of learners or training initiatives.

Mobile access is no longer the differentiator it once was; it’s the baseline. Corporate mobile learning alone is now estimated at roughly $66 billion, growing at a rate above 13% a year. Platforms that can’t deliver a genuinely mobile-first experience are going to keep falling further behind what learners expect.

3. The best learning management systems are data-driven and interactive

Many legacy LMS systems require considerable input from training managers in terms of review, operation, and following up with learners. While these are natural parts of any training initiative, the difference between legacy LMS and a modern LMS system comes down to data and interactivity. Both of these LMS features serve the training manager and the learner significantly. With data-driven enterprise learning management systems, companies and training managers can monitor course progression, create new courses that meet needs, and ensure that new learning initiatives are automatically suggested to the learner. Few legacy LMS platforms have these features, and even fewer use artificial intelligence to do so.

Yes, artificial intelligence is at the forefront of this digital learning revolution because it makes the training process smarter and more efficient. For example, ExpertusONE’s learning management platform uses artificial intelligence to recommend new courses for learners so that they can upskill, gain certifications, and maintain a competitive edge. The platform gathers data about the learner and makes recommendations based on their job title, the courses their peers are taking, and the learner’s individual interests.

Related post: Employees Not Completing Training Courses? AI Is the Next-Gen Solution Boosting Engagement

Digital LMS systems are interactive in nature, unlike legacy LMS systems that require learners to stare at a screen and click through images or videos for a few hours. This is what makes the move to modernized digital training software so important—learners expect interactivity, and legacy LMS systems cannot offer it. Employees, customers, and partners now expect the same level of engagement from a training platform that they get from every other digital tool they touch during the workday, no matter where they happen to be working from. A digital LMS system meets the modern learner with interactive quizzes, polls, communication with training leaders, videos, and bonus content that gives the participant multiple opportunities to engage with the content.

This is only becoming more true going forward. More than half of L&D teams are now increasing their use of AI-powered tools in their training programs, which means the gap between legacy platforms and modern LMS systems isn’t just about the interface anymore; it’s about whether the system can keep pace with how training is actually being built and delivered as we move deeper into the AI era.

This is the perfect moment to leave behind legacy LMS platforms and move into the digital age of learntech. Companies have been using outdated training software for too long, and modern learners will not be able to glean the information and expertise they need from such systems. This is a critical moment in the world of business, and in corporate learning, it’s time to level up.

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