We also look at how you can leverage an LMS to track on-the-job training alongside elearning, and how we helped a high-profile client – Joby – to do exactly that in the high-consequence fields of both aviation and manufacturing.

In highly regulated industries, knowing the theory is rarely enough. Employees may need to demonstrate that they can apply procedures correctly, use specialist equipment safely and perform critical tasks under real working conditions.

This makes on-the-job training, often shortened to OJT, an essential part of workforce development. It also creates challenges that do not arise when training is delivered entirely through classroom sessions or elearning courses.

Organisations need to know not only whether someone has completed a course, but also whether they have been observed performing a task, who assessed them, which procedure was followed, whether the assessor was authorised and when the employee will need to be reassessed.

For organisations operating in areas such as aviation, manufacturing, healthcare and construction, these records may eventually need to withstand an internal investigation, customer review or regulatory audit.

A modern learning management system like the Totara Learn LMS can provide the structure needed to manage this more complex training environment. When configured around an organisation’s operational requirements, an LMS can bring formal learning, practical assessments, competency records and compliance reporting together within one auditable system.

What is on-the-job training?

On-the-job training is learning that takes place while an employee performs, practises or observes tasks within the real working environment.

Depending on the role, it may include:

• Shadowing an experienced employee
• Practising a procedure under supervision
• Operating machinery or specialist equipment
• Completing a practical demonstration
• Following a checklist or standard operating procedure
• Responding to a simulated workplace incident
• Being observed by a qualified assessor
• Receiving coaching and corrective feedback
• Demonstrating competence over several shifts or assignments
• Having practical skills formally signed off

OJT is particularly important where competence cannot be established through a written assessment alone. A learner might understand the correct sequence for inspecting a component, administering a treatment or operating a piece of equipment, but employers still need evidence that the person can perform the procedure safely and consistently.

Why managing OJT is more complex than managing conventional training

Classroom training and elearning generally follow a relatively predictable process. A learner is enrolled, attends a session or completes a course, takes an assessment and receives a completion record.

On-the-job training is more variable.

It may take place across multiple locations, involve different supervisors and require several observations before competence can be confirmed. The learner may need to complete prerequisite training, work under restrictions until authorised and repeat part of the process when equipment, regulations or procedures change.

Several additional questions therefore need to be answered (use these as a checklist):

• What practical task was completed?
• Where and when did it take place?
• Which version of the procedure was used?
• Who supervised or assessed the learner?
• Was that person qualified to carry out the assessment?
• What evidence was collected?
• Did the learner demonstrate full competence?
• Were any gaps or corrective actions identified?
• Is further supervised practice required?
• When does the authorisation or certification expire?

Without a structured system, answers can become dispersed across paper forms, spreadsheets, emails, local databases and individual managers’ records. This makes it difficult to obtain a reliable organisation-wide view of competence.

Managing OJT with audit trails in mind

In a regulated environment, recording that training “happened” is not enough. The organisation needs an audit trail that shows how competence was developed, assessed and approved.

A strong OJT audit trail should connect the employee to a specific task, assessor, standard, date and outcome. It should also retain any relevant evidence and show subsequent changes to the record.

Version control

Procedures change as equipment is upgraded, regulations evolve and organisations improve their working methods.

Training records should therefore identify which version of a procedure, checklist or competency framework was used during an assessment. Otherwise, an employee may appear qualified even though their training relates to an obsolete process.

When a significant change is introduced, the organisation may need to identify affected employees automatically and assign refresher training or reassessment.

Assessor competence

The credibility of an OJT record depends partly on the person approving it.

Organisations need to control who can assess particular tasks and confirm that evaluators hold the necessary qualifications, experience or internal authorisation. Their own certifications may also have expiry dates.

A suitable system should prevent, flag or report assessments carried out by people whose evaluator status is missing, inappropriate or no longer current.

Evidence of practical competence

Different tasks require different forms of evidence. A simple observation and digital sign-off may be sufficient for one activity, while another could require:

• A completed assessment checklist
• Written comments from the evaluator
• Photographs or documents
• Multiple successful observations
• Evidence collected on different shifts
• A final supervisor approval
• Remedial actions following an unsuccessful attempt

These records should remain connected to the learner’s training history rather than being stored separately.

Clear status definitions

Completion and competence are not always the same thing.

A learner may have completed the knowledge component of a programme but still be awaiting practical observation. Another employee may be permitted to work only under supervision, while a fully qualified colleague can work independently or assess others.

Useful status categories might include:

• Not started
• Theory training in progress
• Awaiting supervised practice
• OJT in progress
• Assessment required
• Further development required
• Competent under supervision
• Fully competent
• Authorised assessor
• Certification approaching expiry
• Reassessment required

These distinctions provide managers with a much more accurate picture than a simple completed or incomplete label.

Record retention

Training evidence may need to be retained for several years, including after an employee changes role or leaves the organisation.

Retention requirements will vary by industry, jurisdiction and type of record. The organisation should therefore define how long different forms of training evidence are kept, who can access them and how records are protected from inappropriate alteration.

Why classroom training alone is not sufficient

Classroom learning can be valuable for introducing regulations, explaining procedures and enabling discussion with an instructor. However, it cannot always demonstrate that a learner can perform a physical or operational task.

A classroom assessment may confirm that someone knows what they are supposed to do, but not that they can do it correctly under workplace conditions.

Practical competence can depend on factors such as:

• Using equipment confidently
• Following a procedure in the correct sequence
• Recognising hazards in the real environment
• Communicating with colleagues
• Responding to unexpected situations
• Maintaining accuracy under time pressure
• Applying judgement where a situation is not clear-cut

These capabilities need to be observed rather than inferred from attendance at a course.

Why elearning alone is not sufficient

Elearning is highly effective for delivering consistent information, preparing employees for practical activities and checking their understanding.

It can help learners understand safety rules, equipment, processes and decision-making before they enter a live working environment. Simulations and scenarios can also provide valuable opportunities to practise judgement without creating operational risk.

However, online training cannot fully replace practical experience where employees must interact with real machinery, patients, vehicles, materials, tools or workplace conditions.

The strongest approach is often blended learning:

1. Elearning introduces the required knowledge.
2. An assessment checks understanding.
3. The learner observes an experienced colleague.
4. The learner practises under supervision.
5. A qualified evaluator observes performance.
6. Evidence and feedback are recorded.
7. Competence is approved or further development is assigned.
8. Refresher training and reassessment are scheduled where required.

The challenge is making sure these stages form one connected training journey rather than a collection of disconnected activities.

Industries where OJT is essential

Manufacturing

Manufacturing employees may need to operate machinery, follow production processes, inspect components, handle hazardous materials and respond to equipment failures.

Although elearning can explain operating principles and safety requirements, practical competence must usually be demonstrated on the relevant equipment.

Manufacturers may also need to manage different requirements for individual sites, production lines, products and job roles. Changes to machinery or standard operating procedures can create an immediate need for retraining.

An LMS for manufacturing can help connect role-specific learning with practical competency records, certifications and detailed reporting.

Aviation and aerospace

Aviation is an especially high-consequence environment. Employees may work with complex aircraft systems, maintenance procedures, production processes and tightly controlled documentation.

Small deviations can have significant consequences, making consistent evaluation and reliable evidence particularly important.

Training teams may need to track practical tasks across sites, control evaluator permissions, manage changing procedures and demonstrate a clear line of accountability from training assignment to final authorisation.

Related: read another case study for this sector – an award-winning LMS for JetBlue Airways.

Construction and engineering

Construction workers frequently need to demonstrate competence in the use of tools, vehicles, lifting equipment and specialist machinery. They may also need practical training in working at height, confined spaces, isolation procedures or emergency responses.

The workforce can be spread across temporary sites and may include employees, agency workers, contractors and subcontractors. This makes it difficult to maintain a current view of who is qualified to perform each activity.

Mobile access and centralised competency records can help managers verify training before assigning people to safety-critical work.

Healthcare and social care

Healthcare professionals must apply knowledge while working with patients, equipment and clinical procedures.

OJT may cover activities such as infection control, medication processes, use of medical equipment, moving and handling, safeguarding and emergency response. Competence may need to be observed several times and approved by an appropriately qualified practitioner.

The system also needs to accommodate different professions, departments, locations and scopes of practice while protecting sensitive information.

Medical devices and life sciences

Employees working with medical devices, pharmaceuticals and other life science products may need practical training in production, inspection, documentation, quality control and equipment use.

Training must often align with controlled procedures and quality management systems. When a procedure changes, organisations need to determine who is affected and provide evidence that the new version has been understood and applied.

Related: read our case study for leading MedTech company, Medtronic.

Energy and utilities

Energy workers may operate in high-risk environments involving electrical systems, hazardous substances, heavy equipment and remote infrastructure.

Practical authorisation can depend on role, location, equipment type and previous experience. Some tasks require periodic reassessment, while others may only be performed under specific supervision.

Transport and logistics

Drivers, warehouse employees, maintenance teams and ground operations staff all perform tasks that cannot be mastered through theory alone.

Practical training may cover vehicle inspections, loading, manual handling, hazardous goods, warehouse equipment, route procedures and incident response. Organisations need to connect these assessments with licence information, certifications and role permissions.

Food production and processing

Food manufacturers must train employees to follow hygiene, allergen, quality and production procedures consistently.

Elearning can communicate the rules, but supervisors may still need to observe whether employees wash, handle, clean, record and respond correctly within the production environment.

How a modern LMS can support on-the-job training

Many LMS platforms were originally designed around online course completion. Highly regulated organisations need a broader learning environment capable of tracking knowledge, experience, observation and competence.

A flexible platform such as Totara Learn LMS can be configured and extended to support blended programmes in which elearning and OJT contribute to the same learning record.

Role-based learning pathways

Employees can be assigned different training requirements according to their role, department, location, equipment or level of responsibility.

A pathway might combine:

• Online induction
• Compliance courses
• Classroom sessions
• Reading assignments
• Supervised practice
• Practical observations
• Manager approval
• Certification
• Scheduled reassessment

This gives learners and managers a clear view of what has been completed and what still needs to happen.

Prerequisite management

The LMS can help ensure that employees complete the required knowledge or safety training before beginning a practical activity.

For example, an employee might need to pass an online assessment before being eligible for supervised equipment training. They may then need to complete several observations before being authorised to work independently.

Digital observations and sign-offs

Supervisors can record practical assessments digitally instead of relying on paper forms or separate spreadsheets.

Depending on the configuration, they may be able to select an outcome, complete a checklist, add comments, upload evidence and approve the learner’s competency record.

Evaluator controls

Permissions can be used to determine which evaluators are allowed to assess specific competencies, teams or locations.

The organisation can also track the evaluator’s own training status and qualifications, helping to establish confidence in the assessment process.

Competency frameworks

Practical tasks can be mapped to role-based competency frameworks.

This makes it possible to see whether an employee is ready for a particular responsibility, identify gaps across a department and plan development for future roles.

Automated reminders and recertification

Where a practical qualification expires, the LMS can issue reminders and assign refresher activities or reassessment.

Managers can see upcoming expiries before they affect workforce availability, rather than discovering the problem when an employee is due to begin a task.

Dashboards and exception reporting

Managers do not always need another long completion report. They need to know where intervention is required.

Useful dashboards can highlight:

• Employees awaiting practical assessment
• Overdue observations
• Unsuccessful assessments
• Qualifications approaching expiry
• Learners working under supervision
• Teams with competency gaps
• Employees affected by a procedural change
• Assessors whose qualifications are expiring

This exception-based approach helps managers concentrate on risk.

Integration with HR and operational systems

Employee records can change frequently as people join, move between roles, transfer sites or leave the organisation.

Connecting the LMS with an HR system can automate enrolments and keep organisational information current. In some environments, learning records may also need to connect with quality, workforce planning or operational systems.

Audit-ready reporting

A well-configured LMS can provide a consolidated record showing:

• What training was assigned
• What the learner completed
• Which practical tasks were observed
• Who carried out the assessment
• When the assessment took place
• Which standard or procedure applied
• What evidence was collected
• Whether competence was approved
• When reassessment is due

This supports internal governance and makes it easier to respond to audits, customer enquiries and regulatory reviews.

Webanywhere’s compliance training LMS solutions are designed to help organisations automate and manage training, certification and recertification within a scalable learning environment.

Joby Aviation: managing OJT through Totara LMS

Joby Aviation is developing electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and operates in a fast-moving aerospace environment where operational readiness and technical competence are critical.

As its technical operations scaled, Joby needed a more structured, accountable and traceable system for managing on-the-job training.

Its requirements included the ability to:

• Track hands-on training across different locations and teams
• Standardise how technical competencies were evaluated
• Manage version control as procedures evolved
• Control and monitor evaluator qualifications
• Track learner progress
• Maintain reliable audit trails for compliance and accountability

Webanywhere worked with Joby’s learning and development team to implement Totara LMS and enhance it with a custom-developed OJT plugin.

The resulting solution provides a clearer, centralised view of training for both compliance and workforce performance. It brings Joby’s elearning and practical training into a blended learning environment aligned with real operational requirements.

Read the full Joby Aviation on-the-job training case study.

Why custom LMS development can be important for OJT

Every organisation has its own definition of competence.

The number of observations required, assessment criteria, evaluator roles, approval stages and supporting evidence can vary considerably. Highly specialised organisations may find that the standard functionality of an off-the-shelf LMS does not reflect their operational process.

Custom development can bridge the gap between a general learning platform and the way work is actually carried out.

This might involve creating:

• Bespoke observation forms
• OJT workflows
• Evaluator dashboards
• Digital competency sign-offs
• Evidence-upload functionality
• Supervisor approval stages
• Role-specific status definitions
• Connections with controlled procedures
• Specialist reports
• Integration with operational systems

The objective should not be to reproduce an inefficient paper process digitally. It should be to create a controlled, usable workflow that improves visibility while reducing unnecessary administration.

Good practices for implementing an OJT management system

Start with the operational process

Before configuring the technology, map how employees currently move from initial learning to supervised practice and independent authorisation.

Identify where evidence is created, who approves each stage and what happens when an employee does not yet meet the required standard.

Define competence clearly

Assessment criteria should be observable and specific. Terms such as “understands the process” can be interpreted differently by different evaluators.

Where possible, define what successful performance looks like and what evidence is required.

Separate course completion from authorisation

Completing a learning activity should not automatically grant permission to perform a safety-critical task.

The system should distinguish between knowledge completion, supervised practice, demonstrated competence and formal authorisation.

Standardise without removing professional judgement

Checklists can improve consistency, but evaluators may also need space to record context, feedback and concerns.

The system should support informed professional judgement while ensuring that essential criteria are always addressed.

Make the process accessible at the point of work

Supervisors are less likely to record assessments promptly if they have to return to an office, locate a spreadsheet or complete a complicated administrative process.

Mobile-friendly workflows can allow observations to be recorded closer to the point at which they take place.

Plan for unsuccessful assessments

A learner who does not yet demonstrate competence should not simply receive a failed status.

The system should support feedback, further practice, corrective actions and reassessment while retaining the history of the earlier attempt.

Review reports with operational managers

Learning and development teams should work with operational, compliance and quality leaders to define the reports they need.

This ensures the LMS provides information that supports workforce decisions rather than only reporting course completion rates.

Building an audit-ready blended learning environment

On-the-job training is essential wherever employees must translate knowledge into safe and reliable performance.

In highly regulated industries, managing this training requires more than paper sign-offs or isolated spreadsheets. Organisations need to control prerequisites, procedures, assessors, evidence, competency status, certification and reassessment while maintaining a complete audit trail.

A modern LMS can provide the central structure for this blended approach. With the right configuration and custom development, it can connect elearning, classroom activities and workplace assessment within one coherent record.

As demonstrated by Webanywhere’s work with Joby Aviation, extending Totara LMS with functionality designed specifically for OJT can give organisations greater visibility over technical competence, compliance and operational readiness.

Learn more about Totara Learn LMS from Webanywhere, explore Webanywhere’s manufacturing LMS solutions or discover how an LMS can support compliance training and certification management.

Could we help you with a custom solution to manage on-the-job training? Contact us at Webanywhere.

The post Managing On-the-Job Training in Highly Regulated Industries appeared first on Webanywhere.

If you’re looking into open source versus other types of LMS software, you should understand what makes this kind of platform a beneficial choice for your organisation. And you should know that there is no such thing as a “free” LMS – but that there are distinct advantages to choosing open source.

Open source LMS: a community affair

The core to any open source LMS is a vast community of developers, ready to update and modify the software to fix errors and make improvements. The meaning of open source is that anyone is guaranteed the right to access the source code and use, reuse and redistribute the software with no royalty costs.

The source code of the LMS application can be downloaded and modified by any software developer. Because the open source model means that any developer can contribute to the source code, companies adopting the software will be harnessing their collective knowledge and expertise.

Popular open source Learning Management Systems include Totara Learn for corporations, ATutor, OpenOLAT and ILIAS.

The real key to open source LMS is that the software evolves quickly to keep up with the changing environment of eLearning trends, processes and technology. The peer review process ensures that quality and security is constantly updated by a large number of developers.

With open source LMS, there is no initial outlay on licencing costs – but you do need to consider the cost of implementation and customisation as well as ongoing support.

Benefits of open source LMS

So, now that you know what open source LMS is all about, it’s time to look at the benefits of choosing this type of learning platform over proprietary systems.

Endlessly Customisable

Whatever themes or styles you need to suit your corporate branding, you can customise your open source LMS to match. The only limitations are with the capabilities of the designer – you are free to choose the look and feel that you require.

Intuitive Interface

Because of the collaborative way the system is designed, you’ll find open source LMS is exceptionally user friendly.

Flexible

You choose which features you require, and build those as and when you need them. You can work with a third party to develop the system to your specifications if you can’t (or won’t) develop in-house. Additionally, you are not locked-in to one vendor – meaning you are free to switch when you need to.

Cost Saving

There are no licencing fees or subscription costs, and you won’t pay any upgrade charges (licences typically costs between $15-100 per user). Learn more about the pros and cons of open source versus proprietary LMS here.  New functionality is free to use.

Stable & Secure

Thousands of developers access the core so bug fixes, security releases and features upgrades happen continuously.

Real-time, Real-world.

Additional features that are developed by the open source community are available as plugins, making the system user-friendly with excellent functionality tested in the real world.

Access to Expertise

You will access a vast amount of expertise in using the open source platforms as they are used by millions all over the world. Proprietary systems are much more limited in terms of number of users.

Things to consider when adopting Open Source LMS

There are always pros and cons when you are making any choice about software, and people have varying opinions about whether proprietary or open source is best for them. There are some things to consider when you adopt open source LMS – and you want to go into any implementation with your eyes open.

• You need to adapt to the new features. The constant stream of new elements is a bonus in terms of functionality, but you will need to work with your processes and administrators to implement them.
• It’s free to adopt the software – but you will incur costs for hosting. You may choose that it is more cost-effective to choose to outsource the hosting element to experts.
• Costs of customisation – you’ll need expertise in-house, or you’ll need to outsource. You’ll need developers to build, host and maintain an open source LMS.
• There may be additional uncertain support and maintenance costs with LMS that you hadn’t considered. You may be able to agree those in advance with a proprietary provider – meaning there is an element of risk in open source (although you are unlikely to end up paying more).

Open source LMS: flexible, customisable and future-proof

If you want an LMS that can be custom-built to your specifications, but without being bound to one provider for the long-term, then open source offers a flexible solution.

You’ll need to be able to adapt to the regular updates, but if you are ready to work with the flexibility, then you’ll benefit from upgrades and new features that will constantly improve the system.

Open source Learning Management systems are used and managed by experts operating in real-time, and implementing updates to respond to the changing eLearning landscape. You, as an organisation, will benefit from a huge knowledge base, meaning you get a system that is dependable, but customisable to your exacting specifications.

Webanywhere is a global provider of Learning Management solutions. We are a Platinum Partner with Totara Learn and can provide a fully comprehensive Totara solution. We offer custom configuration as well as training and support. Visit our Contact page to talk to us about realising the benefits of open source LMS.

The post What is an Open Source Learning Management System (LMS)? appeared first on Webanywhere.

Across workplaces, staff are already using AI tools to write emails, summarise meetings, generate reports and answer questions. But inside learning and development teams, a bigger question is emerging:

What happens when AI is used not just to consume information, but to create and share knowledge across an organisation?

That was the focus of a recent webinar hosted by Totara where speakers explored how AI functionality inside the platform could help organisations move beyond traditional top-down learning models.

The message was clear: the future of workplace learning may depend less on creating more courses, and more on unlocking the expertise that already exists inside businesses.

The bottleneck facing learning teams

For years, most workplace learning has followed the same pattern.

A central L&D team creates courses. Staff complete them. Updates are requested. Compliance changes arrive. New training needs appear. The cycle repeats.

The problem is scale.

Many learning teams are small, stretched and constantly reacting to new demands. Valuable expertise often sits elsewhere across the organisation – with engineers, managers, sales teams, healthcare professionals or frontline staff – but turning that knowledge into structured learning has traditionally taken time.

As one speaker explained during the session:

“We don’t really have a knowledge problem. We have a capture and sharing problem.”

That challenge has become even more visible as organisations move faster and information changes more frequently.

Instead of waiting for formal training, employees often turn to colleagues directly through messaging platforms, informal chats or shared documents. While effective in the short term, this creates new pressures on experienced staff and makes knowledge difficult to scale consistently.

AI as a “co-pilot”, not a replacement

One of the strongest themes throughout the webinar was that AI is not being positioned as a replacement for learning teams.

Instead, the technology is being presented as a support tool – helping subject matter experts contribute knowledge more quickly and confidently.

Inside the Totara Learn LMS, AI tools can assist users in generating draft content, summarising long passages, creating knowledge checks and even producing supporting imagery.

The idea is simple.

Someone with expertise may not have the time, confidence or writing ability to build polished learning materials from scratch. AI can reduce that friction by turning a blank page into a starting point within seconds.

Rather than expecting L&D teams to create everything themselves, organisations can begin enabling contribution at scale.

Turning learners into creators

The webinar repeatedly returned to a broader shift in mindset.

Traditionally, learners consume content.

But AI opens the possibility for learners to become contributors as well.

That could mean:

• Sharing practical insights
• Creating quick resources
• Building draft learning materials
• Improving existing content
• Generating summaries or quizzes

In practice, this changes the role of the learning team.

Instead of acting solely as content creators, L&D professionals increasingly become facilitators, reviewers and quality managers – helping shape and govern learning created across the organisation.

The speakers argued that this approach could lead to faster knowledge sharing and more relevant learning experiences because the information comes directly from people applying it in real-world situations.

Faster content creation

One demonstration during the webinar showed how AI tools inside Totara can generate draft learning content from short prompts.

Users can ask the platform to create introductory material, expand ideas, summarise text or rewrite sections in different styles.

The aim is not necessarily to publish AI-generated text untouched.

Instead, the generated content acts as a first draft – something experts can refine, improve and personalise.

For many organisations, that could significantly reduce the time required to create or update learning resources.

This becomes particularly important in areas such as:

• Compliance training
• Policy updates
• Product knowledge
• Operational procedures
• Healthcare guidance
• Technical documentation

Where information changes regularly, speed matters.

Knowledge checks and engagement

Another feature highlighted was AI-assisted “knowledge checks”.

Users can upload documents or text-based resources, and the platform can automatically generate quizzes or understanding checks based on the material.

The purpose is less about formal assessment and more about reinforcing learning and encouraging engagement.

It also provides organisations with a lightweight way of confirming whether employees have interacted with key information – something increasingly important in regulated industries.

A wider change in workplace learning

Perhaps the most significant takeaway from the session was not the technology itself, but what it represents.

For years, organisations have struggled to scale internal knowledge effectively.

AI may finally offer a practical way to lower the barrier between expertise and learning.

If implemented carefully, that could help businesses:

• Share knowledge faster
• Reduce pressure on L&D teams
• Capture expertise before it is lost
• Encourage collaborative learning
• Keep training more up to date
• Increase learner engagement

There are still questions around governance, quality control, privacy and accuracy. Even the webinar speakers stressed the importance of human oversight.

But the direction of travel is becoming increasingly clear.

The organisations that succeed with AI learning tools may not simply be the ones creating more content.

They may be the ones that make it easiest for people to share what they already know.

Want to leverage AI for workplace learning? Contact us at Webanywhere for an informal discussion about your needs and goals.

The post How AI is Changing Workplace Learning on Totara appeared first on Webanywhere.

Organisations today face a growing challenge: they need to deliver effective workforce training at scale while also meeting regulatory requirements, maintaining accurate training records, and supporting employee development across multiple locations.

This is why many enterprise organisations choose the Totara Learn LMS as their learning platform. Designed specifically for business use rather than academic environments, Totara combines flexibility, compliance management, and scalability in a way few LMS platforms can match.

However, the success of any LMS implementation depends heavily on the partner delivering it. Because Totara is implemented through a global partner network rather than sold directly in most markets, choosing the right partner is critical.

For organisations in English-speaking countries such as the UK and the United States, Webanywhere stands out as one of the most experienced and capable Totara partners, with a track record of delivering complex enterprise learning platforms for global brands.

Why Totara Learn is built for business training

Unlike many LMS platforms that focus primarily on course delivery, Totara Learn is designed to support the full lifecycle of workforce development.

It allows organisations to create structured learning journeys linked to job roles, competencies, and organisational goals. Learning plans can be tailored to departments, regions, or career pathways, while built-in competency frameworks help ensure that training translates into measurable performance improvements.

Totara’s flexibility also allows organisations to integrate the LMS into their wider business systems, including HR platforms, CRM tools, and performance management software. This ensures learning is embedded into everyday business processes rather than sitting in isolation. Totara’s customisable learning plans, reporting tools, and competency tracking features make it particularly suited to enterprise environments with complex structures.

Because of this business-focused design, Totara is widely used by organisations that need to support onboarding, professional development, extended enterprise training, and global workforce capability programmes from a single platform.

A great LMS for compliance and regulated industries

One of Totara Learn’s biggest strengths is its ability to support compliance training and certification management.

The platform allows organisations to track training completion, manage certification cycles, and store detailed training records in a single system. This makes it easier to demonstrate compliance during audits, while also ensuring employees stay up to date with mandatory training requirements.

Totara can function as a central training record system, capturing everything from online learning to classroom activity and external certifications. This gives organisations a reliable single source of truth for workforce training data, improving both governance and reporting accuracy.

These capabilities make Totara particularly attractive for sectors such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, aviation, and retail, where organisations must prove workforce competence and maintain detailed audit trails.

Delivered through a trusted global partner network

A key difference between Totara and many LMS vendors is its partner-led delivery model.

Instead of selling directly, Totara works with specialist partners who implement, customise, host, and support the platform for clients. This approach ensures organisations benefit from local expertise, industry knowledge, and ongoing consultancy rather than a one-size-fits-all deployment.

Choosing the right partner therefore becomes just as important as choosing the platform itself.

For organisations operating in the UK, US, or internationally, Webanywhere is one of the most established partners in the Totara ecosystem.

Why Webanywhere could be the best Totara partner for the UK, US and English-speaking countries worldwide

Webanywhere is a Platinum Totara partner with offices in the UK, US and mainland Europe, enabling us to support both regional and international LMS deployments. Our teams provide consultancy, implementation, custom LMS and plugin development, and ongoing support for organisations across multiple sectors.

With more than 15 years of experience delivering learning technology and supporting millions of learners worldwide, Webanywhere has the infrastructure and expe

rtise needed to manage large-scale LMS programmes across multiple countries.

This makes us particularly well suited to organisations with global training needs or complex workforce structures.

Proven success with major organisations in the US

One of the strongest demonstrations of Webanywhere’s Totara expertise is work with JetBlue Airways in the United States.

Webanywhere developed a custom Totara-based platform called MyDegree to power the airline’s JetBlue Scholars education programme. The system aggregates approved learning providers, tracks degree progress in real time, and supports mentoring relationships between learners and success coaches.

The platform delivered measurable results, including:

• reduced educational assistance costs
• improved administrative efficiency
• higher employee engagement and retention

The project was recognised with a Brandon Hall Gold Award for excellence in learning technology delivery, highlighting Webanywhere’s ability to build innovative enterprise solutions on the Totara platform.

Webanywhere has also supported a range of US and international organisations including Texas Instruments, Dollar General, Joby, and Apollo Education Group, demonstrating our ability to deliver Totara LMS solutions in large, complex corporate environments.

Strong client portfolio across the UK and Europe

In the UK and Europe, Webanywhere’s experience spans healthcare, retail, education, and corporate sectors.

Our clients include organisations such as University College London Hospitals (UCLH), Reckitt, Zara, and Emerald Publishing, showing the ability to deliver learning platforms for both public-sector institutions and global commercial brands.

These projects often involve more than just LMS implementation. Webanywhere typically supports organisations with:

• platform configuration and customisation
• integrations with business systems
• bespoke functionality development
• hosting, security, and performance optimisation
• ongoing learning consultancy and support

This end-to-end capability is a key reason why many organisations view Webanywhere as a long-term strategic learning technology partner rather than simply a software supplier.

Deep technical expertise in Totara customisation

Another reason Webanywhere stands out is the ability to extend Totara beyond standard configurations.

We specialise in bespoke LMS development, multi-tenancy deployments, and complex integrations with enterprise systems. Our approach ensures that the platform aligns with each organisation’s workflows, compliance requirements, and branding rather than forcing processes to fit the technology.

This flexibility is particularly valuable for organisations running:

• multi-brand training environments
• extended enterprise learning programmes
• compliance-heavy training ecosystems
• global workforce development strategies
• on the job training (OJT) alongside elearning

By combining the flexibility of Totara with our own development expertise, we help organisations build learning platforms that evolve alongside their business.

The LMS partner built for long-term learning success

Implementing an LMS is only the first step. To generate real business value, organisations need a partner who can support continuous optimisation, integration, and evolution of the platform.

Webanywhere’s long history in learning technology, combined with their global delivery capability, makes them particularly well suited to organisations that view learning as a strategic business function rather than a one-time project.

Our experience working with thousands of organisations across corporate, public, and education sectors means they understand both the technical and organisational challenges involved in large-scale LMS programmes.

Conclusion: Totara plus the right partner equals real training impact

Totara Learn is one of the most powerful LMS platforms available for business training and compliance because it combines enterprise flexibility, strong reporting and certification tools, and the ability to scale across global organisations.

However, the platform’s real value depends on choosing the right implementation partner.

For organisations in English speaking countries such as the UK and the United States, we offer the ideal combination of Totara expertise, global reach, and a proven track record with high-profile organisations across multiple sectors.

Our ability to customise the platform, integrate it into your existing business systems, and support long-term learning strategy makes us one of the strongest Totara partners available – making the best LMS for business even better.

If you’d discuss how Totara Learn could improve training and compliance in your business, contact us at Webanywhere for a no-obligations discussion about your needs.

The post Why Totara Learn is the Best LMS for Business Training and Compliance appeared first on Webanywhere.

In January 2026, Totara released Totara Learning version 20. Rather than introducing disruptive or experimental features, the V20 release focuses on refining how organisations manage, discover, and deliver learning at scale.

Practical evolution of the learning platform

Version 20 is a practical evolution of the platform, aimed squarely at organisations with large, diverse learner populations and complex learning structures. The emphasis is on usability, control, and flexibility, helping learning teams reduce friction for learners while retaining robust administrative oversight.

Smarter, more controlled learning catalogues

A key enhancement in Totara 20 is the improvement of learning catalogues at course level. Many organisations host extensive libraries of shared or generic courses, but not all of that content is relevant to every learner.

This release gives administrators greater control over course visibility, allowing catalogues to be tailored by role, programme, or organisational context. The result is a cleaner, more focused learner experience that avoids content overload and makes it easier for learners to engage with what actually matters to them.

Improved search and filtering across the platform

Search functionality has also been strengthened in Totara 20. Organisations now have more flexibility over how global search works, including which content types are searchable and how results are surfaced.

These improvements make it faster for learners to find courses, resources, and activities within large systems, while allowing administrators to align search behaviour with organisational learning priorities.

Greater flexibility for written assessments

Written assessments have been enhanced to give learning teams clearer control over submission rules. Organisations can now decide whether learners are allowed to resubmit work or whether submissions are final, supporting a wider range of assessment strategies.

Written resource activities have also been improved, making them easier to manage as part of structured programmes rather than isolated tasks. This supports more cohesive learning pathways and clearer progression for learners.

Clearer dashboards and reporting insights

Dashboards in Totara 20 have been refreshed to improve clarity for learners, managers, and administrators alike. The updates provide better visibility of progress, participation, and status without increasing complexity.

Profile status indicators have also been refined, helping learners understand where they are in their learning journey and what actions they need to take next.

Continued support for blended and offline learning

Blended learning remains a core strength of Totara, and version 20 builds on this with continued support for linking physical and digital learning experiences. QR codes can be used to connect in-person activities with online resources, whether learners are in classrooms, training centres, or remote environments.

The platform also supports preparatory and practice-based activities that do not require formal assessment, allowing organisations to track progression without forcing every interaction into a rigid completion model.

AI support, with clear safeguards

Totara V20 reflects a considered approach to AI-supported features. AI tools are available when working online, but are implemented with clear controls and safeguards, particularly around assessment integrity and learner support.

Importantly, the platform continues to distinguish between activities designed for assessment and those intended purely for learning, reflection, and practice. This reinforces Totara’s focus on workplace learning rather than purely academic instruction.

V20 – A practical step forward for enterprise learning

Overall, Totara Learning version 20 is less about radical change and more about making everyday learning easier to manage, easier to find, and easier to use. The update strengthens administrative control while improving the learner experience, making it especially valuable for organisations managing complex programmes at scale.

For learning teams, the Totara V20 release represents a meaningful refinement of an already powerful platform.

Why Totara Learning?

Totara Learning is designed for organisations that need flexibility, ownership, and control over their learning ecosystem. As an open-source, enterprise-grade platform, it allows organisations to tailor learning experiences to their structure, culture, and regulatory environment, rather than forcing them into a one-size-fits-all model.

With strong support for blended learning, performance management, and workplace learning pathways, Totara is particularly well suited to complex organisations with evolving training needs.

Why Webanywhere?

Webanywhere is a long-standing Totara Platinum Partner with deep experience in designing, implementing, and supporting enterprise LMS solutions. We work with major organisations across the public and private sectors, delivering platforms that are scalable, accessible, and aligned with real-world learning needs.

Our expertise spans LMS strategy, UX design, integrations, and ongoing optimisation, helping clients get long-term value from their Totara investment rather than just a technical deployment.

Talk to Webanywhere about Totara 20

If you’re planning an upgrade to Totara Learning version 20, or you’re exploring how Totara could better support your organisation’s learning strategy, Webanywhere can help.

From Totara design, development and implementation through to upgrades, optimisation, software integrations and support, we work closely with organisations to ensure their LMS is practical, scalable, and built around real learner needs.

Get in touch with Webanywhere >> to discuss how Totara 20 could work for your organisation, or to plan a smooth and supported transition to the January 2026 release.

The post Totara Version 20 – Features and Benefits of V20 appeared first on Webanywhere.

1. Learn and Engage Together

Managing content and creating meaningful learning experiences no longer require separate systems. Totara 19 merges the LMS and LXP into one platform. Learners have a seamless space to learn, engage, and grow. Less hassle, more focus on what matters—learning.

2. Navigation That Works for You

The navigation bar has moved to the side, replacing the top menu. It’s customizable—you decide the labels, icons, and structure that make sense for your team. Expand it when you need details, and collapse it when you don’t. This change reduces clicks and makes getting to key areas like workspaces or the catalogue quicker and easier.

3. A Better Catalogue

Finding what you need shouldn’t feel like a treasure hunt. Totara 19’s catalogue now has unified search and filters that make it intuitive and fast. New admin tools let you reorder content effortlessly, while synchronized tags and topics provide seamless navigation across the platform. Browsing for learning opportunities is no longer a chore—it’s productive and straightforward.

4. Workspaces for Teams

Collaboration in workspaces is easier now. You can assign multiple owners to a workspace, so managing and sharing responsibilities is more flexible. Courses can be added directly to playlists within the workspace, streamlining curation. Everything, from the workspaces to their tags, is now searchable in the catalogue. It’s a feature that genuinely improves team collaboration and efficiency.

5. Certifications Simplified

Certifications can be a headache, but Totara 19 has taken the pain out of the process. The new interface is clean and easy to navigate. You can duplicate or clone certifications quickly, saving time. Manual completion dates are easier to track, giving you more control over compliance monitoring.

6. Cleaner Program Design

Programs have been redesigned with simplicity in mind. The new interface is intuitive and user-friendly. APIs for HR integration are updated, ensuring smoother data syncing between systems. The enrolment process now includes built-in approval workflows, so everything from start to finish is more efficient.

Why Totara 19 Matters

Totara 19 isn’t about adding features for its own sake. It’s about fixing real problems. It streamlines the tools you use daily, eliminates unnecessary complexity, and helps you focus on what matters—delivering impactful learning.

Ready to see it in action? Book a demo with Webanywhere. Totara 19 is here to make online learning easier, better, and more effective.

The post Totara 19: What’s Changed? appeared first on Webanywhere.

Upgrading your Learning Management System (LMS) might seem like a daunting task, but F. Hinds—a leading UK jeweller—proved that it’s not just necessary; it’s transformative. Recently, they moved from Totara 12 to Totara 18, a shift that’s about more than just new features—it’s about evolution. Here’s what they learned along the way.

Modernization is Not Optional

Let’s face it: sticking with outdated software in today’s fast-paced world is a recipe for disaster. F. Hinds was grappling with security vulnerabilities and a platform that simply didn’t cut it anymore. Upgrading to Totara 18 wasn’t just a matter of preference; it was essential for safeguarding their operations. They recognized that a modern LMS isn’t just nice to have; it’s a necessity for staying compliant and protecting sensitive data.

User Experience Matters

You know what kills engagement? A clunky, confusing user interface. F. Hinds realized that their previous LMS was doing more harm than good. Employees were frustrated, and that frustration led to disengagement. By focusing on user-centric design in the new LMS, they’ve turned that around. Now, their employees navigate the platform easily, which means they spend less time struggling and more time learning.

Integration Should Be Seamless

Integration shouldn’t feel like solving a Rubik’s Cube. With their old system, F. Hinds faced a complex integration with Cybertill that only added to their frustrations. The new Totara 18 simplified this process, removing redundancies and ensuring that data flows smoothly between systems. That’s not just efficient—it’s how technology should work. When systems play nicely together, everyone wins.

Collaboration Is Key

None of this would have been possible without strong collaboration. F. Hinds worked hand in hand with Webanywhere during the assessment, planning, and implementation phases. As Kevin Davis, Training Manager at F. Hinds, put it, “Initially, the upgrade process seemed daunting, and it was difficult to visualize the benefits. However, the team at Webanywhere was extremely helpful in managing the project, keeping us involved at every stage.” When you have a partner who’s as invested in your success as you are, the whole process becomes smoother and more rewarding.

The Results Speak for Themselves

What’s the endgame here? Increased engagement, better training, and, ultimately, happier customers. With an intuitive platform, employees are more engaged in their training programs. This translates directly to improved customer service, as staff are now equipped with the skills and knowledge to excel. Plus, the administrative burden has lightened, allowing training managers to focus on developing effective programs rather than troubleshooting software issues.

Wrap-Up: Embrace Change

F. Hinds’ upgrade isn’t just a success story; it’s a lesson in the importance of modernizing your LMS. By addressing outdated software, prioritizing user experience, simplifying integration, and fostering collaboration, they’ve reaped significant rewards.

In a world where learning and development are crucial for success, organizations need to understand that upgrading their LMS is not merely a technical change; it’s a strategic move that can drive performance and satisfaction. F. Hinds embraced this truth, and their journey serves as a valuable reminder: change isn’t just good; it’s essential.

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How to Train Your Staff on AI and Get the Most Out of Gemini, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot

Training your staff on AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot isn’t about turning them into data scientists. It’s about showing them how these tools can make their work easier, faster, and better. It’s about shifting their mindset from “AI is confusing” to “AI saves me time.”

AI Isn’t Coming, It’s Already Here

We all get too many emails. We’ve all wasted time in meetings that could’ve been handled over Slack. The truth is, we’re drowning in busy work. AI can fix that, and it’s not as complicated as you might think. Whether it’s Gemini, ChatGPT, or Copilot, these tools are designed to get things done faster and with fewer mistakes.

You don’t have to be a tech wizard to use them either—what you need is curiosity and a willingness to learn. That’s the real magic of AI: it makes the hard stuff easy, once you know how to use it.

Use Cases That Change the Game

•ChatGPT for Creative Work: Say you’re writing a proposal, drafting an email, or brainstorming content ideas. ChatGPT can do the heavy lifting. It helps you structure your thoughts, check your tone, and even proofread. It doesn’t replace creativity; it just amplifies it. What used to take hours can now be done in minutes.

•Microsoft Copilot for Document Creation: Think about how much time your team spends on presentations, reports, or data analysis. Copilot is like having an extra set of hands in Microsoft Office. It can summarize documents, create slides, and even generate insights from spreadsheets. The mundane, time-consuming tasks disappear, and your team gets back hours to focus on strategy and execution.

•Gemini for Research and Deep Learning: When it comes to digging through information or gathering insights, Gemini’s chat-driven approach helps by cutting through the noise. Imagine asking Gemini to research industry trends or analyze complex data, then providing you with actionable insights in real-time. It’s like having an expert consultant available 24/7.

Rolling Out AI Training

1. Start Small, Go Wide: Don’t try to overwhelm everyone with every feature at once. Instead, pick one tool—maybe ChatGPT—and integrate it into a specific workflow like email drafting. Once people see the benefit, they’ll be more eager to try other tools. Start with the most time-consuming tasks that everyone can relate to.

2. Workshops Over Lectures: AI training isn’t a seminar, it’s hands-on. Have people bring real work problems to the table and solve them with AI during training sessions. Instead of theory, focus on practical application. How can Gemini help a marketing team? How can Copilot streamline finance reports? Make it relevant.

3. AI Champions: Identify a few early adopters within your team—people who naturally get excited about tech. Let them become your internal AI champions. They can answer questions, test new tools, and help train others. Peer learning always works better than top-down instruction.

4. Regular Check-ins: AI isn’t static. It evolves, and so will your team’s use of it. Host regular check-ins or “AI office hours” where anyone can drop in to troubleshoot, ask questions, or share tips. The goal is continuous learning, not one-and-done training.

Make AI a Habit, Not a Tool

The real benefit of AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini comes when they become part of your team’s daily routine. It’s not about using AI just because it’s the new thing. It’s about embedding it into how you work. Over time, AI stops feeling like “tech” and starts feeling like the air you breathe—essential and invisible.

The result? Less time on repetitive tasks, fewer mistakes, and more time spent on meaningful, high-quality work. Isn’t that the goal for any business?

In the end, training your staff on AI isn’t just about teaching them how to use a tool. It’s about changing how they think about work. Once they see the power of AI to reduce time spent on the busy work and increase the quality of what they produce, there’s no going back.

AI is quickly becoming a part of the modern workplace, and it’s making a noticeable impact on how we allocate our time. The graph above visualizes this shift, showing how much time different roles can spend using AI versus sticking with traditional methods. It’s clear that AI isn’t just hype—it’s fundamentally changing how work gets done. But the shift isn’t equal across the board, and that’s where the real story lies.

Let’s take customer support and data entry, for example. These are roles that thrive on repetition, where AI can take on a lot of the heavy lifting. Chatbots, automated workflows, and document recognition systems are already doing the jobs that used to require manual effort. The result? More hours freed up to focus on tasks that require a human touch—like solving unique customer problems or handling more complex data analysis. In these jobs, AI is a game changer.

Now look at marketing and sales. AI isn’t replacing creativity, but it’s making the process smoother. Whether it’s audience targeting, content personalization, or automating reports, marketing teams are saving time with AI without sacrificing quality. Sales follow a similar trend—AI is handling the repetitive stuff like lead scoring and customer follow-ups, but the heart of sales—relationship building and closing deals—remains human-driven. In these roles, AI enhances efficiency without taking over.

In accounting, automation is eating up mundane tasks like invoice processing and basic financial analysis, leaving accountants to focus on more strategic, high-value work. The numbers tell the story: AI isn’t replacing accountants, but it’s certainly reducing the hours they spend on manual tasks. This allows teams to shift from transactional work to advisory roles, providing insights and strategy that drive business value.

Software development is another field where AI is starting to make an impact, but not in the way some might expect. Developers are using AI for tasks like code generation, bug detection, and even testing. Yet, the creative and problem-solving aspects of development remain firmly in human hands. AI is here to help, but it’s not writing your next app by itself.

Project management might be one of the slower adopters, but it’s starting to catch up. Tools that automate workflows, scheduling, and reporting are streamlining the more tedious parts of the job. But project managers aren’t going anywhere—there’s still a big need for human decision-making, leadership, and strategy. AI is just another tool in the toolkit, not a replacement.

The evidence backing up these estimates comes from various studies and trends we’re seeing across industries. McKinsey and PwC reports show that automation is already cutting down time in customer service, admin, and accounting roles. Meanwhile, tools like Salesforce’s Einstein and HubSpot are proving that AI can deliver real results in marketing and sales. And while software development teams are increasingly using AI to automate parts of their workflow, experts agree that it will complement developers rather than replace them.

Totara is bringing AI into the world of learning management systems (LMS) in a way that changes how organizations approach training and development. AI in Totara enhances learning personalization by analyzing learner behavior and tailoring content to their needs. It’s not just about recommending courses—AI can identify skills gaps, suggest development paths, and even track progress more intelligently. This kind of adaptive learning keeps users engaged by delivering the right content at the right time, improving both the quality and effectiveness of training. It’s about using AI to not only teach better but to help learners learn smarter.

Sound Branch is taking a different but equally exciting approach, making AI central to how people interact with voice notes. By using AI to transcribe and summarize audio recordings, Sound Branch turns spoken word into text, making voice communication more versatile. This allows users to capture ideas verbally and have AI generate concise summaries or searchable transcripts, saving time and improving accessibility. It’s not just a voice platform anymore—it’s a multimodal tool that combines audio with text, making it more social and interactive. The ability to quickly skim, share, and respond to transcribed conversations keeps discussions alive long after the recording stops, pushing collaboration to new heights.

In the end, AI’s role in the workplace is about balance. It’s not about replacing humans—it’s about freeing them up to focus on the parts of their job that truly require creativity, problem-solving, and human interaction. The key takeaway is simple: AI is here to stay, but it’s not going to work for you unless you train your team to use it effectively. When you do, the payoff is undeniable—less time spent on the mundane, and more time spent on work that matters.

Sources

McKinsey AI Report on Customer Service

PwC AI Automation Report

Gartner Forecast for AI in Software Development

McKinsey AI in Project Management

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Course Enrolment Approval Workflows

Totara 19 introduces a sophisticated new approval workflow for course enrolments. This feature allows users to request enrolment in courses, with the ability for other users to approve or reject these requests. The approval process is customizable, allowing multiple stages with different approvers to be configured, providing greater flexibility in managing enrolments.

Clone Certifications

Duplicating certifications has never been easier. The new clone feature allows you to copy an existing certification, including its details, content (such as certification and recertification paths and course sets), and notifications. This streamlines the process of creating new certifications, enabling you to use existing ones as templates rather than starting from scratch.

Inspire Theme

The new Inspire theme refreshes Totara’s user interface, offering a modern design with a left-hand side main menu for easier navigation. While it shares similarities with the Ventura theme, Inspire introduces a cleaner and more contemporary look to the platform.

AI Course Tag Recommendations

Course tagging is now smarter with the AI tag recommender. This tool suggests relevant tags based on course content, making it quicker and easier to organize and categorize courses. It also serves as a demonstration of the potential for developing other AI-driven interactions within Totara.

Totara Engage Features Integrated into Totara Learn

Totara Learn now incorporates all the functionalities previously exclusive to Totara Engage. This includes workspaces, libraries, user-generated content, and personalized recommendations, making Totara Learn a more comprehensive learning management solution.

Section 508 Accessibility Improvements

Accessibility is a key focus in Totara 19, with several enhancements made to improve compliance with Section 508 accessibility standards, ensuring the platform is more inclusive and usable for all users.

Totara Goal Tasks and Linked Courses

Goal management is more actionable with the ability to add tasks to goals. Each task can be associated with a specific course, integrating learning directly into the goal-setting process. This feature allows users and managers to track progress step by step, marking tasks as completed along the way.

Comments on Totara Goals

Communication around goals is now streamlined with a new Comments tab. This feature allows both users and managers to comment on goals, helping to track progress and provide contextual updates. The comments also leverage Totara’s centralised notifications, ensuring timely and relevant communication.

Totara Goals Transition Mode

For organizations transitioning to Totara goals, the new transition mode offers flexibility. This mode allows you to enable Totara goals while still maintaining access to legacy goals, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted transition.

Goal Reporting

A powerful new reporting feature allows for in-depth analysis of Totara goals, tasks, and linked courses. This report source provides crucial data for administrators and managers to identify impactful learning resources, monitor goal completion rates, and track course utilization.

Manager View of Team’s Goals

Managers now have the ability to view the goals page for each team member. This feature enhances their ability to support goal-setting and monitor progress, providing a clearer view of team dynamics and achievements.

Totara Goal UI Improvements

The user interface for Totara goals has been refined, offering improved sorting and filtering options. Goal cards now display the number of comments and progress, and it’s easier to see when a task is completed, making goal management more intuitive.

Performance Activity UI Improvements

A new header has been added for performance activities, making it easier to configure titles, activity types, and descriptions. The general tab has been removed, with settings redistributed across other tabs. Additionally, the Content tab has been enhanced for better visibility of activity sections.

New Performance Activity Reporting Capabilities

Two new capabilities—mod/perform:report_on_staff_responses and mod/perform:manage_staff_participation—have been introduced to enhance reporting on performance activities. These capabilities are particularly useful for organizations experiencing performance issues with large-scale activity reporting.

Totara 19 is packed with features designed to make learning and performance management more effective and user-friendly. Whether you’re managing course enrolments, tracking goals, or enhancing user experiences with new themes and AI tools, Totara 19 provides the tools you need to succeed.

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In the ever-evolving landscape of organizational learning and development, there are monumental challenges that can make or break a company’s ability to thrive. These challenges—compliance at scale, outgrowing traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS), learning at scale, and managing extended enterprise learning—are not just hurdles; they are critical junctures that define success or failure. Enter Totara, a revolutionary solution designed to address these colossal problems head-on.

Compliance at Scale: The Hidden Giant

Compliance is often the unseen giant lurking in the shadows of corporate training. Regulatory requirements are constantly shifting, and the need for employees to stay updated with the latest compliance standards is more pressing than ever. For large organizations, this is not merely a task but a mammoth undertaking. Ensuring that thousands of employees across various regions and roles comply with industry regulations can quickly become a logistical nightmare.

Totara addresses this by providing a flexible, robust platform that can be tailored to meet the specific compliance needs of any organization, no matter the size. It allows for the creation of dynamic learning plans, automated reminders, and real-time reporting, ensuring that compliance is maintained effortlessly and efficiently. The ability to scale compliance training across a vast workforce with minimal manual intervention transforms this hidden giant into a manageable task.

Outgrowing Traditional LMS: The Evolutionary Leap

Many organizations find themselves shackled by outdated LMS platforms, systems that were once revolutionary but have now become cumbersome and restrictive. These systems often lack the flexibility and adaptability required to meet the evolving needs of modern businesses, leading to inefficiencies and frustration.

Totara offers an evolutionary leap, providing a solution that grows with the organization. Its open-source nature means it can be customized and extended to fit the unique needs of any business. This adaptability ensures that as an organization expands and its learning needs become more complex, Totara remains a supportive partner rather than an impediment. By consolidating multiple outdated systems into one cohesive platform, Totara simplifies management, reduces costs, and enhances the learning experience.

Learning at Scale: The Tipping Point

When organizations reach a certain size, scaling learning programs becomes a tipping point. The complexity of delivering consistent, high-quality training to a large, dispersed workforce can be overwhelming. Traditional methods fall short, leading to inconsistent learning experiences and knowledge gaps.

Totara’s scalable architecture is designed to handle the demands of large enterprises. It enables the delivery of personalized learning paths, catering to the diverse needs of a global workforce. With features like multi-tenancy, it can support different business units within the same organization, providing a unified yet customizable learning experience. This capability ensures that no matter how large the organization grows, learning remains effective, engaging, and aligned with business goals.

Extended Enterprise: The New Frontier

In today’s interconnected world, learning often extends beyond the boundaries of an organization. Partners, suppliers, and customers increasingly require training to ensure cohesive collaboration and optimal performance. Managing this extended enterprise learning adds a layer of complexity that many systems are ill-equipped to handle.

Totara breaks down these barriers by offering a platform that supports external learners just as effectively as internal employees. It allows organizations to create tailored learning experiences for their extended networks, ensuring that everyone is aligned and knowledgeable. This feature not only enhances relationships and performance across the supply chain but also drives brand consistency and loyalty among customers.

Transforming Challenges into Opportunities

The challenges of compliance at scale, outgrowing traditional LMS, learning at scale, and managing extended enterprise learning are formidable. Yet, Totara transforms these challenges into opportunities for growth and excellence. By providing a flexible, scalable, and comprehensive learning platform, Totara empowers organizations to navigate the complexities of modern learning and development with confidence and ease.

In an era where the ability to adapt and scale is paramount, Totara stands as a beacon of innovation and reliability, turning monumental problems into manageable tasks and setting the stage for sustained organizational success.

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