Ever feel like your digital learning platform is holding you back?

You’re not alone. The demand for smarter, more agile learning platforms is growing fast, and with good reason:

The global e-learning market is projected to grow from $276 billion in 2026 to $462 billion by 2031 (CAGR ~10.9%).
Source: Mordor Intelligence

The corporate training market alone was worth $391.1 billion in 2025.
Source: Training Industry

94% of learning leaders say digital learning is critical to organisational strategy.
Source: AIHR

Average cost per formal learning hour in 2024 rose to $165, up 34% from 2023.
Source: ATD

Average learning hours per employee dropped to 13.7 hours in 2024, down from 17.4.
Source: ATD 2025 State of the Industry

This is a market in transition. It is moving toward shorter, sharper, more strategic learning delivered through platforms that do more than just deliver courses.

This article is inspired by a standout session from Becky Willis at the Training 2026 Conference, where she challenged the typical LMS buying mindset with a single, powerful message:

“You don’t need a new LMS. You need a race car.”

Not just a system to manage compliance and completions, but a modern digital learning platform designed to deliver measurable business outcomes.

Most LMS Replacements Fail. Here’s Why.

In Becky’s view, too many organisations swap one outdated LMS for another.

When stakeholders say, “We need a new LMS,” what they often mean is, “We need something that actually works for our people.” Something that personalises learning, supports skills growth, integrates across systems, and delivers data leaders can use.

That means a complete platform, not just a content management system.

It means replacing the dinosaur on wheels with a machine that can actually move. A race car.

Scott Hewitt, who supports L&D teams navigating these decisions, adds:

“I keep seeing organisations say they want to replace their LMS, but they have not actually agreed why. Is it pricing, functionality, content, integrations, or something else entirely? If you do not identify the real reasons first, there is no way to know whether a replacement will be any better.”

What to Look for in a Modern Learning Platform

Becky outlined the capabilities that define a true digital learning platform:

• Skills-first architecture that allows you to identify, map, and close capability gaps
• AI that supports personalisation and gives L&D teams actionable insights
• Blended modalities, including video, audio, microlearning, social, and game-based learning
• Collaborative authoring tools to enable fast, SME-led content creation
• Dashboards that reflect real business KPIs instead of vanity metrics like completions or seat time

This isn’t just about delivering content. It’s about enabling business impact through capability and data.

Skills-Based Learning Needs More Than a Course Catalogue

Skills-based learning isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a structural shift in how organisations manage learning and development.

Becky gave examples from the nuclear industry, where operators and maintenance teams must demonstrate very specific technical skills in order to ensure safety. In those contexts, knowing who has what skill, and how reliably, is mission-critical.

She shared how other industries, like manufacturing, are making similar transitions. At Lamb Research, where they build massive machinery using hazardous materials and high voltage, traditional role-based training wasn’t enough. What mattered was understanding individual skill profiles and using those to drive safe, high-quality work.

Modern platforms enable this by allowing you to map skills at a granular level and create pathways that directly address gaps.

This is a major evolution from legacy LMS models, which generally stop at course completions or track only high-level competencies. The skills model is more practical, precise, and measurable.

Be Wary of Vendor Demos That Overpromise

Becky shared a powerful cautionary tale.

One vendor claimed to offer “learning in the flow of work.” They even had a polished demo video showing the feature in action. But when she investigated further, it turned out the functionality didn’t actually exist. The vendor had mocked it up using screenshots with fixed text.

These kinds of oversells are more common than many realise.

That’s why Becky strongly recommends running a sandbox or pilot during vendor evaluation. You won’t get full integration with single sign-on or your HR system, but you will be able to test key features and user experience. It’s often the only way to discover whether what’s been promised actually exists.

She also shared advice from Bob Mosher, another respected industry voice, who said, “We get brought in when the vendor has lied, and we have to fix the platform they’ve chosen.”

You should never need to rely on a consultant to fix a bad platform decision. A well-run sandbox, combined with tough questions and reference checks, can save you time, money, and frustration.

Scott adds:

“When teams rush in without that clarity, they buy the wrong solution. I see examples where people get excited because an LMS solves one obvious issue, like file uploads, but they miss everything else. If you only buy on a single problem, you are almost guaranteed to create new ones. You need a proper specification, and that means talking to people across the business, not just L&D. Marketing, sales, finance, and IT all have a stake in how these platforms work.”

Don’t Let the RFP Process Derail You

Becky has seen platform RFPs that include over 1,000 “must-have” features, most of which aren’t truly aligned with the business goals of the organisation.

Her advice is to keep it simple, strategic, and focused.

Start by building your learning strategy. Understand what business outcomes you need to support. Consider how you’ll define success. Then build your platform criteria around that.

Rather than listing 300 features, ask questions like:

• How will this platform help us close specific skill gaps?
• Can this system help us track engagement and learning impact?
• How well does this platform integrate with our HR tech ecosystem?
• How will the data help us influence leadership decisions?

A strategy-led RFP process ensures you’re selecting a partner, not just a product.

Support, Strategy, and Curation Matter More Than You Think

Becky stressed that customer support can make or break your long-term platform success.

She described a situation where a vendor had initially provided responsive, high-quality support. But after outsourcing the support function overseas, things changed. Tickets started taking over 24 hours to resolve. Admins couldn’t reach the support team directly. Everything slowed down, and trust eroded.

When evaluating vendors, Becky recommends treating support as a critical factor. Talk to references. Ask about support quality and response times. Find out what changes, if any, have happened post-contract.

She also addressed the challenge of content overload.

Many organisations subscribe to massive libraries like LinkedIn Learning or OpenSesame. While these platforms are full of good content, they often present the same topic in 20 or more variations.

For example, a manager trying to address difficult conversations might see dozens of course options. But which one should they assign? Few managers have time to watch them all.

Modern platforms use AI to curate content into focused learning pathways, making it easier to assign the right resources quickly. This kind of curation increases engagement and reduces decision fatigue.

Becky Willis’ Recommendations: Platforms to Watch

During the session, Becky shared a shortlist of platforms she has seen work well in specific use cases:

She also spoke about her experience working with ANZ Bank, where they implemented Cornerstone with an LXP layer to enable a collaborative champion culture. They used an agile approach, involving stakeholders from marketing, comms, senior leadership, and subject matter experts. The result was a platform rollout that achieved 85 percent engagement across the company.

It was one of her best implementations, and it reinforced the importance of an agile, cross-functional rollout model.

Scott adds a final note of caution here:

“Ownership is another big issue. These are expensive, high-impact projects, yet they are often treated as L&D-only initiatives. There needs to be a clear owner or project manager. IT has to be involved properly from the start, especially around deployment and integration. When they are not, it is no surprise that platforms fail to function in the real business.”

Security and IP: Ask the Right Questions

An audience member raised a question about data residency and intellectual property, particularly for organisations operating in regulated markets like Canada.

Becky’s response was clear. Today’s cloud platforms have been around for more than 15 years and routinely meet the highest standards for data privacy and security. Whether you’re in the US, EU, or Canada, vendors should be able to provide documentation on their compliance with local laws, GDPR, penetration testing, and IP protection.

Your SCORM or xAPI content remains yours. Ask vendors for their policy documentation. If they can’t provide it, that’s a problem.

Final Takeaways: Don’t Just Replace. Reimagine.

Everything described in Becky’s session already exists in the market.

There are digital learning platforms that can:

• Track skills at scale
• Personalise content with real AI
• Integrate collaborative authoring tools
• Support agile implementation
• Deliver business impact through analytics

The question isn’t whether these platforms exist. It’s whether your organisation is ready to stop thinking in terms of “replacing the LMS” and start thinking in terms of building a digital learning platform that supports growth, performance, and adaptability.

Key Points to Remember

• Start with strategy, not features
• Run a sandbox or pilot to validate claims
• Focus on skills, data, and integration
• Prioritise customer support and curation
• Use platform recommendations to match your use case
• Build cross-functional rollouts that get buy-in from day one

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between an LMS and a digital learning platform?

An LMS tracks courses and completions. A digital learning platform focuses on skills, data, personalisation, and integration. It’s built to support real business outcomes, not just deliver training.

Why do most LMS replacements fail?

Because people rush to replace tools without understanding their real problems. Without clarity on what’s broken, the new system often repeats the same issues.

What should I look for in a modern learning platform?

Look for skills-first design, AI-driven personalisation, content variety, authoring tools, and business-focused dashboards. It should help people grow, not just mark training as complete.

What is skills-based learning and why does it matter?

Skills-based learning focuses on what people can do, not just what they’ve completed. It helps organisations close gaps, stay safe, and improve quality in complex roles.