Workplace education through an effective learning management system

By Kristian Partington

The success of any company’s growth can best be assessed by gauging the adaptability of its employees and its business model in a rapidly-evolving global economy. Regardless of which sector or industry a company competes in, it is imperative that employees continue their quest for knowledge and empowerment. The companies that succeed in consistent development of their human resources are better situated to not only enjoy continual growth, but to retain the best and brightest minds in their respective fields - a cyclical effect that begins and ends with knowledge.

Operitel Corporation has used this philosophy to its overwhelming advantage since its inception in 2001 and in doing so, the company has grown exponentially. Operitel’s award-winning LearnFlex™ system is one of the most comprehensive and adaptable tools for education and e-learning in relation to workforce education. The company’s vision has always been focused on the successful proliferation of an adaptable Learning Management System across numerous sectors – transportation, education, financial, government and technology. Their flexibility across verticals and ability to adapt to their individual clients’ needs has directly contributed to Operitel’s significant growth in the last nine years and brought its vision to reality.

“We’ve been able to spread our reach beyond the North American market because workplace education and learning is as important in Beijing or Sao Paulo as it is in Dallas, Texas,” says Michael Skinner, President and CEO of Operitel Corporation, based in Peterborough, Ontario.
“Regardless of the size of the organization, its location, its language or its mandate,” he says, “LearnFlex™ is a key component in the acquisition, creation and disbursement of knowledge and information. We’ve invested heavily in this platform and will continue to do so with the expectation that the hunger and need for knowledge in business and industry will never dissipate.”

The continuing education of employees is a major asset when looking at the efficacy of LearnFlex™but additional benefits relate directly to the Human Resources departments of any organization. According to Carlos Oliveira, Operitel’s VP of Application Development, one of the system’s greatest attributes is that it allows HR managers to analyze the effectiveness of business strategies in relation to achieving short and long-term goals. It also centralizes all training records in one simple, integrated platform that can be easily accessed in the HR department.  It serves the HR needs of companies with less than 100 employees and up to several 100,000 employees, making it a remarkably flexible and adaptable solution.

“Decisions are made easier when you have current data related to employee performance and drive at your fingertips,” says Oliveira. “We continue to introduce new personal and group performance management tools, providing templates, and analytics on measuring and improving the talent pool in the organization.”

“The performance management tools provided by LearnFlex™ aren’t just for the managers,” says Skinner. “LearnFlex™ gives a certain amount of independence to employees, which leads to a sense of value and empowerment in their own careers, and also as it pertains to potential advancement opportunities.  For managers, LearnFlex™ allows them to clearly monitor and manage the type of learning a given employee requires to fulfill not only his job requirements, but what is needed to progress and achieve his goals. The LearnFlex™ platform also tracks mandatory compliancy courses, ensuring the organization stays current and compliant with external laws, such as health and safety.  It really is an all-in-one application.”

For any company to compete in our modern, technology-driven global economy it must push past boundaries and perceived limitations to meet the evolving demands of their clients. Operitel’s success is a testament to their adherence to this philosophy.

“Throughout our history and throughout the development of LearnFlex™ we, as a company, maintained our goal of continuing our own education,” says Skinner. “We’ve continued to examine learning technology trends and products to discover where we could expand our strengths and build upon the success of our system.”

What sets LearnFlex™ apart from other learning management systems is its adaptability and ease of use. “Most products require extensive customization whereas LearnFlex™ provides an ease of use system and the ability to configure features and functionality that meets the needs of HR departments, regardless of the size of the organization,” says Oliveira.

Getting the most out of a valuable core of employees is the common goal of any company and an effective, user-friendly learning management system can be a major factor towards increased productivity. In achieving this ultimate goal, the needs of companies are consistently evolving and Operitel and LearnFlex™ are keeping pace.

Current research and development continues to focus on effectively creating a new social media module within the current LearnFlex™ platform, building on the trend towards what Oliveira terms “social learning environments”. Another major avenue Operitel is exploring is the need for mobile learning solutions that allow managers and employees alike to utilize LearnFlex™’s capabilities in real time and at the point of need.

There is no mistaking the fact that in both the private and public sectors, productivity and the best possible allocation of resources are two essential ingredients in the recipe for success. An effective, adaptable learning management system can help make the decisions a little easier for managers when shaping the goals of an organization and with LearnFlex™, growth, productivity and profitability are all be within easier reach.