SuccessFactors Learning or Litmos Training?

In order to meet the changing situation, it is worthwhile to use learning management systems (LMS) - learning programs can be managed, learning content can be designed centrally and in a structured manner, learning successes can be documented in a comprehensible manner, and reports can be generated.

SAP has two LMSs on offer: SAP SuccessFactors Learning and SAP Litmos Training. Of course, it's nice for companies to have a choice. At the same time, the question arises as to whether both systems are really future-proof. SAP users in particular have already had unpleasant experiences in this regard.

In the case of SuccessFactors Learning and Litmos Training, however, we do not believe there is any danger of SAP abandoning either solution in the foreseeable future. Litmos Training came into the portfolio rather by chance in the course of the acquisition of the cloud CRM provider Callidus Software in 2018, so it was not a strategic purchase. We can only speculate as to why SAP is running the solution as an LMS alongside SuccessFactors Learning.

However, this year's free-trial initiative, comprehensive function updates, and the continuous expansion of the learning content included tend to indicate that SAP is interested in widespread distribution. A major update was also released for SuccessFactors Learning this spring. This brings with it far-reaching improvements in learning administration.

In doing so, SAP has closed a technological gap with other SuccessFactors modules that had existed since the software was purchased in 2012. Without a long-term perspective, such a step would be difficult to understand.

The fact that SAP operates both solutions on a permanent basis makes perfect sense in view of their respective strengths and weaknesses and the target groups they address. SuccessFactors Learning is particularly interesting if companies see further training as part of a holistic talent management system.

This is because the Learning module can be seamlessly connected to the other SuccessFactors modules. In this way, more complex scenarios become possible: Recommendations for learning content could, for example, be created on the basis of an employee's competence profile and linked to development or target agreements.

In contrast, Litmos Training is designed as a cloud stand-alone solution with open interfaces. This means that companies do not need to have an SAP system in place to use the LMS. SAP users do not necessarily have to worry about integration. Another advantage is that SAP Litmos Training can be implemented very quickly and with little effort. Both internal employees and external stakeholders can access the solution - which is actually the origin of the LMS.

And: Litmos Training currently provides over 200 courses free of charge; the offering has grown steadily recently and is likely to continue to do so in the future. However, the thematic focus is quite narrow. The majority of the free training courses are aimed at sales and customer service in the broader sense. There is also content on the topics of personal development, leadership and project management.

Before companies choose SuccessFactors Learning, Litmos Training or another LMS, they should make a more fundamental decision: What learning culture should prevail in the company in the future? A learning management system can only develop its full potential if great importance is attached to further qualification and if appropriate framework conditions are created for the employees.