Blueprint for an enterprise e-learning architecture

Customer Inter@ction Solutions, Oct 2002 by Crowley, Rick

Since the e-learning concepts in practice today are new, one can assume the business model will continue to change as it matures. This is an appropriate place to take some risk, with rational experimentation. Remember, e-learning could be the most widely used enterprise application, so factor a significant level of complexity and mission criticality into the systems planning effort.

With the proper executive support, e-- learning can provide significant strategic and competitive advantage for an enterprise. Depending on current circumstances, e-- learning can also provide significant and immediate return on investment by reducing non-value-added expenditures such as travel.

The key to success in implementing any solution is to clearly capture and articulate the enterprise's most important business drivers and then create solutions to address those requirements. This will determine the appropriate level of complexity or sophistication required for content creation and management, delivery management and overall learning management services to be provided. Once an initial framework is implemented, it will be easy to add more functionality and capabilities, provided the e-learning solution architecture considers all possible components.

Keep in mind that this is still a very nascent industry, so standards and technologies will continue to emerge. Vendors will also continue to emerge or consolidate, so don't be trapped into thinking that a strategic, longterm decision relative to technology choices must be made. Focus on providing a reasonably open application platform that considers various functional elements to allow for future flexibility and rapid enhancement.

By Rick Crowley, Cisco Systems Inc.

Rick Crowley is director of Learning Architecture for the Internet Learning Solutions Group at Cisco. Cisco Systems Inc. is a worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. News and information are available at www.cisco.com.