Data is King… The new buzz words which are currently consuming the older saying Content is King in the world of training. We have witnessed a gradual shift in the value and importance placed on content to a more data driven buying decision. And we could be at a tipping point where data, delivery, reporting, statistics and ROI actually outweigh the importance of content. Everyone wants a 360 degree view on what is happening within their organisation – the exact measurement of what impact training is having on employees, productivity and performance.

This is not to say that content is unimportant, without great content the training will have minimal impact. However I think this shift has occurred due to the fact that there is such a lot of content readily available, it is no longer the only driving force behind the decision to implement one programme over another. People also know they get what they pay for. Invest cheaply and the content plus delivery is likely to be poor and ineffective. Invest wisely and suddenly you not only have the expected great content but you can start to really maximise your investment.

When I think about Data being King, I think about how technology has advanced to enable us to look at individuals within organisations as exactly that – individuals. Gone are the days of having to send the masses off-site for days on end at great expense for them to come back not only hungover but having consumed and retained a minimal amount of information. Today it’s about individual learning plans, training that’s relevant to each employee, and accessible at critical times. This type of learning is only possible on-site, online and on demand.

So how are organisations delivering such targeted, focussed programmes? By using the data available to them on each individual, and investing in a learning management system that can assimilate that information and intelligently allocate and assign training. And more importantly, all that data is growing daily, as each employee completes a course, accesses an assignment or passes a test. Suddenly managers have clear and real visibility on what training is actually happening and how effective it is.

So is Data King? It’s beginning to look that way. At ThirdForce our management system Central, incorporates Personal Learning Plans, Instant Mentoring, a Reference Library, TechLabs and a Resource Centre all wrapped around our content to help organisations deliver their training more effectively, aligning it to their business goals and strategies. This is essential to the success of any training programme, as the ROI is evident very quickly and employee’s application of new skills to their jobs is immediate.

So what do you think, is Data King?