LT Horizon Growth

Find the structure your growing business needs.

If training relies on managers, shared folders and spreadsheets, identify what is becoming difficult before choosing a new system.

Do we need an LMS yet?

Recognise the point where informal learning needs more structure.

Open the guide

Which kind of system fits?

Compare an LMS, onboarding software and a knowledge base.

Open the guide

What would an LMS automate?

Check which tasks a system removes and which still need an owner.

Open the guide

Match the problem to the capability.

Check what your existing tools can already do before buying another system.

Learning technology categories and the problems they address
Your problem	Capability to consider	What it provides
Assignments, records or compliance are hard to track	LMS	Structured learning, assignments, completion tracking, reporting and compliance.
New starters need coordinated tasks and guidance	Onboarding software	Guided employee journeys, tasks, communications and new-starter coordination.
Repeated questions and knowledge sit with individuals	Knowledge base	Searchable operational knowledge, SOPs and reusable guidance.
Learning should connect to existing people data	HR-suite learning	Learning capability already connected to your wider people platform.
Regulated training needs specialist evidence	Compliance platform	Specialist regulated or mandatory training and certification tracking.
Discovery and skills development need broader support	LXP & skills platforms	Broader discovery, skills, development and personalised learning experiences.

Check whether informal learning is reaching its limit

Onboarding depends too heavily on individual managers.
Training records are spread across spreadsheets, email and shared folders.
Compliance assignments and evidence are becoming harder to track.
Teams repeat the same training as headcount and locations grow.
Important knowledge sits with individuals instead of the organisation.
Leaders cannot easily see who has learned what or where capability gaps remain.

Define success before comparing vendors.

What is breaking?

Name the process that costs time, creates inconsistency or exposes risk.

What needs to repeat?

Define the workflow and the person responsible for maintaining it.

What would prove value?

Choose the outcome you will measure before paying for functionality.

Worked example: onboarding is inconsistent

Illustrative scenario: a growing team has complete policy documents, but new starters receive different tasks and managers cannot see completion. This is a decision example, not a reported customer outcome.

Decision: standardise the checklist, assign a process owner and test the existing HR tool’s task and completion features first. Consider an LMS when the need also includes repeatable courses, assessments or auditable learning records.

Proof of value: every starter receives the agreed tasks, managers can identify missing completions, and the owner can maintain the process without duplicate spreadsheets. Compare tools if the existing system cannot meet those requirements.

Compare the types of system