SumT wp FieldGuide MobileLearning.pdf - IHRIM

Field Guide: 

Building a Business Case 

for Mobile Learning 

Mobile learning, applied to the right problem, in the right way, 

can deliver enormous effi ciency and effi cacy gains to an 

organization. But how do you justify the initial investment, 

and how do you ensure that learning is aligned with business 

goals? This field guide will explore critical steps to ensure that 

you get the most out of your mobile learning investment.

FIELD GUIDE: BUILDING A BUSINESS CASE 

FOR MOBILE LEARNING 

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Introduction 

Mobile learning, applied to the right problem, in 

the right way, can deliver enormous efficiency and 

efficacy gains to an organization. But how do you 

justify the initial investment, and how do you ensure 

that learning is aligned with business goals? 

This document looks at mobile learning from a 

business manager’s perspective and describes some 

of the ways it can improve your bottom line and build 

a compelling business case for the adoption and 

implementation of e-learning in your organization. 

THE BUSINESS ADVANTAGES OF MOBILE LEARNING 

Traditional instructor-led classroom-based training or virtual trainings delivered 

via computer-based learning management systems (LMS) are still effective ways 

to teach new skills. But it comes at a high cost in terms of time commitment. 

Classroom training requires travel and loss of work time while computer-based 

training requires the employee to remain fi xed at a work station, and classroom 

instruction is generally during working hours. This means employees can spend 

several working days on training just to achieve compliance in some cases. 

Mobile breaks these chains to allow for “untethered” learning at the time when 

it is most necessary or most convenient – on or off the clock. The very nature 

of how people use mobile devices tells us that the device is always on, always 

in-hand and always connected. An employee can have access to the information 

he or she needs to do the job anytime, anywhere, even without Internet access 

because of the explosion of smartphones and tablets on the market. 

Mobile learning, when married with an LMS, can offer organizations and individuals 

the following key benefits: 

■ Increase training opportunities as learners access content in the 

moment 

■ Easy access and acquisition of all the information within the LMS



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■ Ability to provide learning via mobile devices to employees without 

computer infrastructure 

■ Organization can leverage SCORM authoring tools to build 

compelling mobile content 

■ End users can engage in a completely offl ine learning experience 

that includes rich media and video without risking poor quality 

from bad connections 

■ Track completions, scores and overall impacting using the native 

reporting capabilities 

The growth in mobile-delivered learning is driven by rapid user adoption, signifi cant 

cost savings, more effective presentation of training content, reinforcement of 

on-the-job performance and the immediate availability of access to job aids 

and resources. Whereas employees once had to congregate in one location or 

remain seated in front of a computer to receive corporate learning, corporate 

learning can now come to them. Employees can pull out bit-sized training when it 

is needed, making the value, potential and return on the invest increase because 

the learner will learn more when the information is relevant to him or her. 

Convincing your senior management team to implement a mobile learning system 

will require a clearly defi ned business case. Developing a laundry list of potential 

benefi ts is only the beginning; you must then apply them to your particular 

business situation. A business case will offer a clear statement of the business 

problem(s) and your proposed solution(s), as well as provide measurements of 

success. In essence, it describes your organization’s current status versus the 

desired status, and how the organization can achieve its goals. 

ALIGNING MOBILE LEARNING WITH BUSINESS GOALS AND 

MEASURING RESULTS 

The target audience for your mobile learning business case will most likely 

be both business unit managers and senior executives—the people who will 

ultimately give your proposal the business and fi nancial support it needs to 

succeed. Consequently, it is important that your business case be aligned with 

their business goals and “pain points.” 

Business Unit Managers 

Business unit managers own the problems that training solves. They are 

pragmatic; their overriding interest is getting the job done—and soon. Until you 

know what your business unit managers are trying to accomplish, you can’t talk 

to them about potential results.



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The business unit manager is usually training’s primary sponsor. The “right client” 

is the decision-maker who understands the end goal and has responsibility for 

the organizational area in which the problem occurs. When you’re working with 

the right client in your organization, measuring results is not diffi cult. Start with 

the business unit manager’s business problems and work backwards. The most 

important step in measuring performance is to pin down the business manager’s 

answer to the classic question: “What’s in it for me?” 

Don’t skip this step. Without it, meaningful tracking is impossible. First, gain 

agreement on the business problem(s) to be solved and the value of solving 

it (them). Then go on to outline your proposed solutions. Establish a baseline 

measure of current performance and clearly indicate how performance will be 

tracked and reported. 

Determine what your project sponsor(s) will accept as persuasive evidence that 

the program produced the agreed upon result, then make your case logically by 

linking learning to business results. Establish a causal (not casual!) link between 

a particular skill defi ciency and a particular business outcome. Build a compelling 

logical argument based on the business unit manager’s metrics, performance 

requirements and the metrics that would indicate the return on the mobile learning 

investment. The process of tracking learning results starts before any learning 

takes place. It begins with an agreement between the training manager and the 

line manager on the value of solving the problem. 

Your joint examination of the problem will clarify the gap between the results 

desired and the results you’re actually getting. Then determine what major 

skill gaps and learning defi ciencies are holding people back and estimate the 

expected dollar value to be gained by eliminating the defi ciency. Again, make 

sure you get agreement on the expected outcomes, how they will be measured 

and what constitutes good performance.



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Throughout the process, help the managers answer questions about why skills 

matter and what on-going good performance looks like. You are focusing sustained 

attention on solving business problems and adding and identifying tangible 

values for each skill to be taught. As a result, you’re forging a partnership with 

the business unit manager based on the core concern: maximizing performance 

without taking the employee away from the job. 

Senior Executives 

No organization has the resources to do everything it might want. Senior executives 

are forced to choose where the company’s top priorities lie, what comes first, 

whether initiatives should be completed in-house or outsourced, and which will 

yield the greatest return. A good business case shows expected consequences 

of the action over time, and, most importantly, includes the methods and rationale 

used to quantify benefits and costs. 

Executives focus on two things: strategy and outfoxing the competition. 

Consequently, they will be interested most in information that discusses sales, 

revenues and profi ts, as well as what will increase the company’s market share. 

Consequently, they are looking for you to convince them that your mobile learning 

initiative is worthy of the organization’s time, effort and money. To make their 

analysis clear, distill a complex business alternative into a three- or four-page 

business case to provide a tool that supports planning and decision making, 

including information about which vendor to choose and when to implement. 

From a senior executive’s standpoint, business cases are generally designed to 

answer the question: What are the likely fi nancial and other business consequences 

if we take (or don’t take) this or that action? Creating a business case that is deeply 

ingrained with the insights of the business unit manager will help you in labeling 

that person as a trusted advocate for the senior executive to consult with further. 

RETURN ON INVESTMENT FROM MOBILE LEARNING 

Your CFO and/or executive team has probably already asked you to justify your 

training investment in terms of fi nancial payback. Being able to produce an 

accurate and defendable return on investment (ROI) has long been the holy grail 

of the training industry. Much has been written on the topic, but in the end, every 

calculation has some element of subjectivity. 

However, there is still a lot you can talk to your executive team about to justify 

the mobile learning investment. Financial calculations can be based on the 

reduction in time taken to complete tasks, the ability to carry out activities not 

possible before, or increases in the quality of activities. Here you can refi ne your



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persuasive appeal for the desire of every executive: mobile learning will increase 

the company’s speed to money. 

Turning to the cost side of the equation, mobile learning offers several advantages 

over other types of training. You need to take into account the following factors: 

■ The productivity lost from being away from the job is likely to be 

considerably lower, particularly if employees are willing to train 

outside normal work hours. 

■ The training time may also be less, given the ability to take 

just the required training modules (or “opting out” by showing 

competency in a pre-test) rather than having to attend an entire 

course. This decreases employee time-to-productivity/time-toproductivity 

or competency. 

■ Mobile learning requires very little to no training administration 

for student course bookings, reserving classrooms or updating 

training records. 

■ Course creation to maintain new compliance rules or inform on 

new product offerings is easier when courses are shorter. Mobile 

learning offers the benefits of rapid content development because 

the courses are naturally shorter, which can prove effective in 

engaging and satisfying employees needs in a timely manner. 

■ Mobile learning also delivers a number of less tangible 

organizational benefi ts: 

■ By empowering individuals to develop their own skills 

when they want, enhanced employee motivation 

and reduced staff attrition will lead to savings in 

recruitment costs. 

■ Mobile learning can offer a higher knowledge 

retention rate as information is accessed when it is 

needed and archived for reference later. 

■ 

Mobile learners can use their own “native” devices. 

In the next section of this document, we’ll look at two specific ways of using mobile 

learning that offers substantial benefi ts: 

■ The ability to develop, introduce and roll-out internal product 

or customer training quickly and on a nationwide or worldwide 

scale, leading to faster time to market, earlier revenue streams 

and enhanced competitiveness.



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■ The possibility of providing training directly to your customers 

much more easily, leading to new revenue streams or enhanced 

product adoption. 

■ Provide easy access to technical support documents that are 

frequently updated. 

Clearly, not all of these paybacks can or will be achieved overnight. However, 

these represent a realistic set of quantifi able benefi ts to help build your business 

case for e-learning. 

MOBILE LEARNING FOR RAPID PRODUCT ROLL-OUT 

Introducing new products, systems or processes to your employees and 

salespeople via classroom training can be a major project. Apart from the high 

cost, such projects can also take substantial time to develop and deliver; thereby 

delaying the date when the new offi ce system can be brought online or the new 

product can be offered to customers. 

But the old barriers of time and distance can be eroded signifi cantly using mobile 

learning technology. Once the training has been created and made available 

via a learning management system, it is also automatically available to all 

employees via mobile learning. Any number of individuals can take the course 

simultaneously—even within a required time period—and you’ll know when 

they’ve completed the material and demonstrated profi ciency by achieving, for 

instance, a passing score on a post-test. 

Mobile learning is particularly benefi cial to an organization operating in a 

marketplace where there is constant change. For example, a company with a 

large product offering faces an enormous struggle in keeping its sales force upto-date 

and educated, especially if that sales force is geographically dispersed. 

But mobile enables product development and sales training departments to 

create and deliver training quickly and without regard to distance. 

Mobile learning is also the best resource for just-in-time training; for example, 

as a refresher or knowledge database that can be accessed just before making 

a sales call. A sales representative could be out to a client’s offi ce on the day a 

new product training becomes available. Somewhere between lunch and their 

afternoon meeting, the representative could take the mobile course and have a 

whole new sales pitch for the client. And your company can update this mobile 

learning material and make it quickly available to employees you want to turn 

downtime in the grocery line, waiting for their children to fi nish piano lessons or 

stuck in a traffi c jam into uptime.



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If you already have your mobile infrastructure and culture in place, then new 

product rollouts quickly become a matter of creating the training material and 

making it available online. In summary, consider the following benefi ts: 

Further, the mobile training method can also be extended to customers, strategic 

partners and third-party vendors to deliver valuable training that informs on your 

products and services while also providing another potential stream of income, 

along with cost and time savings and a decreased time-to-market. Mobile learning 

with your extended enterprise will often garner better training completion results 

as these individuals will be even less inclined than your own employees to sit for 

prolonged periods in classrooms or in front of computers that can create some 

highly unproductive working days. 

Of course, there are many other benefi ts from having more knowledgeable 

customers and channel partners, including higher brand loyalty and fewer 

service calls. And it can often be advantageous to provide the training for free— 

particularly if it relates to the sales process. For example, potential buyers can 

take a mobile tour of your company’s products and the available options, guiding 

them through the purchase decision with advice, comparison reviews and 

fi nancial planning tools. In the end, you’ll deliver an increased number of wellqualifi 

ed and educated customers to your sales department.



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MOVING YOUR MOBILE BUSINESS CASE FORWARD 

This document has described several different aspects of building a business case 

for mobile learning in your organization. Building a strong case means justifying 

the initial investment and aligning mobile learning with your organization’s 

business goals. Doing so will help you win the necessary fi nancial and business 

support of your business unit managers and senior executives. 

SumTotal Mobile 

According to the Bersin & Associates 2011 research report, “m-Learning 

Update,” mobile learning itself is not revolutionary, and the content delivered is 

not necessarily new. Mobile learning’s power comes from its ability to connect 

employees to the knowledge and expertise they need when and where they 

need it, making it useful for potentially almost any learning need. 

Because mobile learning has a strong basis in the content and administration 

of e-learning, one vendor you should consider including in your business case 

for mobile learning is SumTotal Systems. Already known as a leader in Learning 

Management, without which no mobile solution can effectively operate, the 

company offers SumTotal Mobile, drawing upon its vast industry knowledge and 

innovative spirit. SumTotal Mobile provides users the following key features:



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BUSINESS CASE TEMPLATE 

The following provides a breakdown or template of the basic elements you need 

to cover to develop your own e-learning business case. 

Problem Statement 

Clearly state the specifi c business problem(s) to be addressed. 

Background 

Include signifi cant information regarding skills, knowledge, budgeting and 

performance that contribute to the business problem. Indicate in general terms 

what’s required to resolve or alleviate the business problem(s). 

Proposed Solution 

Outline the proposed solution. 

Project Objectives 

State what the proposed solution is trying to accomplish. 

Current Process 

Identify the organizational processes that the proposed solution will affect, 

including internal departments, clients, external partners, vendors and the 

competition. 

Requirements 

List the resources needed to complete the project (staff, hardware, software, 

time, budget, etc.) 

Alternatives 

Describe other options to implementing the proposed solution. Be sure to include 

basic requirements for each and estimate project risks, ramp-up time, costs and 

project delays. 

Compare Alternatives & State Advantages 

Compare and contrast each of the alternatives with the proposed solution. State 

similarities and differences, benefi ts and detriments, and costs associated with 

each option. 

Summarize the advantages of your proposed solution, paying particular attention 

to such items as ROI and cost/benefi t analysis, as well as the impact on revenues, 

profi ts and expenses.



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Additional Considerations 

List critical success factors other than metrics; for example, effects on partnership 

agreements with specifi c vendors, internal marketing and promotion, and the 

potential need for help desk or customer support. 

Action Plan/Recommendation 

Propose specifi c action steps. State your short-term and long-term action plans, 

including major milestones. 

Success Measurements 

Outline how you will measure the solution’s overall success (tie directly to Project 

Objectives). 

Executive Summary 

Compose a single page that will provide a clear, concise summary of the 

proposed solution. Include a high-level overview of your research that leads you 

to the proposal.



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MORE INFORMATION 

For additional information, send an email to 

connect@sumtotalsystems.com 

ABOUT SUMTOTAL 

SumTotal Systems, Inc. is the global leader in strategic Human 

Capital Management (HCM) solutions that provide organizations 

with a new level of visibility to help make more informed business 

decisions and accelerate growth. Recognized by industry 

analysts as the most complete solution, SumTotal provides full 

employee lifecycle management, including a core system of 

record, from a single provider for improved business intelligence. 

The company offers customers of all sizes and industries the most 

flexibility and choice with multiple purchase, configuration, and 

deployment options. We have increased the performance of the 

world’s largest organizations including Sony Electronics (NYSE: 

SNE), AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN [ADR]; London: AZN), Amway 

(KUL:AMWAY), Seagate (NYSE: STX), Dell (NASDAQ:DELL), 

and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG). 

For more information, or to request a demo, please call +1 (866) 

768-6825 (US / Canada), +1 (352) 264-2800 (international) or 

visit www.sumtotalsystems.com 

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS: 

SUMTOTAL SYSTEMS, INC. 

2850 NW 43RD STREET 

SUITE #150 

GAINESVILLE, FL 32606 USA 

PHONE: +1 352 264 2800 

FAX: +1 352 264 2801 

EMEA: 

SUMTOTAL SYSTEMS, UK 

59-60 THAMES STREET 

WINDSOR, BERKSHIRE 

UNITED KINGDOM, SL4 1TX 

PHONE +44 (0) 1753 211 900 

FAX +44 (0) 1753 211 901 

APAC: 

SUMTOTAL SYSTEMS, INDIA PVT. LTD. 

7TH FLOOR MAXIMUS TOWERS 

BUILDING 2B, MIND SPACE 

RAHEJA IT PARK, CYBERABAD 

HYDERABAD, AP- 500081, INDIA 

PHONE: +91 (0) 40 6695 0000 

FAX: +91 (0) 40 2311 2727 

© 2012 SumTotal Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. SumTotal, 

the SumTotal logo, and ToolBook are registered trademarks 

or trademarks of SumTotal Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in 

the United States and/or other countries. Other names may be 

trademarks of their respective owners. 012_0322LS

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