Digital learning needs to demonstrate its value

Published in March 2025, the Fosway 9-Grid™ for Digital Learning looks at the market for Suites and Specialist content providers in the digital learning space. Here, Fosway analysts ask how providers can navigate a tight market and the ways they can prove their value.

Economic realities continue to encourage a more mature and focused buying behaviour as well as more rigorous management of existing services and resources. Clarity of the role solutions have in meeting business and performance goals has to be matched by the ability to demonstrate success as well as to monitor and communicate progress. Dashboards containing only traditional learning measures such as attendance, completion and satisfaction are increasingly unable to support the evidence-based decisions that learning leaders are expected to make.

What started initially as a move to offer learning and performance analytics has gained momentum, becoming a consistent need / roadmap item for vendors. Headcount reductions and hiring freezes are still a reality for many L&D teams whilst expectations continue to grow. Whilst an oversimplification, ‘doing more with less’, is being thoroughly tested as new priorities are added on top of the business-as-usual requirements of compliance, onboarding and leadership.

Aggregation creates a dynamic partnership environment

Two principal trends are creating more complex and dynamic relationships amongst digital learning providers. First is the demand for simpler supply arrangements from customers as they look for efficiencies and greater value from tighter budgets, making learning aggregators a more attractive proposition. Second is the way off-the-shelf content providers are now seeking new partnerships to find new customers in a tight market. Whilst this approach has always been a feature of traditional learning content businesses, many specialists are now following this route too.

Aggregators are benefiting from both these developments, further extending the range and depth of solutions they can offer and showing stronger growth as a result. But making content available is only one part of the puzzle. Extracting value from content sources for customers is another. Balancing learner experience with admin features that optimise content coverage and value is needed for strong outcomes for customers and providers alike.

Bespoke solutions providers look to consulting to expand

The need for bespoke providers to deliver effective solutions and demonstrable business outcomes requires a more consultative approach to customer relationships from vendors. As a result, many are now positioning themselves as performance services in addition to learning providers. The presence of the Big Four consulting houses in the learning market is significant too. Vendors that can demonstrate they understand and make an impact on business value have an advantage. In reality though, there are few providers that can genuinely play this role; most focus on learning consulting and advisory services alone.

This is an excerpt from the Fosway 9-Grid™ for Digital Learning. Get the full insight and discover all the latest market and solution trends by reading the whole report here.

What should you do next?

• Sign up to be part of Digital Learning Realities 2025 – ignore the hype and be part of the reality of modern digital learning. Share your experiences in this year’s research cycle and get first look at the results.
• How will AI affect the future of digital learning? Take part in Fosway’s strategic AI project for 2025: ‘AI in Learning’.

Other recommended reading

• Browse everything related to Digital Learning in the Fosway Group Knowledge Centre. Find out more here.
• The 2025 Fosway 9-Grid^TM for Learning Systems – full report. Just released: the latest look at the market and solution trends in learning platforms – get the full analysis today.
• Digital Learning Realities 2024 – Ask the Analyst – Our recent webinar quizzing lead analyst David Perring on the critical insights from the last research cycle.

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