How to train partners and customers with Totara: Extended Enterprise Learning explained

Totara supports extended enterprise learning by using multi-tenancy: each external audience (partners, resellers, customers) gets their own separate learning environment within a single platform, with dedicated branding, content, and administrators. This means organisations do not need to run multiple systems to train both internal employees and external stakeholders.

If you are searching for a customer or partner-oriented digital solution, or even better, if you are also looking to cover the professional development of your employees with an all-in-one learning platform, Totara might be just what you need. 

Which target groups can Totara reach as an extended enterprise service? 

Here are the most common:

1. Partners: Totara can be used to deliver training to partners such as resellers, distributors, and suppliers. This can include training on products, services, and policies. This can be especially relevant for manufacturing businesses.
2. Customers: Companies all over the world - be it in the Healthcare, Technology or Environmental field - benefit from Totaras self-enrollment and guest access features to open up their platform to customers and teach them how to use products, services, and software. Training types can include self-paced courses, webinars, and virtual training.
3. Franchisees: Totara may be the perfect solution to enable franchises to grow, by offering franchisees trainings on how to run the business, use systems, and sell products.

But why stop at just one user group? Thanks to its audience and multitenancy features, Totara enables companies to reach all of their target groups – including their employees – without the need to have multiple separate systems to manage. The content of each tenant can be aimed to fit the specific needs of each group. 

 What types of training and content can Totara deliver for extended enterprise? 

Here are some examples:

• Programs and Certifications: Totara Learn allows businesses to create and bundle courses into programs and certifications – such as compliance certifications – which guide their external partners and customers to the achievement of their learning goals. This is accompanied by reliable tracking and reporting e.g. on training completion and compliance status, as well as the chance to provide learners with certificate and digital badges.
• Community learning: Thanks to its Engage module, Totara can be deployed to build and support learning communities for customers, partners, and other external stakeholders. This can be done through discussion forums, knowledge sharing and gathering, as well as the integration with MS Teams.
• Event management: Through the integrated seminar and webinar management, Totara offers a place to keep track of booking, attendance as well as logistics both for on-site and digital events and trainings. 

Overall, Totara provides a comprehensive platform for extended enterprise learning that enables organizations to extend their training and development programs beyond their own walls. It provides a flexible and customizable solution that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of the extended enterprise, allowing organizations to deliver targeted and effective training to their external stakeholders.

How do mid-sized companies use extended enterprise LMS? 

Geutebrück, a mid-sized video management specialist, uses Totara to train internal employees, external partners and end customers within a single platform. The project involved migrating from a legacy SaaS system, setting up multi-tenancy for different audience groups, and automating user management. More on the project: https://totara.com/customer-stories/geutebruck-transforms-the-extended-enterprise-experience-with-totara-learn/

FAQs

What is the difference between an LMS and an extended enterprise platform?

A standard LMS is designed to manage learning for an organisation's own employees. An extended enterprise platform goes further: it allows organisations to deliver training to audiences outside their own walls, such as resellers, distributors, franchisees, and customers. The key difference is multi-tenancy: each external audience gets its own separate learning environment with dedicated branding, content, and administrators, all within a single platform, without the need to run multiple separate systems.

Can Totara train both employees and external partners in one system?

Yes. Totara's audience and multi-tenancy features allow organisations to reach all of their target groups within a single platform, including internal employees alongside external partners, resellers, and customers. Each tenant can be configured with its own content, branding, and user management, so different groups have a tailored learning experience without any overlap.

What is multi-tenancy in an LMS?

Multi-tenancy in an LMS means that a single platform instance is divided into separate, isolated environments called tenants. Each tenant has its own users, content, branding, and administrators. Users in one tenant cannot see content or users from another tenant. A site administrator has oversight across all tenants. In practice, this allows a company to run one platform for employees, one for resellers, and one for customers, managed centrally but experienced separately.