22 January 2025
Harley Academy
Smoothing out LMS problems to save resources and improve user experiences for medical aesthetics training provider Harley Academy.
Enhancing the efficiency and performance of aesthetics courses
Harley Academy is the UK’s leading provider of aesthetic medicine training courses for doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists. It delivers a Level 7 diploma, as well as masterclasses and training courses covering injectables, cosmetic dermatology, botox and other aesthetic treatments, to 1,000 medical professionals every month.
Courses are completed in person at its London clinics, with supporting e-learning delivered via Harley Academy’s learning management system.
LMS challenges
Harley Academy Academy had encountered several key issues with their LMS that impacted user experience and operational efficiency.
Against this backdrop, Synergy Learning were tasked with creating an LMS that would resolve the key issues being faced by Harley Academy and support its growth plans.
Time and resource-draining administration
Slow, laborious and inefficient admin tasks dominated the LMS. User management, plugin updates and other key tasks had to be done manually.
Frustrating user experiences
Performance issues on some parts of the LMS were exacerbated by outdated technology and user interface. This resulted in slow, inconsistent and frustrating experiences.
Disjointed learning journeys
Fragmented learning experiences were undermining the seamless progression through courses that the Harley Academy wanted to provide.
Inaccurate reporting
Harley Academy was unable to measure learner engagement and other key metrics effectively. It had resorted to time-consuming manual data tracking to build reliable data.
An injection of automation
Having identified that a Totara Learn platform would best address the problems highlighted by the Harley Academy and support its needs, we resolved each of the issues that were holding the academy back.
We created automated workflows that have dramatically reduced the administrative burden on the Harley Academy team.
We also developed two custom plugins to support Harley Academy’s business goals. A WordPress integration with the Harley Academy website syncs product purchases with the LMS, while a HubSpot integration syncs user and enrolment data.
When a customer buys a course from the website, they are now added as a new user on the LMS and automatically assigned the courses they bought within seconds.
Other automated workflows make it simpler for Harley Academy to create and launch new courses. The results are greater consistency, reliability and speed for customers, and fewer manual tasks for administrators.
These improvements are enhanced by faster load times, a more responsive LMS, and an end to the performance issues that impacted the old site.
We worked closely with the Harley Academy to create new, unified and coherent customer journeys. This included conducting a UX workshop to plan user experiences that would meet the needs of both admins and customers.
Using Spark — our better-than-bespoke LMS theme — we crafted a visually cohesive, user-friendly platform that matches Harley Academy’s branding.
Learners now progress seamlessly to and through courses. Simple but effective visual aids and due date prompts help each learner to track and manage their progress. This has driven higher engagement with courses and better learning outcomes.
Harley Academy knows this is the case because, with Totara’s powerful reporting system, it has access to robust and reliable analytics and real-time tracking of usage and completions.
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Contact Us43% uplift in exam capacity
Harley Academy now has a fast, efficient and intuitive LMS. It is fully managed by our learning technology experts, who oversee every aspect of installation, hosting, monitoring, security updates and backups. This has delivered marked improvements across all the key areas of concern at the start of the project.
Laborious manual processes are automated within seconds, saving valuable time and resources that can be deployed more effectively. The result has been a 43% increase in the number of exams Harley Academy can deliver. By streamlining processes and enabling real-time insights, the academy can anticipate trends and proactively respond to changing customer needs.
More precise and efficient reporting gives better insights into user progress. This helps the academy to tailor training to meet its customers’ needs and support its growth plans, and maintain a market-leading medical aesthetics training LMS.
Andrea Metcalfe
Chief Operating Officer | Harley Academy
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