From “Adequate” to an Integrated Learning & Performance Ecosystem

HEAPY set out to move beyond a transactional approach to learning management and build an integrated, Colleague First learning ecosystem, one that blends learning with doing, decentralises learning and development ownership, and connects development to performance. Learn Amp provided the platform and partnership to realise that vision. Following a thoughtfully staged rollout, HEAPY reports a marked cultural shift: colleagues explore and self-serve, subject matter experts publish content without bureaucratic bottlenecks, and leadership can now align learning, goals and (soon) skills in one place.

Highlights

• Pull over push: Colleagues now discover content and events organically, not just via assignment.
  
  
• Decentralised ownership: Technical experts can author and share, with L&D coaching for quality.
  
  
• Learning ≈ Doing: Events, resources, missions and performance workflows live side‑by-side.
  
  
• Change by design: A phased rollout and narrative-driven comms reframed “another LMS change” into a strategic upgrade.
  
  
• Next horizon: User-generated content, skills mapping, and supervisor enablement.
  

HEAPY is a nationally recognised leader in sustainable and resilient engineering design, whose culture emphasises the importance and value of each colleague, summed up in the phrase Colleague First. Prior to Learn Amp, learning “wasn’t a desert,” but it was adequate at best: content and ownership were fragmented; learning felt separate from work; and the legacy LMS was a “check the box” tool that people only entered for assigned courses. With a new five-year strategic plan and the company’s first dedicated L&D leader in seat, HEAPY recognised that ambitions for growth and its Colleague First “north star” required a modern, integrated approach. 

1. Siloed systems & mindset: Learning lived apart from daily performance (focused on event-based training instances instead of interwoven performance support).
   
   
2. Limited discovery: The prior LMS discouraged exploration; users completed assignments and left.
   
   
3. Bureaucratic bottlenecks: Training often queued behind L&D, slowing subject‑matter experts and making L&D experts administrative support instead of strategic learning partners.
   
   
4. Change fatigue: A previous LMS switch < 3 years earlier meant colleagues needed a compelling why for ANOTHER platform change.
   
   
5. Strategic need: Upcoming retirements and evolving capabilities demanded visibility into skills and gaps.

• Integrated ecosystem: A through‑line from learning to development.
  
  
• Authoring freedom + quality: SMEs (and soon, colleagues) can publish; L&D coaches for effectiveness.
  
  
• Discovery by design: Tagging, and content structures support organic exploration and knowledge sharing.
  
  
• Events & blended learning: Centralised events with enrolments, comms and resources in one place.
  
  
• Partnership model: A vendor mindset aligned to experimentation, iteration and scale.

Strategic “Blackout” for Clarity

Mid‑implementation, HEAPY intentionally paused to re‑architect the rollout story, content standards, and governance. Rather than import legacy materials wholesale, the team curated and rebuilt for the new learning paradigm to keep Learn Amp’s environment purposeful and clean.

Narrative-Driven Rollout

Jackie framed the change as a colleague experience upgrade, explaining why HEAPY was moving platforms, what would change, and how colleagues benefit. Communications and rollout “missions” were paced over several weeks, balancing excitement with clarity to avoid overwhelming colleagues.

Enablement for Decentralised Ownership

• Guides and coaching for technical training leaders.
  
  
• Light governance to maintain quality without re‑introducing red tape.
  
  
• Emphasis on performance support: bringing learning as close to real work as possible.

• Exploration became normal. Platform analytics and lived experience show colleagues now browse beyond assigned missions, clicking into events, libraries and related items.
  
  
• SMEs ship faster. Experts can author directly; L&D focuses on coaching and standards.
  
  
• Events are centralised. Upcoming sessions, enrolments and resources are visible and manageable in one hub.
  
  
• Learning and doing converged. Missions, resources, discussions and workflows sit alongside performance practices, reducing context switching.
  
  
• Trust in the platform. A branded, modern interface signalled a fresh start and encouraged adoption.

While HEAPY continues to analyse post‑launch data, early indicators include:

• Higher session depth: Users spend longer in the platform, exploring beyond initial tasks.
• Broader participation: More teams engage with events and shared resources.
  
  
• Faster iteration: L&D and SMEs can test, learn and improve programs rapidly.
  
  
• Stronger narrative alignment: Colleagues understand the why and are more open to change.

• Design the story, not just the switch. Treat rollout as change management, not a technical cutover.
  
  
• Keep learning close to the work. Prioritise performance support over one‑off courses.
  
  
• Decentralise with coaching. Let SMEs publish; L&D safeguards experience quality.
  
  
• Curate don’t just migrate. Only bring forward content that serves the new strategy.
  
  
• Pause to go faster. A brief, intentional redesign window can accelerate adoption and impact.