Fixing the ROI problem in learning with AI

You want to know if your learning strategy is working. But if you're like most L&D leaders, you can't give a confident answer.

Tracking completion rates doesn't show business value, sharing engagement stats doesn't prove people are building skills that matter, and using spreadsheets to measure outcomes doesn't scale.

At 5app, we believe there is a better way. A way that gives L&D and HR leaders and business owners confidence that their learning initiatives add value to their bottom line

So we've spent the last six months speaking to over 50 L&D professionals to understand why this is still happening - and what to do about it.

Here's what we learned. And how we're using those insights to build something new.

The gap between learning and results

One head of L&D we interviewed told us:

"I know we're investing in the right areas. But I can't prove it."

This wasn't unusual.

Many teams have a good sense of where they want to go. They've defined business priorities. They've built learning plans. But the feedback loop is broken. There's no way to see what's working (or what's not) until it's too late.

We heard the same patterns again and again:

• Learning content is scattered across platforms
• Skill gaps are identified manually
• Managers don't know what to recommend
• L&D teams report on clicks, not outcomes

This isn't because teams aren't working hard. It's because they don't have the right tools.

The current approach isn't enough

Most learning platforms still focus on activity: making knowledge more accessible, making creating and curating easier and improving the user experience. 

All important (we do this too). But do we know if it's making a difference?

You might know that someone finished a course or opened a resource.

But you don't know what they learned, whether it helped them solve a real problem, or whether their performance changed.

That's a problem when the business asks "What return are we getting from this programme?"

If you can't show a connection between learning and performance, you lose influence. Your function becomes a cost centre, not a driver of capability.

That's what we're here to change.

What we're building

We're building a new AI-powered skills engine. It connects your learning content to real skills, maps those skills to business goals, and helps your people build the capabilities that matter most.

Here's what it does:

• Tags your existing learning content to core soft skills
• Tracks skills development in real time
• Recommends relevant content based on individual and team needs
• Gives you a clear view of where learning is moving the dial

No extra admin. No long setup. No guesswork. This tool doesn't just help you deliver learning. It helps you prove its impact.

What makes this different?

We've seen lots of platforms try to add skills features.

However, they often require manual tagging, complex frameworks, or too much configuration, so L&D teams end up doing more work to make them useful.

We've taken a different approach. Our AI engine does the heavy lifting. You upload your content. It maps it to a dynamic skills framework. It updates as your organisation evolves.

Behind the scenes

We first previewed this product during our webinar, The ROI in Learning Crisis: Fixed. You can watch it here.

In the session, we outlined the core problem:

L&D is under pressure to prove its value. But without the right data, it can't.

We also shared why most solutions fail. They focus on tracking usage, not outcomes. They treat skills as static, not evolving. And they assume managers and learners know what to do next.

Our new product changes that as it's designed to:

• Help learners understand where they are and what to do next
• Support managers in driving team development
• Give L&D teams a real-time view of what's working

Everything is grounded in what you told us: you want less complexity, more clarity, and tools that deliver value - not just data.

Why this matters now

Business needs are shifting faster than most L&D teams can keep up. Skills are becoming outdated more quickly. Expectations around performance are higher.

You can't wait six months to report on the impact of a programme. You need answers now. You need to make decisions today.

With our AI-powered skills engine, you'll have the tools to do that. You'll be able to:

• Spot skill gaps before they cause problems
• Align learning with business priorities
• Give your people clear, personalised learning paths
• Measure progress and show value

No more long reports. No more assumptions. Just data that helps you act.

Be the first to see what's coming

We're launching later this year, and we're opening up early access to a small group of L&D leaders.

 Register your interest if you want to:

• See behind-the-scenes updates
• Join pilot programmes
• Shape the roadmap with us