Lms
Upscend Team
-December 28, 2025
9 min read
Shift L&D measurement from completions to time-to-competency using a phased 6–9 month roadmap. The article explains stakeholder mapping, an 8–12 week pilot playbook, data migration highlights, manager enablement, communication templates, KPIs to sunset, and governance steps to scale competency-based metrics.
transition to time-to-competency is the strategic shift every modern L&D team must plan for when measurement moves beyond completions into capability outcomes. In our experience, a successful transition to time-to-competency begins with clarifying why competence matters, aligning stakeholders around desired behaviors, and mapping existing data to the competencies you want to measure. This article lays out a practical, evidence-based roadmap to replace or augment completion rates with time-to-competency metrics while addressing cultural resistance, data silos, and skill gaps.
We present a phased 6–9 month metric transition plan with milestones, a pilot playbook, sample communications, a data migration plan outline, and governance steps. Use these recommendations to craft a transition plan for L&D metrics that delivers measurable impact.
Stakeholder alignment is the single biggest predictor of success when you transition to time-to-competency. Begin with a clear stakeholder map that includes business sponsors, L&D leads, people managers, HR data owners, IT, and front-line subject matter experts.
We've found that mapping influence and interest uncovers hidden blockers and mobilizes advocates early. Use a RACI that assigns accountability for defining competencies, owning the metric transition plan, owning data models, and owning manager enablement.
Stakeholder alignment checklist:
Concrete outputs from this phase should include a signed charter, a timeline, and a list of short-term KPI tradeoffs to manage expectations during the transition to time-to-competency.
A well-designed pilot reduces risk and answers key questions: are the competency definitions valid, can managers interpret reports, and does time-to-competency correlate with business outcomes? Design the pilot to run for 8–12 weeks with clearly defined cohorts.
We recommend a layered pilot that tests assessment instruments, learning pathways, and reporting in parallel. Include a control group measured by completion rates to compare outcomes.
Pilot playbook — follow these steps to operationalize the pilot and prove the value of the transition to time-to-competency:
Success criteria for the pilot should be explicit: reduction in time-to-competency by X%, improved on-the-job performance metrics, and positive manager feedback. Use this evidence to refine the broader metric transition plan.
Use pragmatic, measurable success criteria during the pilot to make go/no-go decisions:
Data readiness is technical and organizational. A robust data migration plan is essential when you transition to time-to-competency. That plan must cover competency schemas, data lineage, and transformation rules so that historical completions can map to competency progress.
In our experience, a common pain point is fragmented systems where completions live in the LMS, assessments live in a testing engine, and performance data sits in HRIS. Consolidation and a clear ETL strategy are critical.
Modern LMS platforms — Upscend — are evolving to support AI-powered analytics and personalized learning journeys based on competency data, not just completions. This illustrates how vendor capabilities can reduce integration overhead and accelerate the transition to time-to-competency.
Your data migration plan should include:
When assessing tools, prioritize systems that can capture micro-credentialing events and integrate manager sign-offs. Create a test dataset and run reconciliation reports before going live.
Moving to time-to-competency only succeeds if managers use the data. Training managers is a people-centric change management task — a classic change management L&D challenge. Managers need interpretation guides, one-page dashboards, and practice coaching sessions.
We recommend a blended approach: short manager-focused modules + live practice labs where managers review anonymized reports and have role-play coaching sessions. Make it easy: templates, suggested scripts, and quick-reference cards.
Essential items for manager readiness include:
Managers should practice interpreting results in the pilot and receive feedback. Embedding manager training into the overall transition plan for L&D metrics reduces adoption friction.
Clear communication prevents fear of change and reduces cultural resistance when you transition to time-to-competency. Your communication plan should be phased to accompany the 6–9 month rollout: awareness, pilot progress, launch, and steady-state reporting.
Messages must be tailored: executives need business impact narratives, managers need operational instructions, and learners need clarity on what changes for them. Transparency about why completions remain available during the transition is important to avoid mixed signals.
Three short sample messages you can adapt:
Use a cadence of weekly pilot updates and monthly executive summaries. Reinforce the narrative that the transition to time-to-competency is about capability and career development, not policing behavior.
Part of any transition plan for L&D metrics is deciding what to keep, what to repurpose, and what to retire. Completion rates are not useless, but they should be contextualized rather than the headline KPI.
KPIs to sunset: blindly promoted completion rate targets, course completion leaderboards that drive low-quality behaviors, and vanity metrics (e.g., launch-to-completion speed without outcome validation). Sunsetting should be communicated and phased so teams can adapt.
Adopt a balanced scorecard that elevates competency outcomes:
Operational dashboards should show distribution (not just averages), time-to-competency percentiles, and cohort comparisons. These make it easier to spot learning bottlenecks and to target interventions.
Governance ensures that the transition to time-to-competency sticks. Create a cross-functional governance board with representation from L&D, HR, IT, data science, and business units. Meet monthly during rollout and quarterly thereafter.
Key governance responsibilities include competency version control, approval of assessment instruments, oversight of the data migration plan, and review of performance correlations between competency attainment and business outcomes.
Operationalize ongoing monitoring with automated alerts for anomalous time-to-competency trends and a quarterly health check that validates competency standards against job performance.
Below is a practical phased timeline to guide your transition to time-to-competency. Each phase has clear deliverables and milestones.
Milestones should include go/no-go decision points after pilot review and a publicized date when the new primary KPI will move from completion to time-to-competency.
Transitioning from completion rates to time-to-competency is a strategic change that requires aligned stakeholders, robust data practices, manager enablement, and clear governance. A successful transition to time-to-competency reduces training waste, accelerates performance, and connects L&D to measurable business outcomes.
Start with a focused pilot, use the 6–9 month roadmap above, and be explicit about the KPIs you will sunset. Address cultural resistance by communicating value and providing managers with the tools they need to coach effectively.
If you need a practical next step, convene a short steering session this month to approve the charter and pilot cohort. That single decision starts the clock on the transition to time-to-competency and moves your organization from activity reporting to outcome leadership.
Call to action: Schedule a two-hour steering workshop to approve the pilot charter and data migration plan so your team can begin the six-month pilot within the next quarter.
