Ventana Research Analyst Perspectives

Here are some insights on Saba drawn from our latest Value Index research, which provides a balanced perspective of Learning Management Systems (LMS) vendors and products that’s rooted in an understanding of business drivers and needs. Our continuous research and analysis of the market for business applications and technologies guide our comprehensive approach to this Value Index on Learning Management Systems 2020. Organizations can use it to evaluate existing suppliers and potential new technology partners; applying it can shorten the cycle time for an RFP. This approach not only reduces cost and time but also minimizes the risk of making a decision that is bad for the business. Using the Value Index will enable your organization to achieve the levels of efficiency and effectiveness needed to optimize learning management.

We evaluated Saba and 11 other vendors in seven categories, five product-related (adaptability, capability, manageability, reliability and usability) and two concerning the vendor (TCO/ROI and vendor validation). To arrive at the Value Index rating for a given vendor, we weighted each of the seven categories to reflect its relative importance in an RFP process, with the weightings based on data derived from our benchmark research on LMS.

Saba has been a leading provider in the LMS market for over 20 years and ranks second overall in this Value Index on LMS. The vendor is a Value Index Leader (top three) in the TCO/ROI and Capability categories as well as in the Customer Assurance category. The first (Cornerstone OnDemand) and second place (Saba) vendors became one company in April 2020, when Cornerstone OnDemand’s acquisition of Saba was finalized. Due to our Value Index publication process and schedule, however, these vendors were evaluated separately.

Saba leads the field in TCO/ROI because it offers among the best tools and support for potential customers evaluating vendors in the learning management space. Saba also scores very well in the Capability category due to the product’s integrated real-time collaboration tools and a robust recommendations engine that leverages data from Saba Cloud and applies algorithms to offer personalized recommendations. The product also supports virtual reality content and integrates learning paths with career goals. In addition, a check-in tool enables managers to have meaningful coaching conversations with employees about performance, skill development and career plans. The vendor would have performed better in the Validation category with clearer evidence of market momentum.

This research-based index is the most comprehensive assessment of the value of learning management systems (LMS) software in the industry. You can learn more about our Value Index as an effective vendor selection and RFI/RFP tool here and participating vendors can learn more about how to use the Value Index here.