Federal agencies today are under extraordinary pressure. On one hand, they must modernize training, improve compliance, and deliver secure digital experiences to learners. On the other hand, they face flat or shrinking budgets, heightened oversight from watchdog agencies, and a mandate to “do more with less.”
Nowhere is this tension more apparent than in training and compliance. Learning management systems (LMS’) have long been essential, but most agencies juggle multiple standalone platforms — each with its own license, support team, integrations, and data headaches. The result? Bloated costs, duplicated work, and frustrated learners.A growing number of agencies are solving this problem by consolidating onto a native LMS built on ServiceNow. By unifying training within the same platform already used for IT, HR, and case management, agencies are reducing total cost of ownership (TCO) by up to 83% annually, while improving compliance, security, and learner experience.
Here we break down where those savings come from — and how agencies are achieving measurable, documented results.
When evaluating an LMS, agencies often focus on software subscription costs alone. But as every CIO knows, licensing is just the tip of the iceberg. The total cost of ownership includes:
One of the clearest cost reductions comes from replacing manual processes with ServiceNow automation.
Together, these operational efficiencies delivered more than $2 million in yearly savings, freeing federal staff to focus on mission readiness instead of spreadsheets.
Standalone LMS vendors often sell their systems for $1M+ annually per license, not including implementation and integration fees. For federal agencies with multiple departments, that quickly multiplies.
By consolidating on ServiceNow, agencies:
Instead of paying millions for separate contracts, agencies redirect those funds toward mission-critical needs.
Consolidating your LMS on ServiceNow gives your training staff the tools to deliver an exceptional training experience that fulfills your agency’s mission, spending less time on manual reporting, manual assignments, and other error-prone work.
The cost of supporting multiple systems is high. Each LMS requires its own team of administrators and support staff. In one agency:
By consolidating on ServiceNow, the agency eliminated duplicate effort, retaining only the staff needed to run a single system. ServiceNow’s automation further reduced the burden, allowing fewer people to do more with less.
When these categories are combined — software licenses, support staff, and operational inefficiencies — the savings are transformative.
For context, this is equivalent to hiring dozens of additional employees, funding new security initiatives, or accelerating modernization programs — all without requesting additional budget.
While cost savings are the headline, federal agencies also benefit in other ways:
Federal leaders who’ve experienced the shift often describe it as transformative:
“By consolidating, we didn’t just save money — we eliminated the confusion of multiple logins, multiple tickets, and multiple reports. Our learners finally have one place to go.”
~ L&D Admin, Federal Government Agency
"We didn't have a system for two years, and were using SharePoint to deliver training. Now with a native LMS on ServiceNow, we have everything we need.”
~ Learning System Project Manager, Federal Government Agency
These stories illustrate that while the financial case is clear, the human impact — better experiences for learners, administrators, and support staff — is equally powerful.
Federal agencies can no longer afford siloed, redundant training systems. By consolidating onto a native ServiceNow LMS, agencies achieve:
In today’s budget-constrained environment, these are not “nice-to-haves.” They are essential steps in meeting the government’s efficiency mandate while strengthening workforce readiness.
For federal CIOs, CTOs, and learning leaders, the message is clear: the path to reducing total cost of ownership is consolidation on ServiceNow.
PlatCore is the only LMS built natively on the ServiceNow platform. Let us show you how the power, flexibility, and security of a native ServiceNow LMS can transform your agency training.
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About PlatCore LMS
Built natively on ServiceNow, the PlatCore LMS enables secure, scalable, and integrated enterprise learning. From compliance to IT, HR, and customer training, PlatCore lets teams manage learning directly within ServiceNow — no third-party integrations needed. Its modern architecture supports automation, analytics, and AI-driven insights, reducing overhead and boosting engagement. Trusted by governments and enterprises, PlatCore unifies training with the systems teams use every day.