SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) once revolutionized eLearning. It standardized how content was packaged and played in LMSs, helping teams create reusable, trackable learning modules. But what worked in 2004 doesn’t hold up in today’s SaaS-driven world of agile development, user-generated content, and seamless digital experiences.
SCORM was built for static courses, desktop delivery, and siloed systems—and it hasn’t evolved much since. While it still lingers in legacy systems, customer education professionals are increasingly bumping up against its limits.
Here are nine reasons SCORM is slowly but surely becoming extinct—and what customer education teams should look for instead.
1. SCORM limits content flexibility
SCORM forces content into a predefined structure that doesn't support today’s dynamic formats. You can’t easily embed simulations, modern app-like interfaces, or new media types. For SaaS education teams trying to create modular, UX-forward content, SCORM is like building with bricks when you need flexible fabric. If you’re trying to deliver embedded microlearning or just-in-time tutorials, SCORM’s rigid model makes it harder, not easier.
2. It requires specialized tools and skills
Creating SCORM content isn’t intuitive or accessible. You typically need authoring tools like Storyline, Captivate, or Lectora—and someone trained to use them. That means extra licenses, extra training, and extra time.
In a SaaS company, where knowledge often lives with product managers or support reps, that complexity becomes a bottleneck. Those closest to the customer can’t contribute directly, and your customer education team becomes a content gatekeeper instead of a facilitator.
3. Updates are cumbersome and risky
When your product UI changes weekly (or daily), training content needs to keep up. But SCORM doesn’t make that easy. A tiny edit—like fixing a typo or updating a screenshot—often requires repackaging and reuploading the entire module. In some LMSs, that wipes out learner progress. This leads to a cycle of delayed updates, bloated course backlogs, and outdated content staying live because no one wants to touch the SCORM file.
4. SCORM is too slow for agile SaaS
SaaS moves fast. Agile teams deploy new features every sprint, and customer education needs to match that velocity. SCORM’s slow update process and rigid format make it nearly impossible to respond in real time. By the time your updated SCORM course is live, your product team may have already shipped another change. SCORM locks training into a waterfall rhythm that just doesn’t work in modern SaaS.
5. It doesn’t do personalization
Today’s learners expect relevant, personalized experiences. SCORM can support basic branching, but it’s static and rule-based. There’s no dynamic adaptivity, no AI-based recommendations, and no real-time tailoring based on behavior or role. Whether your learner is a brand-new admin or a power user, they get the same rigid experience. That’s a huge miss when trying to drive feature adoption across diverse customer segments. BrainStorm makes it easy to create personalized content.
6. It's siloed from the rest of the stack
SCORM was built for LMSs—and that’s where it lives. If you want your training content to talk to your CRM, analytics dashboard, product usage data, or in-app help system, SCORM can’t help you. It doesn’t support API-level integrations or event-driven triggers. That means learning data stays locked in the LMS, and the training experience stays disconnected from the product. In an era where learning is expected to be part of the customer journey, SCORM remains stubbornly isolated.
7. SCORM isn't built for mobile
Mobile is no longer optional—especially for customers trying to learn on the go. But SCORM wasn’t designed for mobile. Even when exported in HTML5, SCORM modules often behave inconsistently across devices. They’re not responsive by default, they don’t handle offline access well, and they can feel clunky on small screens. When your customers expect training to be available anytime, anywhere, SCORM holds you back.
8. SCORM offers shallow data
Completion. Time spent. Quiz score. That’s about the extent of what SCORM tracks. It doesn’t give you insight into what users clicked, where they dropped off, how they engaged with content, or what impact the training had on behavior. You can’t correlate SCORM data with product adoption, customer retention, or support ticket reduction—because it wasn’t built for that. In a world driven by data, SCORM gives you a keyhole view when you need a wide-angle lens. Check out BrainStorm's reporting capabilities.
9. It doesn’t support content at scale
Modern customer education is collaborative. Subject matter experts, CSMs, support teams—even customers themselves—should be able to create, share, and update content. But SCORM doesn’t play well with this model. It requires centralized production, which slows everything down. There’s no version control or co-authoring, and even basic edits require expertise. As a result, you end up with a bottlenecked content pipeline, and knowledge trapped in people’s heads instead of reaching customers when it matters.
Sure, SCORM helped us standardize. Now it’s time to evolve.
SCORM was a meaningful step in the evolution of digital learning—but its time has passed. It simply wasn’t built for the agile, integrated, user-driven world of SaaS customer education. What’s needed now is a new content standard (or ecosystem of standards) that’s:
- Flexible and modular: Easy to update and remix without republishing full packages
- Fast and accessible to create: Authorable by anyone, not just instructional designers
- Interoperable: Plug-and-play with the rest of your tech stack
- Insightful: Capable of tracking learning behaviors and linking to business impact
- Adaptive: Able to personalize content and pathways for different users
- Democratized: Supports contribution and co-creation from across your org
xAPI is one step forward—it offers broader tracking and works outside the LMS—but even it doesn’t fully meet the needs of fast-paced SaaS education teams. We need something lighter, more open, and more modern.
In fast-moving SaaS environments, relying on legacy SCORM-based training is like trying to win a race with a decades-old engine – it may run, but it can’t keep up. BrainStorm Flows offer a fresh, modern alternative that empowers customer education teams to deliver training as agile and innovative as their products.
👉 See a Side-by-Side of SCORM vs BrainStorm Flows
👉 Learn about BrainStorm’s SCORM Transition Services
Instead of static one-size-fits-all courses, Flows provide flexible, adaptive learning paths that adjust to each user’s needs in real-time. And while SCORM was groundbreaking in its day, it lacks the personalization, seamless updates, and integration that today’s users expect.
By embracing a dynamic, personalized platform like BrainStorm Flows, SaaS teams can educate customers more effectively and keep pace with continuous product changes – turning customer education into a true driver of adoption and success. The result is a superior learning experience for users and less hassle for teams, leaving SCORM in the rear-view mirror.
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