D2L Brightspace vs. SAP SuccessFactors HCM

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
D2L Brightspace
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
Brightspace is an academic and corporate learning management platform. It provides core e-learning features, as well as mobile accessibility and granular personalization and analytics insights.N/A
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
SAP SuccessFactors is a suite of HR/HCM products covering these capability areas: core HR and payroll, recruiting and onboarding, learning and development, performance and compensation management, workforce analytics and planning, and employee experience management.
$75.60
per year per user (Up to 100 Employees)
Pricing
D2L BrightspaceSAP SuccessFactors HCM
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
D2L BrightspaceSAP SuccessFactors HCM
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsMust contact vendor for pricing information. 30-day free trial is available.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
D2L BrightspaceSAP SuccessFactors HCM
Features
D2L BrightspaceSAP SuccessFactors HCM
Learning Management
Comparison of Learning Management features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
7.3
11 Ratings
12% below category average
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
-
Ratings
Course authoring2.911 Ratings00 Ratings
Course catalog or library8.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Player/Portal9.08 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning content9.010 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile friendly8.310 Ratings00 Ratings
Progress tracking & certifications9.010 Ratings00 Ratings
Assignments5.711 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance management8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning administration7.510 Ratings00 Ratings
Learning reporting & analytics7.511 Ratings00 Ratings
Social learning5.010 Ratings00 Ratings
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
8.0
726 Ratings
1% below category average
Employee demographic data00 Ratings8.3646 Ratings
Employment history00 Ratings8.0656 Ratings
Job profiles and administration00 Ratings7.8627 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.00 Ratings7.9596 Ratings
Organizational charting00 Ratings8.1665 Ratings
Organization and location management00 Ratings8.0598 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)00 Ratings7.6368 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
7.7
413 Ratings
6% below category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings8.0309 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings7.4277 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings7.7274 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings7.6262 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings7.8262 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings8.0335 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.7237 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
8.1
411 Ratings
1% below category average
Approval workflow00 Ratings8.4407 Ratings
Balance details00 Ratings8.1346 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment00 Ratings8.0305 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
8.2
584 Ratings
0% below category average
View and generate pay and benefit information00 Ratings8.3435 Ratings
Update personal information00 Ratings8.7568 Ratings
View company policy documentation00 Ratings7.9375 Ratings
Employee recognition00 Ratings7.8345 Ratings
View job history00 Ratings8.3543 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
8.4
3 Ratings
5% above category average
Tracking of all physical assets00 Ratings8.43 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
7.0
571 Ratings
8% below category average
Report builder00 Ratings7.2546 Ratings
Pre-built reports00 Ratings7.0517 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data00 Ratings6.7425 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
8.0
460 Ratings
0% above category average
New hire portal00 Ratings7.7446 Ratings
Manager tracking tools00 Ratings7.6417 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
8.4
567 Ratings
4% above category average
Corporate goal setting00 Ratings8.1506 Ratings
Individual goal setting00 Ratings8.2561 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility00 Ratings8.0455 Ratings
Performance tracking00 Ratings8.0528 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
8.1
599 Ratings
2% above category average
Performance plans00 Ratings8.1575 Ratings
Performance improvement plans00 Ratings7.9489 Ratings
Review status tracking00 Ratings8.0543 Ratings
Review reminders00 Ratings7.9538 Ratings
Multiple review frequency00 Ratings8.0441 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
8.0
406 Ratings
3% above category average
Create succession plans/pools00 Ratings8.1375 Ratings
Candidate ranking00 Ratings7.9355 Ratings
Candidate search00 Ratings7.9362 Ratings
Candidate development00 Ratings7.9340 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
D2L Brightspace
-
Ratings
SAP SuccessFactors HCM
4.1
478 Ratings
61% below category average
Job Requisition Management00 Ratings7.8454 Ratings
Company Website Posting00 Ratings7.7432 Ratings
Publish to Social Media00 Ratings7.8376 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting00 Ratings7.7416 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention00 Ratings7.4386 Ratings
Applicant Tracking00 Ratings7.8438 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts00 Ratings7.9441 Ratings
Best Alternatives
D2L BrightspaceSAP SuccessFactors HCM
Small Businesses
iSpring Learn
iSpring Learn
Score 9.5 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Schoology Learning
Schoology Learning
Score 9.6 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
Schoology Learning
Schoology Learning
Score 9.6 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
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User Ratings
D2L BrightspaceSAP SuccessFactors HCM
Likelihood to Recommend
1.0
(45 ratings)
8.4
(709 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(25 ratings)
8.6
(43 ratings)
Usability
6.4
(11 ratings)
8.0
(235 ratings)
Availability
9.0
(1 ratings)
8.8
(7 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(2 ratings)
7.8
(7 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(6 ratings)
5.5
(30 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(2 ratings)
Online Training
4.0
(2 ratings)
4.8
(5 ratings)
Implementation Rating
1.6
(3 ratings)
6.5
(15 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
5.3
(7 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
-
(0 ratings)
2.9
(4 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
6.9
(419 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.0
(1 ratings)
7.9
(7 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
6.2
(5 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
5.6
(6 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
4.7
(6 ratings)
User Testimonials
D2L BrightspaceSAP SuccessFactors HCM
Likelihood to Recommend
D2L
If you're an educational institution (K-12, Higher Ed, etc.), this is an amazing tool, and it will provide you all the functionality to support anything you may want and need it to do. If you are looking at Brightspace as a tool for corporate training, I'm not sure exactly how good or bad it will be for you. My guess would be that it likely depends on your organization's size. Along that line, what I can speak to is how we use it for our customized training and in-house professional development/training, and it works fantastically for that. While we primarily use it for normal higher ed coursework, we regularly do training and professional development for all of our employees and I manage those along with our HR department. Because we use it for many other things as well, all of our employees are familiar with the product, which makes our trainings go that much smoother and makes my job that much easier.
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SAP
It is a strong system that pays off once it's fully tailored to your organization. If your company has well-defined HR processes, SuccessFactors will likely integrate seamlessly. We've automated processes that previously required departments to spend weeks on back-and-forth emails. We've partnered with Capgemini to fully suck out the most out of its technical customization.
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Pros
D2L
  • Allowing users to embed content links from YouTube or Google Drive enables learners to experience a richer lesson.
  • Providing a powerful editor that allows developers to also include content from Adobe Stock as well as textbook publishers and cloud storage companies gives more power and creative ability to instructors.
  • Providing scaling for mobile and traditional computer systems ensures students will not have issues on the go.
  • The customization of home pages and groups enable courses to be used for small training sessions with breakout groups, large courses with separate sections, and even just more engaging courses that present themed icons and logos.
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SAP
  • The product is straightforward to use. The product allows instant edits if a mistake is made and is very helpful in keeping track of individual employee working hours.
  • Use of the platform ensures that your business is connected to a global workforce experience powered by modern HR technologies and AI.
  • Implementation of the software ensures an excellent workforce experience and accelerates overall business performance.
Read full review
Cons
D2L
  • One can feel a bit rushed on the Brightspace platform during the log-out period. Security requirements may require this, but it makes end-users more conscious about getting through content than taking notes.
  • From my experience, there is not a direct connection between the platform and Outlook.
  • Some content on the platform can feel redundant.
Read full review
SAP
  • I think just overall the configuration can be a little bit hard on the backend user, like myself, knowing which screens to go to. Better documentation on how we configure things would be a great resource for employees in the HR field that are making those backend changes.
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Likelihood to Renew
D2L
I would never give any system a perfect score. In the technology environment today we need to be constantly looking at ways to improve the user experience and LMS companies like Desire2Learn need to know that we have options today with other systems and they need to stay current with features and listen to their customers.
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SAP
It is the product that the Business is fully committed to for co-ordinately HR processes. Employee and Manage Self-Service has allow our business to reduce the overheads in our HR operating mode. The integration with 3rd party products is now in place and further developments will only increase its importance. SuccessFactors provide regular enhancements and has a support model in line with our business requirements.
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Usability
D2L
Overall, the learning environment works as expected. However, there are plenty of bugs. For example, for a few versions, trying to print out a PDF from the Content screen in several browsers would produce a blank page. We inform D2L support about these issues, most of which are known issues. However, they are very slow to respond. D2L seems to spend more time selling than actually coding and testing their product. Most of the issues are not major -- however, there have been a few that are unbelievable. In fact, this past week we had a sudden issue where the "Submit" button in quizzes would not appear if users had a certain browser/operating system combination. This is a major problem, if students cannot submit their exams! D2L is slow to respond to these kinds of situations, which do occur more often than I would like.
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SAP
1. User training is required to be acquainted with the technology, but better output is achieved while automating most tasks. 2. Data-driven decision making in terms of performance, hiring, review, and compensation. 3. Better scale-based talent search from the talent pool. 4. better integration performance with SAP products like SAP MM, SAP FICO, SAP Sales, SAP SD, etc.
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Reliability and Availability
D2L
Both students and instructor enjoy the 24-hoiur access. After, all isn't that the point of online learning. As an instructor located in an Eastern time zone state it is great to connect with students located in a Pacific time zone state. I have gotten comments about the early hours I am in the course room grading assignments . . . 4:00 a.m. PST; 7:00 a.m. EST So, it's sleep time for my students and "first cup of coffee" time for me.
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SAP
Until now we have not had serious availability problems with SuccessFactors, we had Microsoft Active Directory and SSO with ADFS and we had availability problems but because of problems with ADFS, we migrated to Azure AD and with that the availability problems of SuccessFactors because of ADFS went away. The only windows of unavailability that we have had are those that we are communicated to do maintenance and upgrades.
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Performance
D2L
Easy to navigate; little to no delay from one section of the course room to another; actually fun to use after overcoming the learning curve.
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SAP
The performance is very good, the truth is that we have not had serious performance problems, some complex reports may take a little longer, but considering the complexity and the amount of records it is an acceptable time. We have never received a complaint from users regarding page loading speed.
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Support Rating
D2L
I have had excellent support from Desire2Learn. Any ticket that I submit is acknowledged immediately and the correction is usually almost as quick. We use this for thousands of classes and it is pretty well liked by both faculty and students. We have been using it for almost 4 years now and most of our instructors have become pretty proficient with it.
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SAP
SAP SuccessFactors has been a easy to implement tool with low risks for a sensitive thing like employee feedback. It provides powerful performance in the backend functionalities, and at the same time a great look and feel for the employees. Totally recommended.
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In-Person Training
D2L
Did not participate in the in-person training due to distance; training was completed online
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SAP
The in-person training was with a consultancy, we have taken several courses, all very specific. They have been reports in ecp, general configuration of ec, reports and IAS
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Online Training
D2L
The training provided online did not, necessarily, fit the version of the system that I was using. Screens were somewhat different and not all options were readily available. This could have been due to customization on the part of my institution however, I rather believe it was due to version changes and training materials not yet being updated.
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SAP
We use SAP Learning, and we like it very much, the topics are updated along with the products, we have access to the SFX customer certifications and we have done them all, in general the SAP learning platform is very good and complete.
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Implementation Rating
D2L
The D2L implementation team listened to our concerns and built a system based upon our needs. We wanted to keep them after the initial implementation.
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SAP
As we were new with all this, we would greatly appreciate if we had assitance directly from SAP so we can implement the modules with all of its features and best practices. Unfortunately, we notice that the partner left some thing incomplete.
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Alternatives Considered
D2L
I have used Blackboard Learn 8 and 9. I am currently learning about Canvas. Blackboard is overall much clunkier and lacks the intuitive feel in some parts of D2L. Its grade book is much harder to control and manipulate than D2L's. Its navigation menu can be more radically modified from the default than D2L's, but this doesn't seem that useful to me. Discussions in Blackboard can be more easily reorganized than in D2L, but no grading of discussions is possible. Blackboard Assignments is a good innovation which allows markup directly in the students' submissions, but it displays student work in a confusing manner that doesn't allow for any customization, and its markup options need further tweaking. Furthermore, no rubrics can be used in Blackboard in any way to grade any kind of work (that I am aware of). Overall, I would choose D2L over Blackboard.
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SAP
SAP SuccessFactors is a very user-friendly application, it stacks up very well against competition, such as Oracle PeopleSoft HCM. We selected SAP SuccessFactors because we are already using a lot of other SAP solutions, such as SAP S/4 HANA and SAP Business Technology Platform. It allows us to have single-sign on and one vendor with multiple solutions.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
D2L
No answers on this topic
SAP
Not applicable.
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Scalability
D2L
During my first semester working with Desire2Learn the integrated learning management system was more down than up. This meant reconfiguring assignment due dates, frustration for both the instructor, students, and help desk staff. After an upgrade, Desire2Learn has been reliable.
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SAP
The scalability and flexibility of SuccessFactors is unbeatable. It is very easy to scale the product to new countries and areas, and with the help of CPI it can be easily integrated.
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Professional Services
D2L
No answers on this topic
SAP
Once time we need to change the datacenter and we made this with the professional services from SAP... everything goes just fine. excelent service.
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Return on Investment
D2L
  • I cannot speak to whether this system is less expensive than the more fully featured Blackboard, but employees are far less efficient, frustrated, and require frequent calls to the help center to set up fairly simple course templates.
  • I have been asked to consider teaching courses which will be completely online at my current institution. I have done such online courses several times at other universities, but I have decided Desire2Learn is too frustrating and cumbersome to do so. I am now exploring using Google Drive to teach a course online. Otherwise, I will not teach online until required or I find an alternate system.
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SAP
  • We can clearly outline our objectives, targets, and methods to accomplish the same, grades and reviews, and overall progress.
  • Helps identify areas of strengths and weaknesses, constructive criticism.
  • Increases motivation and confidence, which is then reflected in our daily work routine.
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ScreenShots

D2L Brightspace Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of

SAP SuccessFactors HCM Screenshots

Screenshot of how to navigate to all SAP SuccessFactors solution modules and complete tasks using natural language—thanks to Joule, the AI copilot with generative AI.Screenshot of where to acquire future-ready skills by sourcing, engaging, and hiring top talent, as well as save time evaluating candidates and match skills to roles more efficiently with AI-powered applicant screening.Screenshot of some of the metrics that empower HR professionals, analysts, and business partners to answer questions about a workforce, or that influence business decisions with data-driven insights and an evidence-based approach to HR.Screenshot of the mobile interface, which also helps automate processes to improve employee and manager self-service, and strengthen compliance.Screenshot of