Modernising learning infrastructure to support capability, efficiency, and future innovation
The Challenge
Farmlands operates in one of New Zealand’s most competitive and cost-conscious sectors, supporting rural communities and businesses across the primary industry.
Like many organisations, Farmlands faces the ongoing challenge of building workforce capability while maintaining operational efficiency and delivering value for stakeholders. To support these goals, the organisation identified the need to upgrade its learning management system to Totara V20.
While maintaining a secure and supported platform was an important driver, the upgrade represented more than a technical requirement. It was an opportunity to strengthen the organisation’s learning ecosystem and position Farmlands to take advantage of emerging capabilities within the Totara platform.
In particular, Farmlands recognised the potential of Totara’s evolving user experience and AI-enabled functionality to streamline learning administration, improve the learner experience, and support more efficient content development processes over time.
The challenge was to complete the upgrade with minimal disruption while ensuring the platform remained aligned with the organisation’s long-term capability and performance objectives.
Our Partnership
Synapsys partnered with Farmlands to deliver a seamless upgrade to Totara V20, combining technical expertise with a focus on long-term business value.
The project was carefully planned to minimise operational impact while providing a stable foundation for future capability development. Alongside the technical upgrade, the project considered how new platform features could support Farmlands’ broader learning and performance goals.
Our approach incorporated robust upgrade processes, proactive testing, and quality assurance activities designed to reduce risk and ensure a smooth transition. We also leveraged automation and AI-assisted internal workflows where appropriate to improve efficiency throughout the delivery process.
Throughout the project, the focus remained on achieving a practical outcome: delivering a modern, reliable platform that would continue supporting learning across the organisation while creating opportunities for future innovation.
The Impact
Farmlands now has a secure, modern learning platform that is ready to support the organisation’s evolving capability needs.
The Totara V20 upgrade provides access to a range of enhanced platform capabilities, including improved user experience features and emerging AI-supported tools that may help streamline learning administration and content development in the future.
The upgraded environment also creates a stronger foundation for scalable learning delivery, helping Farmlands continue investing in workforce capability while maintaining the efficiency and value focus that are critical within the primary sector.
More broadly, the project demonstrates how a technology upgrade can be used not only to maintain platform currency, but also to create future opportunities for capability development, operational efficiency, and improved learner experiences.
“A platform upgrade is often viewed as a technical exercise. In reality, it can be an opportunity to strengthen the systems that support capability across an organisation.”