What is Anthology and is it the right platform for your organisation?

Anthology is an integrated software platform designed to support the full lifecycle of higher education management.

Combining capabilities across human capital management (HCM), learning management, student information systems, and institutional operations, Anthology aims to connect people, data, and systems into one cohesive ecosystem.

Anthology is best known for its LMS (Learning Management System) capabilities -particularly following its merger with Blackboard and continues to evolve as a cloud-first platform that also supports HR, finance, and data analytics. For education providers seeking a unified solution to manage teaching, administration, and talent, Anthology offers a modern and scalable path forward.

This page outlines Anthology’s key features, where it fits best, and how to assess whether it aligns with your organisation’s strategy for digital transformation in education and workforce enablement.

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Key features of Anthology

  • Integrated LMS with course creation, assessments, and analytics
  • Talent and human capital management for academic and administrative staff
  • Student Information System (SIS) with lifecycle management
  • Financial planning and institutional budgeting tools
  • Personalised learning paths and mobile-optimised access
  • Engagement analytics to improve student and staff performance
  • Cloud-native design with secure data hosting and real-time reporting
  • Workflow automation and API integration with existing systems

Who is Anthology best suited for?

Anthology is typically a strong fit for:

  • Universities, colleges, and RTOs seeking unified learning and staff platforms
  • Education providers with a strategic focus on digital learning and people management
  • Institutions looking to modernise from siloed systems and spreadsheets
  • Organisations with blended learning models and mobile-first engagement needs
  • Teams managing both academic talent and operational staff in one environment

Pros and cons of Anthology

Where Anthology delivers value:

  • Combines LMS, HCM, and SIS into one ecosystem
  • Built for the education sector, with deep domain understanding
  • Enables improved student engagement and outcomes through data insights
  • Supports lifecycle management for both students and staff
  • Scalable architecture suited for small to large institutions

Where it may fall short:

  • May require change management if replacing entrenched systems
  • Implementation can be complex depending on your environment
  • Integration with external ERP or payroll systems may be needed
  • Some modules may feel education-centric and less suited to corporate training

Alternatives to Anthology

Depending on your needs and existing tech stack, alternatives may include:

  • Canvas – for scalable learning management and user-friendly design
  • Moodle – for open-source flexibility and customisation
  • Workday HCM – for enterprise-grade HR and workforce planning
  • ELMO or Employment Hero – for combined HCM and compliance in mid-sized environments
  • PageUp – for talent management and recruitment in education or public sector

Compare these and more in our Human Capital Management Solutions Guide and Learning Management Systems Guide.

Planning your Anthology journey

If you’re exploring Anthology for learning and workforce transformation, SMC can help guide your decision with confidence.

Expert insights from SMC

At Solution Minds Consulting, we’ve worked with a variety of educational and training institutions to select and implement platforms like Anthology. We understand the complexity of managing staff, compliance, learners, and digital infrastructure—often with limited internal resources.

Our independent approach focuses on helping you align platform capabilities with strategic outcomes like improved experience, automation, and workforce retention.

Explore our services in Digital Strategy, HCM Software Selection, and Business Process Improvement.