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One of the common questions we hear when organisations are exploring Learn365 (formerly LMS365) is whether you can still deliver a targeted learning experience without having a fully populated organisation structure in Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD).

The short answer is: YES – you can.

Learn365 will run without Entra ID, and most of its core functions work perfectly well. But if you want to unlock the platform’s full value, especially around automation and reporting, there are some important considerations. Let’s break it down:

Getting Started Without Entra ID 

You don’t need Entra ID to launch Learn365. Out of the box, you can: 

• Enrol individuals into courses manually or in bulk using a CSV file (up to 50 at a time). 

• Create your own custom groups directly in Learn365 to streamline enrolments.

• Use the Learn365 Synchroniser tool to synchronise group membership and enrolments from pre-existing CSV files. 

This means you can get training rolled out and managed effectively, even without Entra ID. 

Where Entra ID Makes a Difference 

1. Reporting by Department, Team or Manager 

By default, Learn365 pulls this information from Entra ID. Without it, reporting dashboards may lack detail. The good news is that Learn365’s Automation Centre can fill the gaps by synchronising data from CSV files, so reports still include useful department and manager insights from ‘day 1’. 

2. Progress Tracking and Dashboards 

If you want to ‘slice and dice’ progress by department, job title, or other organisational attributes, Entra ID is the simplest way to supply that information. But again, CSV synchronisation ensures you can populate these fields until Entra ID (or an HR system integration) is ready. 

3. Automating Enrolments 

Learn365 allows you to set up training plans – like automatically enrolling everyone in Sales into a Sales Training Plan. With Entra ID, this is seamless. Without it, you can still achieve the same outcome by creating and maintaining custom groups within Learn365, provided the underlying user data is up to date. 

4. Handling Dynamic Changes 

This is the area where Entra ID really shines. Staff change departments, reporting lines shift, and new hires arrive every week. With Entra ID (or an integrated HR system), these changes flow automatically into Learn365, with no manual effort required. Without it, you’ll need to maintain your CSV file and resynchronise regularly to keep everything accurate. 

Options for Integration 

If you’d prefer to automate sooner rather than later, there are several routes: 

• Using Microsoft Power Automate workflows: update Entra ID fields from your HR system (managed internally or via consultancy support). 

• Using the ‘Integrate365’ module: This is a pre-built connector from the authors of Learn365, Zensai, that links directly to supported HRIS systems so that changes so that updates such as new starts, job title changes, or department moves automatically update training enrolments (annual licence costs apply).  Read more here>

• CSV synchronisation: Use Learn365’s built-in synchroniser to pull in organisation details from a central CSV file. This comes with no extra cost but relies on manual updates. 

The Bottom Line 

You don’t need to wait for Entra ID to be perfect before deploying Learn365. You can get started straight away, roll out training, and use custom groups and CSV synchronisation to bridge the gaps.

Over time, as Entra ID or your HR system integration matures, you’ll unlock more seamless automation and richer reporting. 

The best approach depends on your setup and priorities—whether that’s speed to launch, reporting accuracy, or minimising manual admin. 

If you’d like to explore the best path forward for your organisation, we’d be happy to talk through your options in more detail.