xAPI is also called the Experience API or Tin Can. Where SCORM can only say whether a course was completed, xAPI can record many kinds of learning activities. An activity is written as a simple statement: a person did something with something, for example "Anne completed the safety walkthrough".
The data is stored in a Learning Record Store (LRS). This makes it possible to combine data from several sources, such as e-learning, simulations, and hands-on exercises.
xAPI delivers the most value when you need to follow learning across many systems. For most companies' onboarding and compliance, it is enough to be able to see completion, scores, and certificates.