As companies scramble to find resources to meet their needs, a Learning Management System (LMS) is a foundational tool used for learning content, employee training, and selling digital products.
Having the proper infrastructure in place is critical for the ongoing success of your business. The online environment has jetted into first place as the way to conduct mandatory training, enhance employee skill-sets, and host meetings. But it has also offered the unprecedented opportunity to create a new product line.
When it comes to LMS’s, there is no “one size fits all.” Selecting the right system is a highly subjective process.
CIMATRI recently completed an exhaustive process of evaluating over 100 different LMS’s to select the right one for an organization that had the potential of millions of users.
Below are the takeaways gained during that process.
The first step is developing a business case specific to your needs. This cannot be overstated enough.
The business case identifies technical requirements, establishes critical questions, and provides the implementation roadmap for your digital investment.
How will you be using your LMS? What level of support do you need? How many users will be in the system? What is your price point? Does it have and support an API? How familiar with e-learning are your users? What is the timing for implementation?
The business case will identify the key features that you will need.
Ask yourself:
Will you be selling courses or other learning experiences to customers? If so, ensure that your LMS tools have E-Commerce capability.
Your LMS absolutely needs to be compatible across different devices and systems.
Best practice: Note any caps on the number of participants, as you need an LMS that will grow with you over time.
Define your level of support. Ensure you get what you need, without overpaying.
Be sure to ask:
A good LMS should also offer 24/7 support plus backups as part of the package, so be sure to confirm this before signing up.
In order for your community to adopt (and love using) your LMS, it must be easily accessible and user-friendly.
The system’s interface should be easy to navigate for end-users, offering a single sign on (SSO) to begin learning and interacting with others in the community.
There are many different LMS options available today at varying price points. You can easily eliminate those platforms outside your price range by establishing your budget at the onset.
Some companies charge a base price, while others charge a monthly fee for individual users, plus training, plus branding, plus support. Be sure to know and ask the right questions so that there are no surprises in the final price.
Are you paying a per-user fee, or a course load fee?
Best practice: Your budget should include the overall cost and maintenance, not just the monthly/annual and start-up fees.
Timing is just as important, if not more, than any other questions you may be asking.
LMS stands for Learning Management System.
LCMS stands for Learning Content Management System.
Both are software tools. But the difference is that a LMS manages, delivers, evaluates, tracks, and reports the learning progress, while the LCMS allows you to author content within the system.
Which is best for your organization can be discovered and articulated through your business case.
Does the LMS provide the ability to offer games, badges, completion certificates, etc.?
How important is it to you that the tool has your logo and color scheme throughout?
If so, ask for a customizable interface that allows you to align the program with your organization’s branding and marketing.
We live in a day and age where user reviews are plentiful, so take advantage of what others in your industry have shared in online forums like G2 Crowd, PCMag and Capterra.
Review sites allow you to compare everything from price, feature sets, compliance, and security to training and support.
Be aware that specific vendors will always try to sell you on their product, rather than truly giving you a market comparison.
Selecting the right software tools can feel overwhelming, but with help in the process and establishing a solid business use case, you are well on your way to success.
Before purchasing, consider following these steps: