The eLearning industry is one that is forever growing. While this means more innovation from competitive vendors and the credibility of an in-demand market, it also creates a large pool of suppliers and platforms in which to find the best system for your needs.

A learning management system (LMS) is a central repository for the delivery and monitoring of online training initiatives. Face-to-face learning isn’t as viable as it once was. Take remote workforces as an example. It’s near impossible for them all to receive the same training while divided across states or countries, and rarely financially sustainable to maintain training costs in each location.

Beyond the delivery of online training and centralised data, the LMS starts to deliver some really interesting benefits.

• Attract and retain the right people: External rewards are not what employees today are after; it’s the opportunity to learn, develop and flex new knowledge. Employees want an intrinsic motivation before anything else. And for organisations, it’s more profitable in the long run to re-or upskill employees than it is to hire new ones.
• Leverage capabilities: An LMS, using your data, can describe each job role and function in your organisation and then map capabilities to the perfect candidate needs for that role. If you don’t yet have that person, you can create a development plan for an existing employee that is best primed for succession.
• Better performance management: An LMS allows for a holistic and proactive approach to performance management. The combination of an engaging employee training program, personalised learning materials and a flexible learning platform gives employees a greater sense of their place in the wider business.

While the term ‘learning’ makes it sound like an LMS is best for educational institutions, it’s more and more commonly used by businesses, organisations, corporations and non-profits to deliver training initiatives. When looking to procure, it’s always important to know what consumer group you come from. Different suppliers will cater to different organisational structures and training objectives.

There is no one-size-fits-all LMS solution. Knowing why you need the software is important, because lacking that understanding means you won’t know how a solution will address the issues or gaps you’ve highlighted. Consider these different organisations and the different ways they might like to use an LMS. Do any describe your situation?

• Non-profits: A cost-effective way to train their global community of volunteers.
• Consultancies: A central location for eCommerce and sales training.
• Corporations: A space to provide workplace training initiatives that can be tracked and aligned with other business metrics and processes like succession planning.
• Small and medium businesses: A cost-benefit solution of blended learning – mobile learning, online courses, instructor-led and on-the-job.

As mentioned, every LMS is different. It’s important to weigh up features and determine what actually matters to you. Here are some of the more indispensable features you’ll want to consider.

• Content development and library: Content can be built by you, pre-populated or pulled from third-party providers. Without the right content in a centralised location, learners will face an uninspiring catalogue of content. This impacts the quality of learning analytics and can lead to subpar performance management.
• Accessibility: Learners need to be able to access coursework in their own time, on their device of choice, from wherever they are in the world. It isn’t a choice for some but a need. This might include remote workers, consultants, freelancers and people with disabilities.
• Integrations: With a number of integrations, you can ensure that learners can collaboratively master new skills (through communication tools like Zoom, MS Teams and Slack) and the system itself can partake in a little data sharing (by connecting to HRIS, payroll, CRM and third-party content systems).
• Compliance management: The easiest way to streamline and automate your compliance management is by integrating your LMS with your HRIS. Automating the process ensures proper governance, minimises risks and prevents poor or negligent conduct.
• Learning analytics: Learning analytics help you quickly and accurately create learning pathways, and easily determine ROI of your LMS investment. A user-friendly dashboard for tracking progress and reporting is a key feature to look out for.

Much like fashion, trends come and go in the LMS space. There are still some you’ll want to keep an eye on.

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Implementing AI in the form of chatbots and virtual assistants in an LMS can supercharge efficiency of training programs. Using data from your HCM or HR suite can reveal trends and patterns, enable AI to recommend content for learners and spotlight learners for succession plans.
• Multichannel Learning: This sees content delivered through more than one channel to educate end users. It’s not just about where, but how. One learner might like to read while another prefers to listen to a recording in the car. This level of accessibility is vital for those with disabilities too.
• Intelligent Delivery: The learning experience platform (LXP) is designed to focus on learning experience rather than management. It pulls content from different sources, like training companies and third-party providers, to recommend and deliver tailored pathways for users. It does this by following the three tenets of intelligent discovery: skills mapping, data analysis and smart tech.

As with any purchase, issues will come into play that aren’t solely user error. While they aren’t the be-all-and end-all, they should be kept in mind when searching for online training solutions.

• System downtime: Regardless of hosting, any software will need a little downtime while software engineers introduce new fixes or enact some big fixes. With a cloud-based system, you won’t have control over when these are done.
• Outdated tech: Technology evolves fast. Sometimes what is purchased now could easily be superseded in three years. Be wary of signing a contract if you’re not sure about what’s on the vendor’s roadmap – you could end up with a clunky system that isn’t being updated.
• No mobile or tablet app: Strangely enough, mobile and tablet applications for LMSs aren’t high on the to-do list for many vendors. While yes, they will likely have responsively designed websites that can be used on mobile, this is very different to a dedicated mobile app.

For a more in-depth look at comparing learning management systems, have a read of the full eBook here.