With hundreds of learning management systems (LMS) to choose from, finding the one that’s just right for your organisation can feel like an overwhelming task. A great corporate LMS will not only enable you to deliver corporate training, it will also allow you to scale your training efforts with ease. And to make this possible, your LMS provider should be providing quality customer support every step of the way.

Selecting an LMS

There’s no one way an organisation goes about selecting an LMS, so there’s no formula to follow when choosing yours. You might find the right one by receiving demos, trials, through integrations or simply by word of mouth. 

The most effective way to take on this task is to figure out what you, and your organisation, need from your new LMS. To help you get your search started, let’s look at some common pitfalls you should look out for when selecting one.

1. Investing in unwanted features

Having features that you’ll never need or use is pointless, especially if you have to pay extra for them. Some features might sound and look amazing, but if you can’t find a practical use for them, you shouldn’t have them.

Unwanted features can also cause confusion for LMS admins and learners, negatively impacting their user experience. The result is a complicated LMS that’s difficult to use, that confuses learners and distracts them from achieving their key learning goals.

2. Hidden costs

It’s important to understand any extra costs involved in implementing an LMS. You may have to pay extras like set-up, installation, feature add-ons, training or cancellation fees, so remember to read the fine print! Some common hidden costs include:

  • Requirements workshops
  • Customisations (branding, workflow changes, custom reports, and so on)
  • Testing and bug fixing
  • Data migration
  • Administrator training
  • Hosting fees
  • Upgrade costs

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it should help you to uncover some hidden costs when finding the right LMS for your organisation.

Also, depending on the LMS you pick, your pricing may vary. The most common ways for a provider to price are based on either usage volumes, number of active users or registered users required. Make sure you fully understand the way your chosen LMS provider will be charging you, so you don’t get any unexpected surprises. 

3. Poor user experience

Obviously you want your learners to be able to use your chosen LMS, so getting it right is critical. Your learners should have a simple, intuitive interface, that’s easily accessible, and requires no training to use.

From an administrator’s perspective, the LMS should still be easy-to-use and allow for automated workflows for enrolling, certifying, sending notifications and reports.

4. Long implementation timeframes

The time it takes to implement your LMS varies greatly depending on the LMS vendor. When looking for a provider, make sure to ask them about their average implementation timeline. Find out about how long things like data migration, admin training or customisations, take to complete.

5. Unreliable customer support

This is one of the most important factors when selecting a new LMS provider. If any issues arise, you need to know you have a great customer support system behind you to resolve them.

The majority of support queries are usually content related like, bookmark data, completion statuses or browser issues. So it’s vital to ensure your chosen LMS provider, has a deep understanding of content standards and popular authoring tools like Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Lectora, Elucidat and iSpring.

Ask your shortlisted LMS vendors questions like is support open on public holidays or what’s the average response time? You can also check out software reviews from their customers to help you make an informed, unbiased decision. 

We’ve just touched on some of the most common pitfalls when selecting an LMS in this post. Find out more when Phily Hayes, LearnUpon’s Outbound Sales Manager, delves even further into getting the right LMS for your organisation at this year’s World of Learning Conference. Be sure to catch his seminar “Select the Right LMS: 10 Factors For Your Business To Consider” on Tuesday 15th October at 12:00 – 12:30 in Theatre 1.

LearnUpon at World of Learning

LearnUpon will be exhibiting at this year’s World of Learning event in Birmingham on the 15th and 16th of October 2019. Drop by stand D50, talk to our LMS experts, and see LearnUpon’s LMS in action.