Two things are important about a learning management system: the software must be simple and the team behind it must provide good support.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
But no matter how frustrating and clumsy your learning management system may be, the idea of switching is also not immediately attractive. Soon you will be faced with a system that you do not like.
If you follow these steps, chances are your next learning management system will be a success.
1. Make an inventory of your pain points
Start the process by listing everything in your current Learning Management System (LMS) that is really making life difficult for you: your pain points.
Maybe it's the clunky UI or the too many steps you have to take to get anywhere? Are you crazy about the manual work you have to do to add users or associate users with courses? Or is it the time you have to wait for a response from the support team?
Write it all down.
2. Make an inventory of the advantages
There was once a reason why you chose your current learning management system. Write that down too. Why did you choose this learning management system? That motivation will most likely still apply. Also write down other things you like about this LMS.
3. Investigate why employees were dissatisfied
Chances are that if you are looking for a new LMS you will do this because your employees are dissatisfied with the current system.
It is important to validate this dissatisfaction. Are they valid points that your employees put forward? Do they run into restrictions in the platform that may not be necessary at all? Are they missing functionalities that may be available?
Other things can of course also play a role. They may be quite satisfied with the LMS, but the employer gives them too little time to learn.
So keep this in mind and research this extensively. Include in this analysis what employees really find important about the LMS. Eventually they will start using it actively.
4. What happens to your data?
Perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind when switching from LMS, but something you should definitely not forget. Over the years, you as an organization have built up a lot of data such as progress, knowledge profiles and certificates obtained.
Make an inventory of which data you find important and what you might want to transfer to the new LMS. It is of course crucial to know about your new supplier that supports the import of the current data. If you are looking for a new LMS: ask critical questions about this.
4. Request a demo
Have you found some systems that potentially meet your needs? Then request a demo. You can read so much about a learning management system, you first have to see it work in practice to really get a feeling about it.
Check your list of pros and cons of your current system and let yourself be convinced. With a little luck, the system also offers you a number of interesting advantages that you did not immediately consider.
5. Don't forget functionalities
You can expect something from a good learning management system. To make it easy for you, we have a look at the functions that we think should not be missing in a modern learning platform:
Available 24/7
In this digital age, a bit of serious LMS is of course available 24/7 from any device so that your employees – and you – can learn wherever and whenever they want.
A tailor-made environment
That your own house style can be applied to the LMS is the least you can expect. But of course you also have to be able to use your own organizational structure. For example, managers only see the data of their own team members and the approval processes run along the right lines. Moreover, you also want to be able to upload your own content, so that your employees can also follow your organization-specific training courses within the same environment.
All knowledge in one place
You want to find online training courses, classroom courses, videos and internal knowledge sessions all in one environment, clearly arranged together, according to a logical structure and with powerful search functionality.
Always up to date
Your organization is developing, but you also expect your learning management system to develop. For example, you want outdated training courses to be removed from the system and new training courses and new knowledge areas to be added regularly.
Help with continuous knowledge development
You are working on an LMS. That says that you as a company see the value of it. But it is not easy to create and maintain the right mindset. A little help is therefore welcome. You can expect your supplier to help you with the kick-off and to regularly evaluate the state of affairs with you. He also makes life a little easier for you with substantive advice on learning paths and by sharing best practices.
Smart tools
To monitor the progress of this continuous knowledge development, you need smart management tools. For example, you should be able to easily add or remove your students and managers and you want access to a simple dashboard in which you can see all progress information and student information. You will also receive this information periodically in your mailbox.
Support
And last but not least: the support must be top notch. Whether you want to call, email or chat, you need to be able to reach someone from the support team. Someone who can help you out as quickly as possible so that your people can continue with their knowledge development.
Became curious?
Wondering if HR Consultant UK can mean something for your organization? Then schedule a no-obligation demo. We like to think along with you!
