10 Things to Look for in Your Next LMS

Selecting the right Learning Management System (LMS) for your company might sound like a daunting task. With over 700 LMS platforms on the market, it can be challenging to figure out where to start first. With only 8% of companies reporting that they enjoy using their LMS, we’ve compiled the list below to help you avoid being one of the other 92%.

1. 🎨 Intuitive User Experience

A recent study from Bersin by Deloitte indicates that 61% of Corporate Learning Platforms are difficult to use. Selecting a platform that delivers an intuitive end user experience is incredibly important to help drive long term engagement and retention. It’s important to select a platform that is not only simple to navigate, but pleasant to use.

2. 😊 Social Learning

If you’re looking for a platform that will allow your employees to have maximum collaboration and boost engagement, it’s important to pay close attention to the social capabilities. Items such as commenting, liking or sharing can go a long way to help enable greater collaboration among your users.

3. ✏️ Content Authoring

Content authoring tools enable administrators to develop customized training for employees. Many Learning Systems will not allow for content creation, so it’s important to pay close attention and ensure the platform enables content creation and what content types are supported. Popular content types include video uploads, file handling and article creation. More advanced systems might allow for course creation and quizzing functionality.

4. 🔆 Blended Learning

Depending on the types of content and materials you have available or are looking at creating, you might look for a platform that offers Blended Learning functionality. Blended learning enables the learner to take part of their curriculum online and part through facilitator led or in-person training.

5. 📈 Reporting and Analytics

As Peter Drucker once said “If you can't measure it, you can't manage it”. Finding a platform that offers reporting and tracking features is vital to measuring the impact of your learning materials and courses. Look for a system that enables you to track reporting on an individual and group level, as well as keep track of assignment completions and other critical data.

6. 🔌 LMS Integrations

Chances are you’re already using a number of systems internally. This might include a HRIS system, a Single Sign On service or Communication tools such as Slack. It’s important to check with your IT team to ensure that the LMS you’re looking at is compatible with the systems you currently have in place to avoid any hassles during implementation.

7. 🗺️ Learning Tracks

If you plan on building your own content, it’s important to check if the LMS has advanced content authoring features to allow for Learning Tracks or Pathways to be developed. Learning Tracks are a sequential way to train or on-board employees and can be beneficial for a wide range of use cases.

8. 💯 Assessments and Quizzes

Testing knowledge is a great way to check if learning materials are contributing to the correct outcomes. Quizzes are also great for compliance and mandatory training materials to ensure a level of completion has been achieved.

9. 🔃 Automation

If you’re responsible for training a large group of users, it might be worthwhile determining if you would like a platform that has automation features to allow you to auto assign or share content to employees based on their geography or role.

10. 📱 Mobile Learning

As the workplace becomes more mobile, finding a system that supports mobile learning is critical to allow for long term growth and usability. Look for platforms with either native applications or responsive interfaces to allow for mobile consumption. It’s also important to ensure your content is compatible for mobile playback.