Choosing An LMS: Simple 6-Step Process
Struggling with disorganized training, time-consuming onboarding, low employee engagement, compliance headaches, or limited career development options?
The right learning management system (LMS) can simplify these challenges by centralizing learning, automating processes, and driving meaningful employee growth.
But choosing the right solution isn’t easy.
From limited budgets and confusing features to integration challenges, choosing an LMS that fits your organization’s unique needs takes some consideration.
In this guide, I’ll break down the essentials of choosing an LMS, helping you overcome common obstacles and make a decision that drives real results.
Choosing An LMS: 6-Step Process
By following these steps, you can choose an LMS that fits your needs, stays within budget, and delivers meaningful business results.
Step one: Needs assessment
When choosing any new tool, the first step is always getting clear about exactly what you need it for. For example, if I’m putting up a shelf, I know a hammer and spirit level are probably going to be useful.
So, begin with a clear assessment of your organization’s needs and learning goals. Some questions to ask here:
- What are the most common challenges faced by the L&D team?
- How could new software help make the learning function more impactful e.g. deliver more personalized training?
- How will each stakeholder use the new software?
- What are their learning preferences (self-paced, live sessions, mobile access)?
- How is the current learning strategy falling short (process mapping can help here)?
- What are the most frequent learning-related employee complaints?
- Which learning processes are the most time-consuming? Could they be streamlined with the right software capabilities?
- What type of training content do/will we offer (videos, PDFs, quizzes)?
- Do we need pre-built courses or custom content creation tools or both?
- How will the LMS fit into the current HR tech stack?
- What are our company’s policies and regulatory requirements regarding data security, supplier diversity, vendor contracts, etc.?
- How tech-savvy is your team? The software you select shouldn’t be more complex to set up and use than your team can manage.
- What’s your budget?
- What kind of return on investment (ROI) would you expect to see?
Asking these questions will help you determine which LMS features you need.
Step two: Choosing key LMS features and functionality
Based on your needs assessments, you can now determine your list of key features and functionality required of your new system.
To give you a hand, here are some key and more advanced LMS features:
- Course creation tools: Build custom courses with multimedia content (videos, PDFs, quizzes).
- Content library: Access built-in course catalogs or upload your own materials.
- User enrollment and groups: Manage learners by departments, teams, or roles.
- Role-based access: Set permissions for learners, instructors, and admins.
- Learning tracks: Customize training paths based on job roles or skill levels.
- Skill development plans: Create personalized development plans for employees.
- Adaptive learning: Adjust content delivery based on learners' progress and performance (advanced).
- Quizzes and tests: Build interactive assessments with automatic grading.
- Certificates and credentials: Issue completion certificates and track certifications.
- Competency tracking: Monitor skill development and learning milestones.
- Social learning: Enable peer collaboration through forums and discussion boards.
- Interactive content: Use simulations, branching scenarios, and live webinars.
- Mobile access: Offer training via mobile-friendly platforms or dedicated apps.
- Offline access: Allow learners to download content for offline learning.
- Data Security: Protect user data with encryption and secure backups.
- Compliance Tracking: Automate compliance training and maintain regulatory records.
- Onboarding workflows: Organize new hire training using onboarding tools and workflows.
My advice is to start with some essential features that suit your budget and then be open to negotiate on others if the vendor makes a good case for it.
For more, check out Brandy Biscoff’s article on LMS features.
Step three: Research vendors
With a clear picture of what you want in hand, it’s time to do some market research and familiarize yourself with the leading LMS software solutions for your use case.
Luckily, the web is full of informative websites (like this one) comparing LMS software tools to one another. Reading a handful of these is a good way to get an overview of your options.
Take the time to study each vendor’s website and take notes of any questions that arise. Are there case studies and reviews that demonstrate the tool's main USPs?
Some vendor-specific questions to ask
- Who are the top vendors for your use case?
- Which are the best-rated in their category?
- What is each tool’s top-rated feature?
- What do customer reviews and testimonials have to say? What are the most commonly reported benefits and drawbacks?
- What kind of onboarding, training, support, and other resources does the vendor offer?
- Is robust documentation available?
- Do the tool’s features meet your needs?
- Can the software integrate with the HR software you’re already using?
- User interface: Is it visually appealing?
- User experience: Is it intuitive to navigate and easy to use?
- Does it offer the flexibility or customizability you need?
- Does it offer robust security standards and comply with data privacy regulations and best practices?
- Does the pricing meet your budget? Is the pricing model clear? Is the price warranted based on the software’s capabilities? Are certain key features only available in more expensive pricing tiers?
- Does it offer a demo or free trial?
Step four: Make a shortlist and reach out
Now you’ve identified some likely vendors, it’s time to go a bit deeper and book some demo calls.
- Send each vendor a request for information (RFI) so you can compare your options point for point
- If you want to be really thorough, send each of your shortlisted vendors a request for proposal (RFP). This will include key information about your company, your specific needs, a vendor questionnaire, and any specific proposal submission rules they should follow, such as submission deadlines.
- Schedule a meeting with their sales rep and go through your questions.
These calls, which should ideally include demonstrations of the product in action, will also help you get a feel for the vendor and whether you can form a good partnership.
To help compare vendors, use this handy evaluation template.
Step five: Make the business case
With all the above data gathered, it's time to put together your business case for your new LMS software.
This doesn't have to be a 10-page document, it can be as simple as a one-page memo (because who has time to read 10 pages anyway).
Decision-makers are looking for answers to the following questions:
- How much does the LMS cost?
- What pain points will the software solve?
- If we didn’t invest in the software, then what?
- How long will it take to implement?
- Why do we need to invest now?
- What is the ROI of implementing an LMS?
You may not know the answers to the cost question; however, seeking approval at this stage will set you up for success.
Here's a business case template you can use for HR Software
- Executive Summary: Brief overview of the proposal, key benefits, and conclusions.
- Current Situation and Problem Statement: Description of the current state and specific challenges or problems being addressed.
- Proposed Solution and Benefits: Detailed description of the proposed solution and its expected benefits, including a cost-benefit analysis.
- Implementation Plan and Risk Assessment: Step-by-step implementation strategy, timeframe, and a summary of potential risks with mitigation plans.
- Conclusion and Recommendations: A concise summary of the business case with final recommendations for decision-makers.
Step six: Implement and onboard
The main reason companies fail to see ROI on software purchases is failing to follow through on implementation and properly integrate their shiny new tool into day-to-day operations.
Effective change management is crucial. For employees to use your new software, they need to understand how it benefits them (e.g. helps them gain new skills) and know how to use it.
Here are some tips to help with this.
- Clearly communicate that you’re adopting new LMS software and what this will mean for employees. Invite employees to come forward with questions.
- Take advantage of any onboarding and training offered by the vendor and make it mandatory for employees to complete this training within a realistic timeframe.
- Charge someone with the responsibility of spearheading implementation and being a point of contact for any questions (and feedback) employees might have.
- Make employees aware of any self-service resources available and make sure they know how to log a support ticket if they run into difficulties.
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