Top 10 Questions to Ask Your LMS Vendor

Deciding on an LMS for your company’s professional training needs isn’t easy. With the wealth of options in today’s market, how can you know what features will best engage your employees and deliver effective training—all  while giving a high return on your investment?

With this in mind, we’ve developed a list of some of the most important questions you can ask LMS vendors to understand their products and see if they are the right fit for your company.

Here are top ten questions we recommend you asking your vendor:

1. Does your LMS have social features that allow for peer-to-peer networking? Social networks are fun, but they aren’t just for fun.  Since your employees are used to staying connected and collaborating on the social web, see if your LMS has features to streamline these into their training program as well.
2. How easy is it to store or create content inside the LMS? Creating one hour of course content takes an average of twenty hours to develop. Finding easy-to-use content creation tools can be challenging, so ask your vendor what tools they provide to help reduce that time. Since organization within the LMS will help you more easily distribute those materials to learners, it is also key to discuss with your vendor how the LMS can make it easy to store and share files.
3. Can this solution integrate with our CRM and other business programs we use? Many businesses today don’t rely on just one solution to meet all of their online needs. Make sure your LMS will integrate seamlessly with your CRM and the other platforms your business demands.
4. Does this LMS contain collaborative features? With many companies spread across the country and even around the world, technologies that connect your team are critical. Ensure that your LMS contains features like video chat, web conferencing, and instant messaging to foster collaboration regardless of distance between team members.
5. Is the system learner-friendly? Your employees are far less likely to adopt an LMS that is outdated or difficult to use. Ensure that the system is easy to use from the user’s perspective before making the investment.
6. Will the new LMS be easy to set up? While the system should be user-friendly, it should also be easy for system administrators to set up in weeks- not years- within your company’s current IT infrastructure.
7. Does the LMS come with customer and partner training services? Since you will likely be using your LMS with users outside your company, ensure that the provider can offer training to customers, partners, and other stakeholders.
8. What technical support can I expect from the LMS provide? The focus of any LMS should be learning, not difficult technical administration. Research the technical support options with each LMS provider so you can access expert assistance when you need it most.
9. Can I access the LMS on my mobile devices? Your sales reps and other team members are on-the-go, and should be able to access training on whatever device they have on hand.
10. What analytics features are available for this LMS? Your company’s learning and training program will have little value if you can’t measure results against business goals. Finding an LMS with analytics tools will help your company measure both the effectiveness of training and ROI.

Here at Blackboard, we believe companies should find an LMS that offers companies the solutions and services that can most effectively meet their needs. To learn more about our offerings, visit the Blackboard for Corporations website here.