7 Essential Questions to Ask before Chosing Your LMS Provider
What are the critical factors that should help you make your decision on a new LMS technology platform and what risks do you need to strongly consider to ensure the success of your implementation? To help navigate this process, we asked our team to come up with 7 must-ask questions that will guide you in selecting the right platform and minimizing the risks associated with your LMS implementation.
January 16, 2025
The Learning Management System (LMS) market is projected to soar to $51.9 billion by 2028, growing at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18.6%. Much of this growth is driven by the need for flexible learning solutions that meet a wide range of Learning and Development (L&D) needs.
With the rise of hybrid work environments, organizations need learning tools that can deliver training experiences that are easily accessible, effective, and scalable. Technological advancements are unlocking new opportunities to enhance training initiatives and streamline L&D processes.
As employees require ongoing upskilling and companies must stay compliant, having an LMS that meets your specific needs isn’t just a smart move—it’s essential for positioning your organization for future growth and success.
A Learning Management System (LMS) is an incredible tool that helps you address the growing demand for flexible and scalable learning solutions.
But here’s the thing—choosing the right LMS is a make-or-break moment. Selecting the wrong LMS solution can lead to wasted costs or potential damage to your company’s reputation.
Navigating the LMS market isn’t easy, with hundreds, if not thousands, of options available. It’s crucial to carefully evaluate each provider to ensure their offering fits your unique needs.
To help you navigate your search, we’ve put together 7 essential questions to ask LMS providers. You can use these questions to guide you in determining if their LMS could be the right fit for your organization.
How Does the LMS Solution Leverage AI or Machine Learning?
Although AI and machine learning have taken the L&D field by storm, we see some providers using these terms as mere buzzwords. Don’t be swayed by claims of ‘the best AI learning tool’. Dive deeper to understand how LMS providers are genuinely applying these technologies. When used correctly, AI and machine learning have the potential to be powerful tools to enhance and support LMS solutions.
You may better understand how an LMS provider utilizes emerging technologies by asking specifically how AI and machine learning are used to enhance learning efficiency, customize content to meet individual needs, and expedite administrative procedures. You will also want to understand if the AI leveraged is generative or non-generative. If it is generative, get familiar with where the data comes from and how it is stored.
By understanding an LMS provider’s approach to these technologies, you can gauge the system’s potential for innovation. LMS providers who are adopting emerging technologies now are likely to keep up with future advancements.
How Does the LMS Promote the Flow of Learning Data Throughout the Enterprise?
Don’t settle for a disjointed user experience or unreliable data—these are non-negotiables for ensuring a seamless and accurate learning ecosystem. The LMS should have proper integration tools that help your organization manage data, streamline reporting, and create a cohesive learning environment for users and administrators.
Understanding how the system leverages APIs and connectors gives you an idea of the quality of data flow, integration flexibility, and how well it supports current and future needs.
Additionally, you will want to know how the LMS provider handles integration testing and ongoing support to maintain performance. No matter what you’re integrating—whether it’s an HRIS, eCommerce platform, CRM, or other tools—if they don’t integrate with a high degree of interoperability and data synchronization, you’re in for a constant headache.
How Does the LMS Achieve Personalized Learning?
Personalized learning is key to delivering learning material to the right learners at the right time. When learning is applicable and relevant, it helps learners maximize their potential through skill improvement and performance. This doesn’t just help the learner but also has a broader impact across the entire organization. As learners grow so does the business, creating a ripple effect of productivity, collaboration, and success across the board.
Personalized learning can increase learner engagement and retention rates, and improve satisfaction with the learning experience. It’s important to understand how much you can personalize the learning experience.
Assess the platform’s ability to tailor the learner journey by considering factors such as learner profiles, performance data, roles and responsibilities, and the recommendation and assignment of learning.
Does the LMS Embrace Third-Party Content from External Sources?
Access to third-party content (LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Go1, etc.) can greatly enrich your LMS by offering a broader range of resources and expertise beyond what is available internally. This question helps you understand whether the LMS can integrate with popular content providers and how it manages external resources. This flexibility can enhance your training programs and provide additional learning opportunities for users.
Who Drives the Product Roadmap?
When you start your LMS search, you should be considering current and projected future needs. Understanding where product development priorities come from is essential to assess whether the LMS provider’s roadmap will likely align with not only your current needs but also future needs. Find out who drives the roadmap—whether customer feedback, large customer segments or industries, user communities, or internal research and development.
If the LMS provider develops the roadmap based on specific customer feedback or customer segments similar to your organization, you are more likely to benefit from future features that address your business’s requirements.
You want to select a solution that will continue to meet your evolving needs. This question helps you identify how well the solution will do that.
Is the LMS Built for a Specific Type of Learning or Is It a Jack-of-All-Trades?
Learning management systems can be tailored to address multiple training needs, such as employee development, compliance training, and continuing education. Alternatively, some LMS solutions are designed to specialize in a single type of training. It’s important to determine whether the LMS you’re considering is specialized or generalized to ensure it meets your specific needs.
Specialized LMS solutions might offer advanced functionality for particular types of training, such as audit trails, advanced compliance reporting, and customizable certification management for compliance training. On the other hand, generalized solutions offer a broader range of features, but with less depth in any one area.
How Does the Solution Help Tie Learning Back to Job Performance and Business Impact?
Aligning learning programs with business goals is a top priority for L&D teams in 2024. Demonstrating the value of your learning programs will remain a top priority as leaders increasingly recognize the crucial impact of learning and development on achieving organizational goals.
Look for an LMS provider that clearly shows how their solution will help you accomplish your goals. The LMS should offer features and functionality that enhance tracking and measurement of training program effectiveness, focusing on both performance and business impact. This will not only help you justify your investment but also assess how well the LMS contributes to reaching your learning and business objectives.
How Can We Help You Find Your Best-Fit eLearning Technology?
We understand the importance of aligning technology and learning management solutions with your unique learner and business requirements. That’s why we offer consultation and partnership to help you determine the right solution for your organization. Give us a call or schedule a meeting with us so we can discuss the specific needs of your organization and help you find your best-fit eLearning technology.
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