IntroductionThe clichéd adage ‘there are no short cuts to success’ can be safely distorted to ‘there are no short cuts to choosing the right LMS’ in the context of this write up. With an over abundance of LMS softwares in the market – all promising to deliver multitude yet diverse solutions, the training professional in charge of the task of choosing a proper one for a particular organization, falls nothing short of an object of pity.
That a typical LMS software cannot survive for more than two years is conceded by almost all LMS experts and analysts. This fact makes the concept of ROI all the more important. Switching from one LMS to the other, every two years, often involves a lot of money, not to mention the rigmarole of going through the selection process, custom programming, installation and implementation all over again. This curtails organizations from switching to other LMSs, despite their performance glitches. Considering this, the first attempt at selecting the right LMS needs to be given extra thought, which, in turn, mounts up the pressure of getting the process right for a first-timer.
Choosing the Right LMSThe mere comprehension of the significance of the job at hand is half the battle won. If this is achieved, the decision maker will meticulously plan all his moves lest something goes wrong. Though there are no set rules to go about the selection process, a generalized guideline might prove to be of some help. Look out for the following in your LMS software.
InteroperabilityInteroperability is the ability of the LMS software to support other database driven software, third party content and authoring tools. An LMS having a high interoperability is the obvious choice. Find out if the LMS supports ERP systems, or other synchronous e-learning systems. Also check if the data generated and saved by this LMS software becomes redundant if the organization decides to switch to another LMS or successive LMS software from the same vendor.
Application Service Provider (ASP) formThis is a new approach to managing the LMS software, wherein either the vendor, or any other party takes up the management of the IT and infrastructure. It also allows the client to choose between buying and renting an LMS. This is definitely an expensive option, but a good one nonetheless, particularly when the organization is in haste or is not predominantly technology competent. Moreover, it buys time for the organization to review upcoming trends in the LMS software by allowing it to put off the decision of buying it rightaway.
Estimation of CostsComparing prices of different LMSs is a Herculean task, but definitely not a redundant one. With vague price structures reining the market, vendors come up with varied arrangements of per-seat, per-use, or per-employee pricing, etc. But a thorough analysis of varied pricing policies will assist you in comparing the prices offered by vendors in regard of the features and compatibility of the software with your organization’s IT infrastructure.
Elimination of VendorsElimination of vendors offering widely off-the-mark products is a good way of boiling down to a selected few, who offer choices that suit your organization the best. This makes it easy for sifting through your list, comparing products and prices. A consolidation process already in progress in the LMS market is expected to take care of the elimination needs within a few years.
IT CompatibilityThe integration of the LMS software with the existing IT infrastructure of your company can be daunting. Incorporating the software with the systems of different departments is the not everybody’s cup of tea. IT experts, therefore, need to actively participate in the process of evaluation of the LMS software to see if it can be adapted to the existing infrastructure. It takes high end custom programming to seamlessly blend the LMS software within the system.
Gauging the ROIThe purchase of an LMS calls for a great investment both in terms of time and money. Moreover, the software is most likely to die a natural death after completing its pre decided life span. This makes it important to track and assess the Return on Investment (ROI) for the program. Clearly define the expected ROI of the initiative and approximately assess the value of the software in terms of ROI. Also find out when will the process of ROI set into motion? Will it be within the lifetime of the LMS or after that?
Wrap-upThere can be many more considerations that need to be taken into account for selecting an LMS for your company, with the above ones amounting only for the broad factors that govern the decision. Nonetheless, they will take you a long way in zeroing upon the best one for your organization.
Viswanath Shankar has been managing and maintaining various e-learning softwares for the past decade and a half. A storehouse of knowledge about
LMS (Learning Management Systems), He has been working in close co-ordination with
web development experts to develop user friendly distance learning programs. It takes a professional like him to declare the big time arrival of e learning as a worthy substitute to conventional learning techniques.
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