Before making a significant investment in a learning management system (LMS), you should carefully assess each available option. The LMS vendor is the point of contact for your organization to learn the information needed to make the right decision. The issue is that a one-hour demo may be all the time you have to choose between vendors.
Once you see the LMS in action, the best way to find out whether it aligns with your company's objectives is to ask questions. Based on our experience bringing advanced LMS frameworks to modern organizations, here are our picks for the four most important questions you should ask an LMS vendor before choosing a system for your company.
1. Which features are standard within the chosen budget plan?
This question is key because the practical demonstration of an LMS usually displays a demo of a variety of features, not all of which may be available in the standard plan.
Remind your representatives to ask the vendor to clarify which features come standard with the LMS at your price point to ensure that the plan you intend to purchase comes with the functionality you hope to gain from the LMS.
2. Does the LMS vendor provide in-app support for the users to contact in case they need help or have questions?
A company's relationship with an LMS evolves as its objectives change. Most LMS programs support remote learning functions, but in-app support for the system itself is not as common.
In many cases, users learning the system's functions will have questions that should be directed to the content creator rather than the manager or vendor. Confirm whether the LMS at the demonstration offers contact support for questions regarding the functions of the system so that your people can make the most of your system.
3. Does the LMS vendor offer configuration or customization?
These similar terms are often confused by company personnel attending LMS demos. The difference is significant because if an LMS vendor offers one and not the other, or none at all, it could limit your company's ability to tailor the LMS features to your employee training objectives.
Configuration refers to simple aesthetic changes to an LMS that don't require the intervention of a coder. Changing a font, a background color, or a design to better reflect your company's brand identity are examples of configuration.
Customization is a more in-depth process, requiring the services of a programmer. An LMS vendor that offers customization gives your company the chance to change the functions of the LMS to better align with your training goals.
Not only should your people ask whether customization is possible, but they should also clarify the kinds of customization that the vendor offers to make sure you will be able to tailor the system to your objectives. The more specifically this question is asked, the better your people will know whether the LMS is the right choice. And if the vendor offers neither configuration nor customization, you will know that your training programs have to rely on the default features of your chosen package.
4. What are the support options for each plan?
Finally, you will likely need support for your new LMS to make the most of it. Many companies assume that all LMS plans come with a standard technical support package. However, not all vendors offer this at all price points.
Sometimes, only premium plans come with options for technical support. In those cases, users of the standard package may have to use the automated Help Desk on the vendor's website to get what little support they can. If your people still can't figure it out, you may need to hire someone experienced in LMS programs to train them on it.
This is an unnecessary expense in time and money when some LMS vendors offer the support you will need by default. Have your people ask about how much support is offered for each plan. Otherwise, your eventual users could face long wait times or even unresolved technical issues.
The Takeaway for Businesses
Research shows that an LMS can jumpstart your business's productivity and efficiency by offering tested software solutions to employee training initiatives. The right LMS can transform your company's pricey one-time conventional training model into a continuous learning environment that pays for itself in continued productivity rises.
However, to choose the perfect LMS for your company's needs, your personnel needs to discern which programs have the right features, support functions, and customization potential for your goals. That all comes down to the questions they ask at the brief demo with the LMS vendor, which is why we offered our expertise to help you choose the vital questions that will lead to the best decision for your company.
