LMS Procurement: Guidance and Tips

Between national and state agendas, community expectations and regional talent scarcity, local governments face many workforce challenges. A good LMS can make all the difference.

There is no one-size-fits-all LMS solution. Knowing why you need the software is important, because lacking that understanding means you won’t know how a solution will address the issues or gaps you have.

An LMS is more than just a tool for eLearning. It’s also key to understanding the effectiveness of that learning through reporting and analytics. Just 9 critical reports can help you optimise your learning and convey ROI to the higher ups.

We aren’t all Shakespearean wordsmiths or masterful powerbrokers, which makes it hard to write a compelling and robust LMS business case. Ensure yours stands out with a helpful step-by-step guide.

Choosing the best learning management system for your organisation is no small feat. You need to be informed about everything – from the LMSs actual purpose to functionalities and deployment methods.

There are many steps involved in buying enterprise software and a new LMS can gain much attention given the organisation-wide impact it can have. No matter which scenario you face for procurement, a lot of questions will be sent your way, and you need to answer them well.

When it comes to LMS procurement, one of the bigger hurdles will be getting the budget you need to deliver the results you want. That's why you want to get the jump on questions (and build budget consensus).

Procuring a new LMS is no easy feat, least of all because you need to get your buying group on the same page. Build consensus by finding a ‘common thread’ to rally behind and having encouraging answers for the questions that will be thrown your way.

Where should your LMS host its data? On the cloud or within your workplace walls? The answer ultimately depends on your organisation’s needs and budget.

The cloud-based learning management system (LMS) commands the most attention, and with good reason. Unless you have specific requirements, it’s probably the most beneficial solution for you organisation.

Mistakes are part of life, but ideally when implementing an LMS, they should be few and far between. Developing a solid understanding of these mistakes will ensure you have a fighting chance to sidestep or mitigate them.

As of 2020, the global LMS industry is worth $15.72 billion. That’s made way for a lot of competing LMS vendors offering varying solutions. To help you understand what you need, you need to answer some key questions first.

The humble LMS has evolved into a product that is more than just a one-size-fits-all solution. This has made it harder to find the perfect solution for your organisation. Consider your use case, deployment mode and key considerations to help you decide what is worth your time and money.

An LMS-HR integration benefits both human resource teams and learners. The integration pulls data from both systems into a central repository, cutting down hours of paper-heavy admin work and allowing HR to focus on people.

The success of an eLearning initiative can quite literally hinge on the LMS user experience (UX). A good UX makes an LMS effective, easy-to-use and enjoyable to engage with.

LMS pricing isn’t as simple as a one off expense like an item in the supermarket. There are different pricing models and hidden costs. To get the best value LMS, organisations need to conduct due diligence during selection.

When deciding on locally hosting your own learning management system, you’ll want to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of not only local hosting, but also cloud hosting as well. If you decide to go the local route, there are a number of requirements your organisation will need to consider.

A feasibility study is a fancy name for assessing the practicality of a proposed plan. An LMS Feasibility Study usually takes place after you receive back a completed request for proposal (RFP) from a supplier. There are some questions you need to ask and common pitfalls to avoid.

eLearning platforms have diversified exponentially since the late 90s. It’s important to thoroughly understand the differences in the platforms available and how to work out exactly what they can do for you.

A bad LMS RFP dilutes brand value, sparks administrative delays and saps money and time from both ends. To ensure a correct and useful LMS RFP, it’s important to craft it following a comprehensive template and evaluate based on key criteria.

Despite the similar acronyms, an LMS and LCMS are different things. There are several characteristics which separate the two. If you’re considering an LCMS, there are multiple features you want to compare to ensure you get the right one.

A request for proposal (RFP) is the key criteria you’ll use to evaluate and compare LMS suppliers. Take the time to build a clear RFP to help define your requirements and cut out the fat when comparing suppliers.

An LMS features comparison is integral to matching your business needs to your LMS needs. Here is a list of the most common LMS features.

The types of LMS, pricing plans, market trends, questions to ask, strategies to utilise… There are an insurmountable number of things to consider and ask when looking to procure a learning management system.