An LMS (Learning Management System) is a computer-based training platform that provides a consistent way to train and orient new employees. It has a slick interface and intuitive tools to manage online training content. There are many LMS options that vary in features and pricing models. Implementing an LMS presents challenges related to time, budget, skillset, feature set, and availability considerations. Choosing the right LMS requires balancing these factors to standardize training and scale effectively for any organization.

1. INTROTO
LEARNING
MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS (LMS)

2. What was your first day like?
Responses I’ve received, when asking the question ‘what was your first
day like?’ or ‘what training did you receive when you started with your
current Company?’ have run the gamut from ‘my first day was great,
lots of information and stuff to remember!’ to ‘I was led to an empty
desk with my name on it and had to figure it out.’ The number one
takeaway for me, regardless of the feedback, was a lack of consistency
when it comes to the process of orienting new employees and how they
are trained on not only how to do their job, but also the message and
vision of the business. So, how didTheTNS Group combat this
inconsistency?

3. Computer-
Based
Training
Platform
(CBT)
■ Our solution was, after some serious research
and development, a computer-based training
(CBT) platform that was easy to use, robust in
features, and polished in presentation… enter
the famed Learning Management System
(LMS).
■ An LMS is like a Content Management
System (CMS), such that one would use to
manage a website (thetnsgroup.com hearts
WordPress but don’t forget Drupal and
Joomla!, to name a few), but geared toward
education/training.
■ Most LMS(s) have a slick interface, intuitive
web-driven content management, and
security features like Active-Directory
integration.

4. Learning
Management
Systems
There are many LMS platforms on the
market and they are similar in as many ways
as they are different. Some are geared solely
to K-12 education, while others are for
corporate training exclusively. Some offer
their platforms as open-source and publicly
available options, while others are available
for purchase as a turn-key solution (some
with pre-built course content available for
purchase). Know that open-source shouldn’t
translate to free, as infrastructure and/or
hosting options are required.

5. Not to pile on… but there are also many ways to deliver each course, lecture, live training,
etc., and the style of each is very different in terms of functionality, as well as
aesthetics. You can create Books, Lessons with adaptive questions and ways to validate
materials (like a ChooseYour Own Adventure book!), Live Classrooms (this typically
requires a deeper platform integration), oh my! I could live in our LMS… if I had the
available time.

6. SO… WHAT CHALLENGES
MIGHTYOU, AS A
BUSINESS OR PROCESS
OWNER, FACE?

7. Time While there are several LMS platforms out there, some
open source and publicly available, and some a pay-for
service, there’s a soft-cost of labor to develop the
tool. Developing and managing an LMS can translate
into a full-time job, depending on the intended use.

8. Budget
Another challenge, in terms of getting a training platform off the
ground for any business, is the potential for a mid-year project or non-
existent budget. An adaptive training platform that’s extremely
flexible, and doesn’t cost much (if anything) … how hard could it be
right?

9. Skillset
I’m going to get real here… it takes a certain
balance of left and right brain to develop a
training platform for a given business. That
cross-functional skillset might not exist in
your organization or is potentially booked for
11 of the 12 months in the year.

10. Feature Set
As I said earlier… there are many options when
looking into an LMS for your business. So many
that a product comparison might not be
enough. Make sure that you’re choosing the right
blend of features, budget, cost, and time (don’t
forget that you need a team that has the requisite
skillset). There can also be a bit of ‘Analysis
Paralysis’ when it comes to designing or
implementing a new platform for your business,
so it’s important to work with your IT department
or Managed Service Provider (MSP) to make sure
you’re balancing form as well as function.

11. Availability A common misconception is that designing and
implementing the solution is the sole challenge. But
posing questions like ‘Is my solution resilient to
downtime or disaster’, ‘who am I providing this content
to, internal or external users?’ or ‘Is it publicly available?’
can open up Pandora’s Box…This is really the
technologist’s (IT department or MSP) time to shine. It
is critical to work with them to ensure your
infrastructure/implementation is right from a
technology standpoint. Things like High Availability,
Bandwidth, and Performance are all affected by choices
made in what could be the first few steps of an LMS
implementation (or any implementation for that
matter). Measure twice, cut once whenever
possible. It’s easier to change the implementation and
technology surrounding it before you jump in with both
feet.

12. All companies
struggle with
training at
some point
Well, maybe not Google or Apple (but I’m
sure they had their own struggles) … they
seem to be able to scale ?. Again, what’s a
great way to scale? IMHO (In my humble
opinion) standardize the message and
training that your team receives and that
your company provides. Just because you’re
not a monolith in your industry (maybe you
are) with thousands of employees (maybe
you do have thousands) doesn’t mean you
can’t standardize your training platform for a
richer employee experience.
As an IT professional, after the risks,
developing a training platform can be
downright daunting…