How An Extended Enterprise LMS Can Maximize Your Online Training Budget
Extended enterprise LMS allows organizations to easily enhance their L&D program across their entire enterprise. This provides easy access to online training materials for employees at any point and time they choose. It can also be used as a tool to provide training to partners and consumers outside the organization. Here are 6 convincing reasons why you should consider investing in an extended enterprise LMS to optimize business performance.
1. Greater Online Training Accessibility
An extended enterprise LMS allows for multiplatform-friendly online training, which basically means that training can take place across multiple devices. In today’s tech-centered world, individuals prefer to use smartphones, tablets, and computers to access information in seconds. So, taking your training material online allows your employees to expand their knowledge anytime, anywhere. It beats having to call them in for formal training sessions with an instructor or read a novel-length compliance manual. Thereby, boosting their motivation to learn at their own pace and retain more information.
2. Personalizes External Partner Training
A major part of integrating an extended enterprise LMS is finding gaps in the organization and filling them by training employees. Since the online training modules you create are custom, they are tailor made for your employees’ goals and gaps. It also ensures that all the irrelevant information is omitted, which prevents cognitive overload. This is in stark contrast to traditional training sessions, which usually follow a one-size-fits-all strategy. Extended enterprise LMS platforms enable you to address individual needs and preferences.
3. Allows For Ongoing Feedback
One of the most effective ways to maximize your budget is to quickly identify aspects of your online training program that are lacking. Otherwise, you waste valuable resources on online training courses or activities that are misaligned with your goals or fail to connect with your external partners. An extended enterprise LMS allows you to collect continual feedback to improve your online training strategy. Not to mention, provide feedback to your external partners to help them identify personal areas for improvement. For example, after each online training activity, the system automatically displays recommendations and highlights their strengths/weaknesses.
4. Centralizes Learning Materials
One major benefit of extended enterprise LMS over training sessions is the fact that the learning material is available in one centralized location. Traditional training requires you to schedule new training courses every time you onboard new employees. With an extended enterprise LMS, the material stays in your organization and can easily be accessed at any time.
5. Builds Consumer Knowledge
An oft-overlooked application for extended enterprise LMS is consumer training. These platforms allow you to impart product knowledge and keep your customers well informed. For example, they can access online training tutorials that show them how to use your new product or demos that explore the item’s features and functions. This makes the job easier for your external sales partners. The client already knows about the specs and benefits before the meeting. They already know which products suit their needs based on the countless online training resources your extended enterprise LMS provides.
6. Increases Brand Awareness
Every aspect of your external partner training program should reflect your brand image. From the online training activities to the User Interface and dashboard. As such, the LMS itself helps to enhance brand awareness so that every member of your team understands your message. In turn, they’re able to put your organization’s best foot forward when meeting with consumers. The LMS ensures that everyone is on the same page and accurately represents your brand and it’s products.
Consider The Alternative
The initial investment in an extended enterprise LMS may seem quite high. But think of the alternative, which is traditional training. You are investing in a solid L&D infrastructure that will play a crucial role in your organization’s future success. Thus, the return on investment is quite high when you implement an extended enterprise LMS. Here are just a few of the face-to-face training costs that you can reduce or even eliminate with an extended enterprise LMS:
a. Travel Expenses
Traditional training involves numerous travel expenses. You must pay for every member of your external team to fly to the designated location. Then foot the bill for accommodations and living expenses. All this can be avoided with an extended enterprise LMS. With the help of learning technology, your partners have the power to train whenever, wherever it’s most convenient without having to make room in their schedule for quarterly L&D trips.
b. Printed Training Materials
Extended enterprise LMS eliminates the need for printed materials. The resources are online, accessible via the cloud. However, partners still have the option to download and print content for easy reference. For example, a compliance manual or product spec sheet if they are venturing out of the Wi-Fi zone.
c. Instructor Fees
Online training may involve an online facilitator who oversees the external partner training program and provides occasional guidance. But you don’t need to pay for their travel expenses or on-site services. In the case of traditional training, instructors must be compensated for their time and expertise. Additionally, you need to find a time that’s acceptable to all parties involved, as well as rent a facility where you can host the event.
If you were pondering the idea of integrating an extended enterprise LMS, hopefully these 6 benefits will make your decision a bit easier. It gives your external partners access to all the training materials they need to represent your brand. Even consumers can reap the rewards by exploring product tutorials and demos. The secret is finding the system that suits your online training budget and aligns with your organizational goals.
Want to learn more about the possibilities of an Extended Enterprise LMS? Download our free eBook External Training 101: Everything You Need To Know BEFORE Buying Your Next Extended Enterprise LMS to discover how an extended enterprise LMS can help you improve your profit margins. We’ll also share tips to get external partners excited about the process, as well as questions to determine if an extended enterprise LMS is the right option for your organization.
