It is exciting and daunting to get approval from your boss to move forward with the search for an LMS. An LMS can vastly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a learning and development program, but it is important to choose a platform that will work best for your organization.

There are the basic question of pricing and features that you will, of course, be asking potential vendors. Be sure to read up on the many great articles and checklists that can help you decide what you are looking for regarding your more straightforward, base needs. However, there are some deeper questions that you should take the time to ask potential LMS vendors to help determine if they will be a good fit for a long term partnership with your business.

Here is a list of 5 critical questions you and your team should ask when talking to LMS vendors.

1. What is on the road map?

An LMS is a long-term, high-value piece of technology, and it will (hopefully) be used across your company for many years.

Because of this, it is important to look for a company that is not only growing, but growing in the same direction as your company.

Go into your search with short-term and long-term training goals and needs to ensure you both match up. You could find the perfect LMS provider for your business now, but you quickly outgrow them. On the other hand, there could be a fantastic LMS company that is lacking a few features you were hoping for, but is quickly growing in the same direction of your training needs.

Going into your search with a plan of what you want out of your LMS in the short term and the long term will help ensure a successful partnership.

2. How do we scale?

Along the same lines as our first point, the right LMS should be able to grow with you in a way that makes financial and strategic sense for your business. 

Three areas you could grow in that is good to ask about are:

  • Pricing models for more users
  • Extended Enterprise for training external stakeholders (customers or contractors)
  • eCommerce for charging for content

 

3. Are there any extra perks with the LMS?

Going through the vendor selection process, you might find that a lot of the providers are very similar in the features they provide. One way a provider can distinguish itself is with the extra tools that come with the LMS.

There are a variety of tools but specific ones to look out for are built in content creators, deals on partner products and access to other free elearning tools or apps.

4. What is support like?

Great support is essential for the initial setup and ongoing use of your LMS.

Here are some questions to ask that will give you an understanding of what a provider’s LMS support will look like.

  • Do they have a knowledge base?
  • Do they have training videos?
  • Is there a limit to support?
  • What type of support do they provide? (email, phone, ect.)
  • Do you get a Project Manager?

There is no specific right or wrong answer; however, you do want to make sure that it aligns with your expectations and needs.

 

5. What integrations does the LMS have?

Integrations are important for streamlining the elearning process and tracking the understanding of your training impacts. 

Single Sign On (SSO)  

SSO gives your audience the ability to use a different software for user authentication and login. Your user therefore does not have to create a whole new account with a unique username and password. They could use their same login from, for example, your HR software which simplifies the learner login process and reduces work for administrators.  

xAPI  

xAPI allows for deeper tracking of your training campaign. xAPI goes further than the current standard, SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model), in its capabilities of interacting with elearning content outside of the LMS.

To learn more about xAPI and how Knowledge Anywhere is using it with the new xAPI bookmarklet called Knowledge Mark, watch this video.  

Software and Apps You Already Use  

When talking with potential vendors, it is important to make sure their product will be able to connect to other software and apps that you currently use or will be using in the future.

 

You can save your team a lot of time, headaches, and money if you know which tools can connect with your LMS and how you should prepare for that. It is difficult to search for a new, complex piece of software for a business. There are a lot of variables to consider and a lot of expectations to meet. The questions listed above will allow you to go past the surface questions about features and pricing and try to make sure an LMS vendor will fully fit with your business needs and goals.

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