Integrating LMS and CRM Systems for Optimal ROI

• 3 min read

Leveraging Data to Reveal the ROI of LMS and CRM Integration

As we recently discussed, siloed enterprise management systems seem to be in their dying days. It’s no longer sufficient for standalone systems to function individually, separate from other systems that keep an operation up and running and up to speed. And in few areas is this more apparent than with the near-ubiquitous CRM systems we see in place across enterprises of all sizes.

CRMs like Salesforce, Sugar CRM, Microsoft Dynamics, Zoho and others are now widespread and integrated into an array of other enterprise management systems. However, we’ve seen a limited number of such integrations with the many hundreds of learning management systems on the market, in spite of the fact CRM-LMS integrations can result in a variety of considerable benefits, including seamless training, uninterrupted workflow, and improved channel partner training, to name a few. But what’s also remarkable — and this is bound to perk up the ears of any CFO or CEO — is the ROI that can be found through even basic CRM-LMS integrations.

While it’s comparatively easy to calculate ROI on rollouts for eLearning systems, measuring ROI on LMS eLearning roll-outs is a little bit more tricky, but not impossible.

The LMS-CRM ROI Quandary

Some businesses calculate CRM ROI against investments, while others look at CRM for its value in replacing spreadsheets. A 2014 handbook on Salesforce.com Secrets for Success, for example, provided estimates suggesting typical Salesforce deployments for 100 users could exceed $100,000 per year.

A typical LMS tends to cost much less for the same amount of users — only a few dollars per month, per learner (roughly 10-20% of CRM costs). As with any LMS project, it’s easier to find cost savings in CRM deployments than to make CRM-triggered sales growth projections.

Salesforce, as an example, emphasizes a key factor in mitigating costs: improving workflows by removing data entry and administrative tasks. However, it also places focus on the value of real-time information to improve forecasting decisions, as well as performance-driven sales and service targets and winning new business.

It’s important to err on the conservative side when developing ROI models for cost reduction when it comes to CRM-LMS integration, at least until good data becomes apparent within the CRM, and until users can progress through the levels of what is known as the Salesforce user maturity model. Only here can we get a better sense of ROI from CRM-LMS integration, as the number of administrative and reporting tasks begin to plummet.

Symbiotic LMS and CRM

Yes, tying explicit correlations between enhanced sales figures and LMS-CRM integrations is a bit of a different beast. However, these integrations can unlock considerable benefits. One business explored in a recent white paper allowed learners to move seamlessly between its LMS and CRM and, to get accurate data from billing points, monitored learner progress along the way.

The company estimates it saved 1.25 FTE in a team of six people, which would amount to a 20% headcount savings in learner administration costs. That’s not even taking into account how learner outcomes could have translated into sales growth. In this company’s case, the LMS and CRM systems became symbiotic, fueling a streamlined, smooth cycle, and a 35% uptick in sales as a result.

Docebo’s Answer to the LMS CRM Integration

Docebo recently released an integration with Salesforce to help customers drive sales and fuel business performance by simplifying training processes and offering an even deeper look at extended enterprise training impact. This development has helped it become the only LMS to supports the experiential and social learning modalities of the 70:20:10 learning model.

Unsure of the potential benefits of integrating your CRM and LMS, as well as the potential ROI? Try Docebo free for two weeks and see for yourself how you can unleash the true potential of your CRM by integrating it with Docebo.

Has your company successfully linked LMS and CRM systems in order to streamline processes? Want to know more about how to achieve optimal ROI from integrations? Learn how to maximize the profit-producing power of LMS integrations with our free report.