LMS and Compliance: Ensuring Regulatory Training Requirements

As organizations navigate the complex landscape of regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance through effective training is paramount. Approximately 73.8 million users are using LMS at present. Among them, corporate-level executives make up 65%, while managers account for the remaining 35%. Interestingly, long-established tech companies represent 30% of LMS users, surpassing the education sector, which comprises 21%.Safe to say, a compliance LMS can act as a facilitator of effective regulatory training.

What Is a Compliance LMS?

A compliance LMS is a learning management system that is specifically designed to help organizations meet their regulatory training requirements. It provides features that make it easy to deliver, track, and manage compliance training programs, such as centralized training material, automated tracking and reporting, risk mitigation facilities, etc. Usually, compliance training could encompass subjects like sexual harassment prevention, OSHA, HIPAA, workplace diversity, etc.

The Key Role an LMS Plays in Ensuring Regulatory Training Requirements

A compliance LMS can play a key role in ensuring that employees receive the necessary regulatory training by providing the following benefits:

Centralizing Compliance-Related Training Material

An LMS can be used to centralize all compliance-related training initiatives in one place, making it easy for employees to find and access the material they need. This is especially important for organizations with a large and complex regulatory landscape, as it can help to ensure that employees are always up-to-date on the latest requirements.

Automated Tracking of Compliance-Related Courses

A compliance training LMS can be further used to automatically track employee progress on compliance-related courses. This information can then be used to generate reports that show which employees have completed their training. As such, organizations can identify and address any compliance gaps.

Ensuring the Adherence of Course Material with Regulations

An LMS can help ensure that course material is aligned with the latest regulations. This is because LMSs typically have features that allow administrators to easily update course content and track changes. An excellent LMS also offers libraries of pre-built compliance courses that experts in the field have developed.

Maintaining Consistency Across the Delivery of Instruction

One of the major benefits of an LMS for compliance training is that it can ensure consistency across the delivery of instruction, regardless of where employees are located. This is because LMSs typically provide a variety of learning delivery options, such as self-paced learning, instructor-led training, and blended learning. This empowers enterprises to tailor their training programs to the specific needs of their employees.

Mitigating Risks Associated with Non-Compliance

By automating the tracking and delivery of compliance training, an LMS can help organizations mitigate the risks associated with non-compliance. For example, if employees fail to complete a required training course, the LMS can automatically send them a reminder or escalate the issue to their manager. This can help organizations ensure that all employees are properly trained and aware of their compliance obligations.

How To Approach the Selection Process?

The selection of an LMS for compliance training should be guided by the following key considerations and steps:

Assess the Technical Prowess of the Solution

When selecting an LMS for regulatory training, assess its technical capabilities.

• Make sure that it allows content customization for compliance with specific regulations.
• Check for multi-language support to cater to diverse learners.
• Evaluate the data security measures that the LMS takes to protect the training data.
• Seek LMS solutions that can relay timely regulatory updates to keep training materials current and inform everyone concerned about the same.

Assess the User-Friendliness

This is particularly important to ensure that the user journeys aren't affected as employees look to complete requisite compliance certifications. To ensure user-friendliness, focus on the following steps:

• Ensure easy navigation across the platform and look for straightforward registration and login processes.
• Verify content accessibility for all employees.
• Evaluate the level of content accessibility to guarantee that all employees can benefit from the training.

Evaluate the Flexibility

Flexibility is paramount when selecting an LMS for regulatory training. Ensure that the chosen solution is scalable to meet your organization's evolving requirements. This means that it should adapt to changes in regulatory requirements and allow for the material to be easily tweaked and updated when needed.

Ensure That the Feedback & Support Mechanism Is Top-Notch

Alongside an LMS offering key capabilities, it's essential to ensure that the technical support provided by the LMS vendor is on-point. This can help resolve any technical issues promptly, curb issues arising from frequent updates, and ensure seamless functioning without downtime.

5 Features of an LMS Used for Compliance Training

Regulatory training demands specific features from an LMS to ensure effectiveness and adherence. To that end, here are five crucial LMS features for compliance training to look forward to:

Integrations

A robust LMS should seamlessly integrate with existing systems, such as HR databases or content management systems. This allows for the efficient management of user data, course assignments, and tracking within your organization.

Certificate Builder

An LMS designed for compliance training must enable the creation of custom certificates upon course completion. This feature simplifies the certification process, ensuring compliance records are accurate and easily accessible.

SCORM Compliance

LMS platforms must support SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) compliance — ensuring that courses and content are standardized and can be used across different systems and making it easier to manage and share content.

Reporting and Automation

Detailed reporting capabilities are essential. LMS should provide insights into user progress, completion rates, and compliance data. Automation features help in scheduling and delivering compliance training efficiently.

Single Sign-On

Implementing single sign-on (SSO) simplifies user access. Employees can use their existing credentials to access the LMS, enhancing convenience and security and streamlining the login process.

Tips for Effective Regulatory Training with an LMS

Merely 70% of companies make an effort to assess the efficiency of their compliance program. But to make the most of their time and effort invested in compliance training, enterprises must follow these best practices:

Tailor Training to Role or Departmental Needs

Customize training programs to align with specific role or department requirements. Employees in various positions may have distinct regulatory obligations, so tailoring the content ensures relevance and engagement.

Use Interactive Elements for Better Engagement

Incorporate interactive elements like quizzes, simulations, and case studies to enhance engagement and knowledge retention. Interactive components make the training more engaging and memorable.

Regularly Update the Content

Regulations are subject to change. Ensure your training content remains up-to-date with the latest regulatory requirements. Regular updates are vital for compliance.

Leverage Scenario-Based Learning

Implement scenario-based learning to help employees apply regulatory knowledge in practical situations. Scenarios promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Carry Out Regular Assessments

Conduct assessments to evaluate employees' understanding of regulatory topics. These assessments help identify areas that may require additional training and further help track progress.

Facilitate Mobile Learning

Enable mobile learning for flexibility. Employees can access training materials on their devices, allowing them to learn at their convenience, even outside of traditional work hours.

Notify for Recertification or Refresher Courses

Establish a system to notify employees when recertification or refresher courses are due. This ensures ongoing compliance and keeps everyone informed about the training schedule.

The Final Word

LMS and compliance are closely knit together when it comes to effective regulatory training. However, choosing the right LMS is key here to ensure success with the training initiatives and eliminate compliance gaps. It's here that the GyrusAim LMS becomes a potent platform. It helps centralize compliance training material, bring automation into the mix, maintain instructional consistency, and mitigate non-compliance risks. Book a demo today to see GyrusAim in action.