To improve the process of learning new skills and increase the speed and reach required to deliver well-structured training, companies should consider an LMS. But, if you are contemplating deploying one, you will no doubt need to research what the benefits of a Learning Management System are.
Essentially, an LMS is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and delivery of educational courses and training programs. But to make the right choice on training delivery for your organisation, it’s important to understand the advantages an LMS brings to the table.
In this blog, we discuss the benefits of using an LMS to deliver training and how a customised LMS can help to boost this training experience, along with a whole host of extra advantages.
What are the Benefits of a Learning Management System?
There are a variety of benefits to using a Learning Management System, including:
1. Accessibility
Online access to educational materials makes it easy for students and employees to learn from anywhere, at any time. Learners can also learn at their own pace, which can be especially beneficial for those with busy schedules, who prefer to learn independently or those who work remotely or in distributed teams.
2. Organisation
An LMS allows for the centralisation of all educational materials, making it easy for learners to find what they need when they need it. From a management perspective, everything is kept in one location, making updates and changes quick and simple.
3. Tracking and reporting
Integral monitoring and insight tools allow for progress tracking and reporting on the overall success of training programs and related return on investment.
There are usually a variety of reports available, often customisable to the needs of any organisation, providing practical feedback, insight and the ability to spot knowledge gaps.
4. Cost-effective
Organisations implementing an LMS save money by reducing the need for physical classroom space, textbooks, and other materials. If you train external audiences, such as channel partners or customers, money is also saved on travel and hotel expenses.
5. Engagement
Interactive elements such as quizzes, knowledge checks, discussion boards, and multimedia content make the learning experience more engaging and boost knowledge retention. LMSs also allow collaboration and communication between learners, managers and instructors, as well as among classmates, which can enhance the learning experience.
6. Scalability
Delivering training online via a Learning Management System allows for rapid scalability. An LMS can be used for a wide range of training programs, from a single course to a full curriculum, and are easily scalable to meet the needs of an organisation.
7. Continuous learning
Perfect for continuous learning, the learning process never stops with an LMS, making it easy for learners to stay up to date with the latest updates, trends and skills.
8. Adaptability
An LMS allows for the creation of custom learning plans tailored to the needs of individual learners. This is especially important to keep learners engaged in training that has been designed to be relevant to them and their roles.
Related reading: What is an LMS (and how do they work)?
What’s the Difference Between Standard and Customised LMSs?
A standard, out-of-the-box LMS has a set interface and a predefined way of presenting courses that may feel cumbersome and not always clear to learners with varying preferences. It is a pre-built software solution designed to meet the general needs of most organisations, offering a set of basic features such as course creation, student registration, tracking, and reporting.
A customised LMS is a system tailored to meet the specific needs of an organisation. It is often built to order and can include additional features or integrations not available in a standard LMS. Customised LMSs are usually more expensive due to additional development costs. However, these costs are often balanced by the many advantages of using a customised LMS.
What are the Advantages of a Customised LMS?
A customised LMS allows users to modify the platform’s visual and structural design, integrate optional modules and other systems that extend its functionality, alter the way content is delivered, and assign specific roles to different users granting varying levels of control and access to the platform.
It is distinct from standard LMSs that restrict customisation to simple elements such as uploading company logos and changing colours, with providers having majority control over what their platforms can do.
Here, we look at some of the benefits a customised LMS can bring to your organisation’s training program, from high-level administrators to learners:
1. Stronger brand identity
Training is as much about imparting knowledge and developing skills as it is about introducing and instilling company values. Such values are expressed both directly and indirectly through a company’s branding.
Branding is best when it is omnipresent, so it sticks in the mind of people who interface with it regularly.
With a customised LMS, training material to the overall visual design of the entire platform can carry the company’s brand.
Branding doesn’t end with having a logo stamped on top of a training course. It also covers the more visible aspects such as the platform interface to the more subtle elements like tone and messaging.
A customised LMS ensures learners absorb a brand’s culture whenever or wherever they undergo training.
2. Increase in user adoption
The ability to customise your courses and tailor them according to the user’s needs benefits both the learner and the administrator:
- For learners
The foremost benefit of having a customised LMS is that it lets organisations improve usability via visual design modification. In the process, users are more likely to participate in the training as it is relevant to them.
By customising the visual and structural design to better cater to the users’ specific needs, they will have an easier time interfacing with the platform and following the learning pathway set for them.
- For administrators
Administrators can take a top-down view of how learners engage with training. One of their central duties is to understand how effective a program is, which is done by setting metrics, collecting data, and presenting such figures in a manner that would establish pathways for learners to make progress.
A customised LMS provides admin tools that can refine their reports, tracking methods, and mapping capabilities, making an administrator’s job much easier.
Customised LMS providers can also offer a comprehensive managed learning service so that administrators can offload more minor tasks to the providers and focus on other more urgent matters.
Related reading: Outsourcing vs In-House – Which is Best for Delivering Your Training Program?
3. Cost-efficient in the long-term
The upfront cost of a customised LMS may be higher than your standard LMS, but the freedom you gain from paying a premium will pay for itself in the long run, especially if you’re looking to sell your training courses.
The cost-efficiency mainly comes from the improvements in the training program across the board brought on by using a customised LMS – so less time and resources will be spent trying and failing to engage learners with a restrictive system.
This kind of platform accommodates varying learning styles, as the LMS can be modified to fit the specific needs of learners. Whether it’s implementing a particular set of functions that learners find useful or designing the interface in such a way that learners find appealing, the tailored experience that comes with a customised LMS makes the whole process of learning smoother and more engaging.
4. Agile course delivery
In this fast-moving work climate, contingencies have to be in place if main plans aren’t followed. Sometimes, companies have to pivot quickly to face unexpected challenges.
When it comes to training, there may be a need to roll out updates for course materials as soon as possible to reflect shifts in business strategy or prepare for projected trends. Some industries frequently add to their product line and have to train constantly on new products.
A customised LMS allows organisations to deliver course updates whenever it’s necessary instead of following a strict training roadmap laid out by a vendor with a standard LMS. Changes can also be large-scale or granular, depending on what needs updating, without upending entire training programs.
5. Flexibility for Longevity
No matter the field or industry, organisations are not static entities. They change over time, growing and diversifying their staff, increasing their competencies, and widening their range of offerings to survive and thrive. Any organisation that hopes to keep its members well-equipped with the skills and knowledge to face new challenges should have a customised LMS.
A customised LMS has the flexibility to be moulded the way its users prefer, anticipating the possibility that it might have to undergo multiple transformations to adapt to the organisation’s evolving needs. Such a system is built to last instead of having to be discarded the moment a fundamental change occurs – which is exactly when a stable training foundation is required.
The Transition to Online Training with an LMS
Taking training online with the help of a standard, out-of-the-box learning management system (LMS) is no longer enough. The control and flexibility provided by a customised LMS make realising company training goals much easier.
The transition from face-to-face training to online training can be daunting, but it also has the potential to be extremely beneficial, with online training offering flexibility and convenience that traditional in-person training can’t match.
With the right tools and strategies, the benefits of online training can far outweigh the challenges of transition.
Ensure your training program reaches its maximum potential by tapping into our expertise and partnering with us to deliver your training program. Find out more about how Wahoo Learning’s managed LMS can transform the way you deliver your training by giving us a call today on 01460 279927 for a chat or drop us a message here.
