When Was the Last Time You Sat Down and Analyzed the Performance of Your LMS?
Alarmingly, for many companies, the answer is "never," meaning that your learning platform could be failing to deliver the results you need. Unfortunately, the way many L&D teams operate is outdated—selecting an LMS and signing up for a multiyear contract, even though that LMS may stop meeting the organization’s needs a few months in. A lot can change over the course of a learning technology contract; so now is as good a time as any to find out if your LMS is really delivering ROI, and if not, how to avoid making the same procurement mistakes again and again.
So, where are so many organizations going wrong, and what can they do to find an LMS that will grow with their requirements over time?
Ditching Status Quo, Embracing the New Normal
Traditionally, the LMS has been used to deliver just-in-case e-learning according to a schedule determined by managers or HR. Companies sign up for expensive, long-term contracts, and they get what they’re given from their vendor with no real opportunity to change the LMS over time—or pay vast sums of money to customize and extend their proprietary solution. Over time, this leads to frustration and ultimately, procurement failure; but there’s a way to leave the status quo in the past and adopt a much more modern, dynamic approach to LMS procurement.
- From just-in-case to just-in-time learning.
- From reactive, prescribed learning to proactive, demand-led learning.
- From one-size-fits-all to personalized solutions.
- From proprietary to open technology.
- From vendor control to customer control.
- From investment and stagnation to adaptation.
Making this shift will help you avoid following the crowd and believing the hype about learning platforms and vendors who pay for favorable coverage and being enticed by what appears to be a good deal, but is actually trapping you into a contract with an LMS that is no longer fit for purpose—which will inevitably be a costly mistake.
Changes to Make to Your Organization’s LMS Procurement Process
For any business looking to improve its LMS procurement process and find a learning platform that delivers on all its promises, there are five key steps to follow.
- Recognize that your business needs will change, and this could happen sooner than you think. This means reframing your procurement requests to favor flexibility, not features.
- Look for solutions that offer open access to the software code, meaning you have the freedom to innovate. This empowers you to support customization, integrations, and functional extensions as required by your organization.
- Opt for a platform with multiple different support vendors available. This means you’re not reliant on a single vendor; if they went bust tomorrow, you could simply transfer your LMS to another provider, giving you the freedom to choose.
- Ensure you receive a clear and detailed understanding of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the learning platforms you're considering. Finding out how each will cater and respond to short-notice changes will give you the freedom to save.
- Consider running a paid-for discovery phase with your shortlisted vendors (no more than three). While this is an upfront investment, you are far more likely to verify and change your requirements and find both the right LMS and the right vendor based on this experience—ultimately making this a cost-saving step.
Open learning platforms like Totara Learn give organizations worldwide the freedom to learn. With a growing global partner network, access to the source code, and the ability to respond rapidly to business changes, open technology is the best way to future-proof your learning strategy and ensure your LMS continues to deliver value for years to come. It’s time to break the chains and experience the freedom to learn.