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Finding Your LMS Soulmate
Buying an LMS is a lot like getting married. You want ahappy relationship that lasts a long time because switchingLMSs, like switching spouses, can be a difficult and expensiveprocess. As a vendor who has been involved in scores of LMS selections, I canoffer some advice for finding your LMS soulmate.
Focus on what’s important
Most buyers focus heavily on the LMS’s features and functions.Their primary concern is what the LMS can do. They have spreadsheets with 300to 500 rows of selection criteria, almost all of which are features andfunctions. Oftentimes many of the functions aren’t needed to support theirtraining programs, but are included “just in case.” The LMS that best matchestheir functionality criteria at a competitive price is selected as the winner.
I have discovered that many LMS customers shop for an LMSthe way they might shop for a dress. If it has the right features and functions(i.e. straps, color, cut, and fit) they buy the dress. But buyingan LMS isn’t like buying clothes because you can’t change out of anLMS as easily.
Hunting for a happy relationship
You will find your LMS soulmate by looking beyond the what.You must understand why you need an LMS partner, how you are going to use theLMS, and who is behind the LMS.
To return to the relationship metaphor, before gettingmarried it’s helpful to understand why you want to tie the knot in the firstplace. Think about your LMS as a partner. Why do you need an LMS, outside ofthe usual response of wanting a tool to manage your training program(s)? Whatdo you want to achieve?
Once you have a deep understanding of why you want an LMSpartner, you should examine how you’re going to use the LMSto support your training. How will you manage user access? How willlearners be assigned training? How will you track progress? Flesh out the hows bydeveloping a set of use cases. Each use case should define how a specificlearning process should ideally work.
Lastly, consider the who. Who are you marrying? What are theLMS partner’s values? How do they handle customer issues? Where are they takingthe LMS in the future?
While there are no universal answers to these questions,there are right answers for you and your firm. Use these and other questions todefine your ideal LMS soulmate, independent of the LMS technology they offer.
The dating game
The first step in finding your LMS soulmate is building alist of must-have functions you cannot do without. Next build a list ofpotential LMS partners by hitting the dating sites (i.e. industry directories),searching online, and asking friends and family. Use your list of must-havefeatures (there shouldn’t be more than a few dozen) to weed out LMSs that donot meet your most basic needs.
After you have your narrowed down your list, it’s time tostart dating! Dating can be uncomfortable, but it’s an incredible learningprocess because you’re going out with different people in different situationsto explore what it’s like to be together.
When dating potential LMS partners, the focus should be onthe how. Let each potential partner know that you want to see how their LMS canbe used to manage your particular training program(s). Share your use cases tolet them know how you want your reporting done, how you want enrollment to behandled, how you want to assign training goals, how you want to manage ororganize your users, etc. Have them demonstrate how their system supports eachuse case. You can think of each use case as a mini date. After several of these,you’ll have a very clear idea of what life would be like if you married thatLMS partner.
Ask questions and meet the family
After “dating” a dozen or so potential LMS partners, you shouldbe able to narrow the field down to a short list of two or three. Each shouldpossess the capability to satisfy your needs, but how do you determine who isThe One? For this, shift your attention to the who. Who is the firm behind theLMS? Is it a good fit for you and your organization? Can it deliver your why?Get to know more about your potential LMS soulmate by askingpointed questions such as: How do you measure success (by revenue growth, orasking clients if their projects were completed on-time, on-budget, andas-promised?) Do you calculate your issue-close capability, and if so, are youwilling to share your metrics? The answers you receive will help you get toknow your partner more intimately.
Meeting the family can also provide revelations. Try to makecontact with the CEO, as well as the heads of product development, delivery,and client care. Each will provide a different perspective on the company.
Lastly, meet the extended family. Read customer reviews andtalk to current clients. Focus the conversation on what it’s like to be aclient of the LMS partner, rather than on the features and functions of theLMS.
After really getting to know your finalists, The One bestsuited to help you achieve your why should clearly emerge. As in allrelationships, remember a good functional fit with a great partner is oftenbetter than a great functional fit with a poor partner.
