There are a number of Learning Management Systems to choose from on the market. Most training providers want to tie you into their LMS, but you do have a choice. Evolved Safety makes it simple to pair your choice of training content with an LMS that works best for you. Don’t get stuck with an LMS that doesn’t fit your needs – when assessing LMS systems in the market, keep the following in mind:
Ease of Use – Functionality is important too, and we’ll get to that in a minute, but ease-of-use might be the most important benefit to assess when looking at LMS systems. You will probably have a variety of users, with various levels of computer skills, accessing your LMS. In order for your LMS to provide you with the information you need, it needs to be easy to implement, understand and use for all. Some LMS systems have all the functionality in the world, but if they are difficult to use then they won’t work well for your team. Simplicity, without sacrificing functionality, is the best way to go when selecting an LMS for your organization.
Functionality – You can go from a basic system that tracks only your training to systems that track incidents, injury and illness reports, conduct risk assessments, and more. How extensive of a system you select will depend on your business needs and your budget, however, there are a few key function to assess when reviewing a system:
- Reporting – Reporting is a critical component of your safety program. You need a system that allows you to easily report on your employee training. In a study conducted by Training Industry, Inc., and Expertus, 84 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with their LMS reporting…the biggest reporting issue cited was limited or difficult access to information needed to support their business planning and strategy. (1) Review how the system displays reports, ability to export reports, and information you can select for your reports. You should be able to quickly and easily drill down to the information you need, from a single student or course, to an entire population. Additional features such as having the report auto-generate and email to you or a group of individuals and a dashboard that shows quick information about training completion is also nice to have.
- Training Management – Bottom line, this should be quick and easy. Make sure you can easily assign a single course to a single student all the way to assigning groups of courses to groups of students. Training management is the core piece of your system, and it should not be a burden to create assignments and edit them on the fly.
Customization – Being able to add your own branding is nice, but what you really need is a system that is flexible to fit your business needs. The ability to create your own employee structure, create your own reports, and upload your own courses are all capabilities that you should assess. You may not need it today, but down the road, these options could come in handy.
Navigating the world of learning management systems can be daunting. Evolved Safety works with you to find an LMS and training content that fits your needs, no matter the training vendor. We help you assess the various systems without pressure, and when you are looking for a change we make it easy to transition from one system to another. We offer multiple LMS systems and over 1,000 online training courses to help you meet your compliance and safety initiatives.
Let’s talk about making your online training as powerful as possible with the right systems to support your needs. Contact us today!
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