What makes learning management systems effective for corporate learning?

In the business world, everything comes down to ROI. Companies are concerned about the costs of using learning management systems to train employees. After all, it takes time and money to develop training programs that can take individuals from candidate status to highly productive employee status. Then there’s the ongoing need to update courses, create new learning content, and house it all in a LMS that has all the best features.

The costs of employee development

According to the International Success Academy, every dollar spent on employee training yields a 30% increase in productivity. Those companies that invest at least $1,500 annually in employees achieve approximately a 24% increase in revenues. Some experts believe that it costs much more to retain inadequately trained employees because they are not prepared to meet the challenges of changing technology, new regulations, and effective work habits – as much as $300 to 500 billion in annual revenues in the US.

How can a company choose a balanced learning management solution that will effectively manage corporate learning demands, while controlling costs?

New Capterra study highlights the most effective LMS features

Recently, Capterra, a site that helps businesses find the right software, released the results of it’s extensive research into learning management systems. The report ranks the top 20 LMS based on several criteria, including: user experience, task completion, and quality of customer service. These are the areas that most companies struggle with in terms of their workforce development efforts. Interestingly, the Capterra survey also highlighted some trends in the LMS market, that all companies should be aware of when evaluating the right solution.

19 of the 20 top rated LMS cater specifically to corporate learning, with the exception of Canvas being more academic-driven.
Missing functionalities in many of the LMS included the ability to schedule and conduct live instructor-led sessions.
Major differences between vendors are implementation support and training options, mostly because of a shift towards SaaS learning management systems.
SkyPrep and Bridge came out on top with the most user-friendly experience and best ratings from consumers.

The Capterra research also revealed that customer service and ease-of-use were the main areas of any LMS that can support a better outcome for learners. Learner tasks that are brief and a system that can handle this without any lags in processing gives users a much more pleasant experience. This translates to more effective learning and recall later on-the-job. A more prepared workforce equates to a more efficient one that produces more revenues and justifies training costs.

What can companies learn about what makes an effective learning platform?

Each organization is tasked with choosing the best systems for learning the skills, values, and culture that make all the difference in employee performance. Keeping clear business metrics in mind, it’s possible to choose the best possible learning platform that engages employees. Here are some tips from the pros:

The LMS should be brandable

According to Georgia Green, Marketing Manager for Kineo, the learning platform can be a powerful way to demonstrate the brand of the company. Including logos and brand design are good, but the LMS should support the overall user experience. Green advises consistency across all forms of learning, from the online coursework to in-classroom training.

Choose the right LMS to get the job done

When a learning system is well-matched to the goals of the intended training, it’s more effective. Ravinder Tulsiani, author of Your Leadership EDGE: Mastering Management Skills for Today’s Workforce, and who contributes to Association for Training and Development, says that, “An effective corporate learning strategy depends on the type of corporation.” Therefore, what works for one company may not be right for another.

Any LMS must be adaptable

The best learning platforms for corporate environments are those that are highly adaptable. Mark Rose, who is the founder of Creativedge Training and Development, mentions at eLearning Industry that in an increasing international climate where employees are spread out across the map, “Flexibility in training is essential to bridging the gap between skills and capabilities.”

What can we take away from the Capterra report and our industry experts? The best learning management systems combine a user-friendly format with plenty of room for branding, customization and flexibity to meet the needs of current and future learners.