Your LMS Demo Checklist: New Buyers Guide for Must-Have Features

Selecting a learning management system (LMS) from competitive vendors can be an exhausting process. With the abundance of software solutions presented by vendors, many products reflect a level of uniformity that can be recognized in the industry. With marketing schemes circulating and LMS representatives vying for your attention, when you are going through the demo and selection process, it’s important to know exactly which features are necessary, and which you can do without.

Do your homework!

During the demo process, those vendors that take the time to come into a meeting and demonstration well-prepared with information about your company’s business, fiscal state, main product, current learning environment, and future desired goals, shows a competitive edge and gives you a look into the future of how a partnership might go. Basically, a vendor that works to make sure they can apply and customize solutions to meet your objectives as an organization is the first step in making sure that you select the right LMS for your needs.

Attention to detail can never be overstated when looking into the right LMS. Look for differentiation beyond generic terms that get tossed around such as flexibility, partnership, highly configurable, scalable, secure, and easy-to-use. Of course, these are great features to have in an LMS, but the truth is that if the LMS cannot address any one of these concerns, it probably shouldn’t be in the running, to begin with. Many of these features are staples that define the characteristics of an LMS, not necessarily reasons why they soar above the competition.

What makes your LMS stand out?

A demo should reveal what makes the software and/or the company truly unique, bringing you the greater benefit. The industry has become too competitive for bland boasting—look for an LMS that gives you that special feeling, whether that’s in a white glove customer experience, extra-mile gamification, or any other effort they’ve made to really stand out among competitors.

Presenting basic features isn’t a bad move, especially if the LMS has handled these is a particularly elegant or innovative way. Sometimes presenting the basics in a stripped down way can reveal strengths, especially where a customer may be looking for a system that has top performance in those critical areas. However, when you’re looking into devoting considerable resources to an LMS, you should know that these features are something that you should expect from almost every LMS on the market. To be competitive, a vendor should be able to check off these staple features during a demo:

• • Tracking and reporting: Most LMS software will have an option for tracking and reporting, but this will vary widely between systems. Determine which style of reporting works best for your needs—some will have a data-based system, others might present a more general, graphical style for reporting. Some software will perform better at these tasks, but every LMS you are considering seriously should have the ability to track and report.
  • User portal: Any LMS should have a user portal that they are able to log into, check their status and scores on past training, view upcoming training, and download certificates. This should be completely unique from the admin portal, available to administrators and instructors.

• SCORM/xAPI: These software specifications are what permit cross-software communication, allowing for the LMS to integrate within current business operations. It is well known that most industries will require at least SCORM compliance from their LMS, thus, this should be an essential feature that you will want to make sure is included during any demo process.
• Administrator access: The LMS you implement into your company processes should allow an administrator to make minor changes to the software. It can cut into valuable time to be constantly contacting your LMS company for help (although you should also check the customer service box, so it’s there when you need it). Administrator access should allow admin users the ability to access reporting, user results, make changes to user status, and update any
  LMS demo

  training materials within the system. Some will allow even greater access, but these basics should be covered with your LMS.

• In-app testing and assessment: Along with hosting engaging training material, your LMS should be able to support testing functions within the software. If the exams you create are multiple choice, automatic grading should give the user an immediate score.
• Multimedia hosting: It should go without saying that the LMS you invest in should have the capability of hosting images, video, and audio files. The training you create should take advantage of the many forms of content creation available to you to make your training engaging and memorable. If you are looking into an LMS that cannot carry out these functions, it’s already an outdated system.
• In-app messaging: Finally, your LMS should have the ability for in-app messaging. Some systems utilize instant messaging, others, forums, and some are developed for intra-mail. Your management system should be capable for use of one or more of these options.

The Extras!

Now that you have the basics covered, here are a few features that not every LMS will necessarily include, but could help tip the scales during your selection process:

• Mobile accessibility: Not every buyer will insist on mobile accessibility if they conduct training on-premise, for instance. Not every organization will care if there is a mobile-optimized web view of their online system. However, for some, this is an essential feature. This might come down to preference, or maybe just how you intend users to access information. This is a must, however, if you have users relying on their smartphones at all for training or access to information.
• Integration: Not every organization needs their LMS to play nicely with other programs used for business processes. It’s not always completely necessary, but some buyers need their LMS to be heavily compatible with multiple systems. Many common integrations will include Microsoft and Google, used widely among a majority of organizations.
• Gamification: Another optional feature. But gamification carries a lot of buzz and can be a big draw for buyers selecting an LMS. Some learning management systems are designed with gamification elements that are as extensive as game-based learning, yet others offer more simplified leaderboards with gamification. This is another feature that might have importance to some organizations, but bear little significance for others who aren’t after the bells and whistles of added design.
• Content library: Some organizations are thrilled to integrate an LMS that comes stocked with existing training courses. Content creation requires time and resources, which in some cases you’ll want the luxury of creating your own courses, but some systems come replete with a library of courses that are ready to go for basic training initiatives and uniform onboarding. After a review of the content available, you can quickly get training!
• Course authoring: On the other side of the coin, it’s likely important that you have the capability to author your own content for job-specific training and industry updates. Course authoring tools make this easy for designers by either allowing outside software to be uploaded and retrofit into the LMS or by designing in-app content for seamless style integration.

LMS selection has a far-reaching impact on your organization—it’s important to get it right! This checklist should be your starting place as a buyer anticipating the growth and efficiency an LMS can provide.

For more information about how you can simplify training for effective results, contact Forge LMS by Digital Forge at (877) 369-1831 or email [email protected].