A learning management system (LMS) is a powerful tool that enables organizations to create, organize, deliver, and report on digital courses. LMS platforms are used across a broad range of settings: from Fortune 100 companies to small family businesses, and from top universities to small high schools. Learn how to implement an LMS with our step-by-step guide.
Why should your organization invest in an LMS?
Before we get into the specifics of LMS implementation, let’s first explore the potential advantages of using a learning management system in your organization. To make the benefits more relatable, we will use real-life examples from organizations that could benefit from an LMS. To protect their identities, we will modify a few details.
Continuous learning
Keeping members of your organization updated on the latest industry trends can be extremely challenging. To maintain your competitive edge, you cannot rely on outdated training resources. Fortunately, LMS platforms enable you to create highly customizable, up-to-date training materials that can be used throughout the organization or tailored for specific groups.
Real-life example: A European university specializing in economics introduced an LMS for their doctoral students, offering courses in research methodology, advanced mathematics, statistics, academic writing, and other practical skills. PhD students could voluntarily participate in courses relevant to their research fields. The university was able to adjust the course content based on the latest scientific developments and trends. This LMS implementation greatly supported the PhD students in advancing their dissertation research.
Scalability
While offline courses offer many benefits, they can be challenging to scale. Managing a course for 20 employees is quite different from handling one for 200 or 2,000 employees. LMS software is extremely easy to scale. You can assign a course to every member of your organization with a single click. Completing a digital course for thousands of employees requires no more time or resources than completing a course for just one person.
Real-life example: An international e-commerce company uses an LMS to enhance the cybersecurity skills, eco-consciousness, and other abilities of their employees and subcontractors. With over 7,000 people and subcontractors – a number that continues to grow – the company faces no challenges in adding new members to the courses thanks to the LMS platform’s high scalability.
Adaptability
Modern LMS platforms like Moodle or Totara can be customized to fit the exact needs of your organization. These LMSs offer hundreds of built-in features for adjusting functionality and appearance, and they can also be extended with plugins and themes for additional functionalities and design options.
Real-life example: A small business specializing in occupational safety and health uses an LMS to host fire and safety courses for clients. The courses can be customized to meet the specific needs and preferences of each customer.
Check out our articles on Moodle and Totara customization!
Cost-effective
If you host an offline course, you incur recurring costs since you have to pay the teacher each time the course is held. These expenses can accumulate over time and lead to significant costs. However, once you implement an LMS, you can reduce these costs. After creating a course, you can use it an unlimited number of times without any additional expense.
Real-life example: An international research organization uses an LMS to educate university students about combating climate change. A high number of students have participated in the course since it has been launched. If the course were conducted by a university professor, the costs could easily exceed hundreds of thousands of euros. By using an LMS, the organization has been able to keep costs low while maintaining high quality.
Would you like to learn more about the costs of LMS platforms? Check out our articles on Moodle and Totara pricing!
How to implement an LMS
Now that we have covered the basics, it is time to explore how to implement an LMS. In the following paragraphs, we will go through the fundamentals of LMS implementation.
If you are interested in the specifics of implementing a particular LMS, check out these articles:
1. Plan according to your current and future organizational needs
The first step in implementing an LMS is to assess your organization’s current and future needs. At this stage, it is wise to consult with an LMS expert who can help you identify the best software for your situation. Choosing an LMS that lacks crucial features can lead to costly and frustrating issues.
Two of the most popular LMS platforms are Moodle and Totara.
2. Develop the IT infrastructure for your LMS
Once you have selected an LMS, the next step is to develop the IT infrastructure. Many LMS platforms are self-hosted, requiring you to have your own server and IT environment to run the software. Building a server capable of handling all requests can be challenging, even for IT professionals. If you need assistance, our experts are available to help you set up and configure your servers, or even to host your site
3. Implement the LMS
With the IT infrastructure in place, the final step is to install, configure, and customize the LMS to fit the needs of your organization.
LMS implementation is more challenging than you might expect. SKOLL is here to assist you!
Implementing an LMS can be challenging, even for IT experts. SKOLL offers over a decade of experience and expertise in LMS implementation and custom development. Our pricing is tailored to meet the specific needs of each customer.
