Understanding the Key Advantages of Learning Management Systems

Learning is a key consideration for every business and organization today. From new hire training and onboarding to ongoing education for existing employees, learning is everywhere. However, that does not make it easier to manage. In fact, that particular burden has grown exponentially. The good news is that a learning management system (LMS) can provide you with key advantages and benefits. What should you know about learning management systems and the advantages they offer?

All Access, All the Time

With traditional learning systems, access to learning materials was limited to specific times of the day and even specific physical locations. Employees might have had to visit an on-site training center, or could only complete courses when specific HR employees were available. Learning management systems turn that on its ear. With an LMS, your employees and new hires have access to all the information they need, all the time. Not only can they access that information from the office, but with the right system, they can do so from remote locations, like their home or even during their commute vita a smartphone.

Everything in One Place

How often do your training manuals go missing? How frequently are pages damaged or made unusable? How often is video training impossible because of equipment malfunction? How often is your training material found to be out of date? These are just a few of the issues that can derail your in-house training and education programs. However, a learning management system provides you with a centralized location for all your material and ensures that it is up to date at all times. You never need to worry about missing training manuals or outdated course material again.

Ease of Adjusting

Often, the bulk of a training program is correct, but there are small errors due to changes in procedure, technology or something else. It is usually not cost-effective to correct these issues in the material itself. Instead, supplements are provided in the form of printed handouts and the like. That is costly, time-consuming, and doesn’t lead to the best learning experience for your employees, either.

With an LMS, you can adjust training material on the fly. Did a change in technology streamline a particular process in your business? Update it quickly and easily. Did a new government mandate or industry best practice change some part of a process or procedure? Address it now to ensure better learning and information retention for your employees.

Simplified Tracking and Monitoring

Tracking individual employee progress through the required training and education materials can be incredibly challenging. It can require an immense amount of work in and of itself, and a single mistake could mean serious issues for one or more employees. With an LMS, this is not the case.

A learning management system allows you to track, monitor, and manage employee progress through training materials simply and easily. You can see where each employee is at a glance, with no need for guessing or complicated tracking methods. Not only can you track progress, but these systems make it easier to determine how much information an employee is retaining from their lessons, which can help determine whether they should repeat certain portions to improve their understanding. And, ultimately, that’s what training is all about – helping your employees understand important information.

Cost Reduction

How much has your company spent on the development of training and education materials? Chances are good that you’ve made a significant investment in the not so distant past. It’s also likely that you’re incurring ongoing costs. Instructor travel costs, student travel costs, forum/venue costs, material development, physical materials creation, and more all cost you money.

With learning management systems, those costs are reduced or even eliminated entirely. With eLearning, there is no need for travel, which cuts out a significant amount of cost. With eLearning, there is no need to print out materials – it’s all digital and accessible online. You’ll have no venue-related costs or reduced instructor-related costs, and can enjoy other benefits, too.

Reduced Learning Time

One of the most frustrating factors for employers is the amount of time it takes employees to complete mandated education courses. A learning management system can reduce that time commitment by a significant amount. Because these systems provide direct access to the information that learners need, when they need it, the entire process is smoother and requires less time.

In addition, most learning management systems allow employees to progress at their own pace, which further speeds up the entire process. The end result is that your employees spend less time in training, retain more of the information they learn, and spend more time doing what they do best, all of which benefit your organization.

Personalized Learning

Let’s face it. A one-size-fits-all approach rarely fits anyone. This applies to your corporate training and education processes, too. With a learning management system, each employee’s experience is personalized, but it goes deeper than this. You have the opportunity to brand every aspect of the training and develop specific portions to meet corporate requirements. From multiple language support to branding, individual learner assessments, and everything in between, learning management systems deliver personalized solutions that support more successful outcomes.

Media Types

Textbooks, handouts, brochures, and videos are all time-honored training materials. Let’s face it, though. They’re boring and not particularly engaging. With a learning management system, you can incorporate more engaging, effective media, including interactive video, gamified training materials, and more. The result? A better experience for your learners all the way around. More engaging, enjoyable training materials help improve information retention and even affects morale.

In Conclusion

Learning management systems are the next step in corporate training. They provide numerous advantages, reduce costs, streamline the training process, and ensure that your employees are able to retain more of what they learn. Ultimately, an LMS can help you create a stronger organization with a better ability to compete within your industry.