Choosing a new LMS (or Learning Management System) for your business can feel like an expedition into uncharted territory. With so many features, providers, and options to consider, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But don't panic! We are here to guide you through this digital jungle.

Whether you're an executive, HR decision-maker, or training manager, you know that the right LMS doesn't just manage online courses. It should also promote skills development, optimize ROI and, therefore, contribute to the growth of your business. After all, a powerful LMS is a bit like the Swiss Army knife in vocational training: versatile, reliable and always at hand.

In this article, we'll go over ten crucial questions to ask yourself before selecting your new LMS. These questions will help you navigate the many options available and identify the system that will best meet the specific needs of your business. Fasten your seat belts and let's go together to discover what could be the tool that will transform your training strategy.

Question 1: What are my learning, skills development and ROI goals?

Why it's important: Before diving into choosing an LMS, it's crucial to clearly define your goals. Are you looking to improve specific skills, increase employee engagement, or maximize return on investment (ROI)? An LMS should be a strategic tool that aligns your training goals with the growth of your business.

The risk of not taking this into account: Skipping this step can lead to choosing an LMS that doesn't fit the real goals of your business, wasting time and resources. You could end up with an underused tool and a low impact on employee performance.

Our advice for defining and organizing your goals:

• Analyze training needs: Identify the skills and knowledge that your employees need to acquire. Talk with managers and teams to understand current gaps and areas for improvement.
• Set measurable goals: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress. For example, if the goal is to improve leadership skills, measure the increase in positive evaluations from managers.
• Prioritize these goals: Prioritize your goals based on their impact on the business. Focus first on the critical skills that will have the biggest effect on productivity and growth.
• Evaluate the potential ROI: Calculate how each training objective can contribute to ROI. For example, better sales training could increase revenue, while compliance training could reduce legal risks.
• Involve stakeholders: Ensure that training goals are aligned with strategic business goals. Involve leaders, HR managers, and training teams in the goal-setting process.
• Document and communicate: Create a detailed training plan with clear goals and communicate it to all stakeholders. Use project management tools to track the progress of goals.

Question 2: Who are the current LMS customers and what is their feedback?

Why it's important: Knowing current customers and their feedback gives you a clear idea of the real performance of the LMS in contexts similar to yours. This makes it possible to assess whether the LMS can meet your specific needs.

The risk of not taking this into account: Without this information, you may end up choosing an LMS that works well for others but not for your type of structure or your specific needs.

Our advice: Study the customer cases available on suppliers' sites. A company with consistent positive feedback is often a guarantee of quality. For example, see who is using The LMS Didask and how it has transformed their training programs can enlighten you, as with this video from one of our customers.
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Question 3: How does the LMS use artificial intelligence to improve learning?

Why it's important: Artificial intelligence (AI) in an LMS can greatly simplify content design, making this task accessible to everyone in the organization, including those with no e-learning experience. Advanced AI can not only generate content, but also personalize learning paths, tailoring modules to learners' specific needs to maximize engagement and effectiveness.

The risk of not taking this into account: Opting for an LMS with a basic AI can limit your ability to create dynamic and adapted content. An AI that only produces standardized, passive content won't allow you to reap the benefits of personalized learning, which can reduce the impact of your training programs.

Advice: When evaluating an LMS, take a close look at how AI is being used. Ensure that the LMS AI goes beyond simply generating content and can absorb complex teaching tasks. For example, Didask uses an educational AI to guide even business experts without training skills to create effective paths.

By choosing an LMS with advanced AI, you are making the design task easier for everyone in your organization while ensuring superior learning outcomes and better tailoring to the individual needs of learners. We talk about this in more detail in our article Beyond ChatGPT: Generative AI at the service of pedagogy.
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Question 4: What types of content does the LMS support?

Why it's important: A flexible LMS that can manage a variety of content (videos, documents, documents, quizzes, interactive modules, etc.) makes it possible to create rich and diverse learning experiences. This caters to different learning styles and helps keep learners engaged. In addition, supporting standards like SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is critical. SCORM makes it possible to create training modules that are interoperable and compatible with different systems, thus ensuring better management and reuse of content.

The risk of not taking this into account: If the LMS doesn't support the types of content you need, you'll be limited in your educational options. This can reduce the effectiveness of your training and lock you into a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn't fit all training needs. In addition, the lack of compatibility with SCORM can cause difficulties in integrating existing content or in exchanging training modules between different platforms.

Advice: When evaluating an LMS, make sure that it supports a wide range of content types and that it is flexible enough to adapt to various learning needs. Also, look for compatibility with SCORM to ensure interoperability and reusability of content. For example, Didask offers a wide variety of content and modalities to adapt to different training needs. For more details, see This article on learning modalities.

Question 5: Does the LMS integrate with your existing systems?

Why it's important: Integration with existing business systems, such as HR (Human Resources) systems, performance management tools, and other business applications, is essential for smooth data management and a consistent user experience. Good integration allows data to be centralized, simplify administrative processes and improve operational efficiency. It also ensures a smooth transition and better adoption by end users.

The risk of not taking this into account: An LMS that doesn't integrate well with your current systems can lead to duplicate data, sync errors, and additional administrative burden. It can also disrupt workflows and decrease the overall efficiency of the organization. Additionally, poor integration can make it difficult to produce accurate reports and manage learner information.

Advice: When evaluating an LMS, check the integration capabilities with your current systems such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), and SSO (Single Sign-On) tools. For example, Didask offers robust integration solutions to ensure that your LMS works harmoniously with your other tools. For more information on system integrations, explore the relevant articles on Didask's blog.

Examples:

• SAP and Workday: Ensure that the LMS can integrate with common HR systems like SAP or Workday to make it easier to manage employee data and automate training processes.
• SSO: An integration with SSO tools allows users to log in with their existing corporate credentials, simplifying access and improving security.
• Performance management tools: Integration with performance management tools helps connect training data to performance evaluations, providing a comprehensive view of skills development.

Question 6: Who will be responsible for creating training courses in the company?

Why it's important: Knowing who will create the courses is crucial to choosing an LMS adapted to the skills and profiles of your designers. If your content creators are mostly business experts with no instructional design experience, you'll need an LMS that assists them effectively in this task. An adapted tool allows these experts to share their expertise without worrying about the technical aspects of creating e-learning modules.

The risk of not taking this into account: If the LMS is too complex or does not suit the designer profile, this can lead to difficulties in creating content and inefficient use of the platform. Business experts could feel overwhelmed, which would slow down the production of training modules and decrease the quality of the apprenticeship offered.

Advice: When evaluating an LMS, consider how it can support content creators, especially those without instructional design skills. Look for AI features that simplify the creation process and offer suggestions based on best teaching practices. For example, with Didask, even a business expert without training skills can easily create courses with the assistance of the LMS. It is also a good idea to have the tools tested by your future designers and to gather their feedback to make sure they feel comfortable and supported by the technology.

Question 7: What are the impacts on the internal organization?

Why it's important: Analyzing the human and time resources required to implement and maintain the LMS is crucial**. Understanding who will be involved** in daily use makes it possible to plan the necessary training, avoid workloads and ensure successful adoption. A well-prepared organization can take full advantage of the benefits offered by the LMS.

The risk of not taking this into account: Underestimating the resources required can lead to implementation delays, overwork for teams, and low adoption rates. If end users, such as trainers or administrators, are not properly prepared or trained, this can reduce the effectiveness of the LMS and increase costs in the long run.

Advice: When selecting an LMS, assess internal training and technical support needs. Engage teams early in the process to identify potential challenges and plan appropriate solutions. For example, Didask offers support and training solutions to facilitate the adoption of the LMS. Also, be sure to schedule training sessions for end users and gather feedback regularly to adjust processes as needed.

Question 8: Is the LMS interface intuitive and user-friendly?

Why it's important: An intuitive and user-friendly user interface is crucial to ensure rapid and effective adoption by administrators and learners. A good interface reduces the learning curve, increases user engagement and improves the overall training experience. This allows users to focus on training content rather than wrestling with technology.

The risk of not taking this into account: A complex, non-intuitive interface can discourage users, reduce engagement, and lead to additional training and support costs. Users could feel frustrated and unmotivated, which could hinder LMS adoption and decrease its effectiveness.

Advice: When evaluating an LMS, test several demos to assess the usability of the interface. Engage future users in this process to gather feedback and identify potential pain points. Look for features like easy navigation, clear dashboards, and options for customizing the interface. For example, Didask offers an intuitive interface, designed to facilitate the user experience. We explore this topic in more detail in our article LMS UX: It's time to take designers into account!

Question 9: What customization and branding options are available?

Why it's important: Customizing the appearance of the LMS to match the corporate visual identity reinforces brand consistency and improves user engagement. A platform that reflects the colors, logo and style of your business creates a more immersive and professional experience for learners, thus facilitating their adoption and satisfaction.

The risk of not taking this into account: An LMS that doesn't allow for personalization can seem detached from the corporate identity, affecting user adoption and engagement. A standardized and non-personalized interface can reduce learners' motivation and give an impression of lack of professionalism.

Advice: When evaluating an LMS, check what customization options are available. Make sure the LMS allows you to change the look and feel to reflect your branding, including colors, logos, and interface design. For example, Didask offers in-depth customization to align the LMS with your company's visual identity. It's also helpful to consult with end users and marketing managers to ensure that personalization options meet their expectations. To find out more about our customization options, you can visit the site of Didask.

Question 10. What is the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the LMS?

Why it's important: Assessing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an LMS is essential to avoid unpleasant financial surprises and to ensure that the choice of platform is viable in the long term. TCO includes not only subscription fees, but also implementation, maintenance, support, and training costs. Understanding all these costs makes it possible to better budget planning and to ensure that the LMS will provide added value without overburdening the company's finances.

The risk of not taking this into account: Underestimating TCO can lead to budget overruns and unexpected costs in the long run. Hidden costs may include fees for updates, integration with other systems, technical support, and add-ons. Not having a clear view of total costs can also affect the profitability of the LMS and create financial barriers to its adoption and continued use.

Advice: When evaluating an LMS, ask for detailed quotes and compare offers taking into account all aspects of TCO. So include:

• Subscription fees: Evaluate whether the fees are based on the number of users, the amount of content, or specific features.
• Implementation costs: Consider the costs for installing, setting up, and customizing the LMS.
• Support and maintenance: Check to see if additional fees are required for ongoing technical support and platform updates.
• User training: Include the costs of training administrators and end users to ensure successful adoption.

Conclusion

As you can see, choosing the right LMS is a strategic decision that can have a major impact on training and skills development within your company. By asking yourself these 10 essential questions, you ensure that you select a platform that meets your specific needs, supports your learning goals, and maximizes the return on investment. Take the time to assess every aspect, from AI capabilities to system integration, to ensure successful adoption and effective use of the LMS. And to get your selection process off to a good start, ask us quickly for a demo of LMS Didask:)

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To learn more about LMS, you can also read our articles:

• How to set up your LMS in 10 steps
• LMS, LXP, LCMS, authoring tool... How do you choose your learning equipment?
• The great history of e-learning platforms
• LMS: 3 prejudices to bury once and for all
• Learning Management System: Optimization for Businesses
• LMS: how to use it in professional training?
• In eLearning, how to improve the engagement of your LMS
• LMS, AI and cognitive sciences, the winning e-learning jackpot
• How to change LMS... without a gas factory!