LMS platforms have been on the market for just over 20 years and are widely used in thetraining ecosystem. 

As far as businesses are concerned, this is a an essential tool for HR and L&D departments responsible for managing training and the development of team skills.

Between the enthusiasm for online training and the introduction of an increasing number of educational innovations, the LMS is still a key element in the development of the training system and a key tool for business performance.

What is a Learning Management System (LMS) platform? 

What is a Learning Management System (LMS) platform?

LMS stands for Learning Management System. An acronym that can also be translated as learning management system. This term therefore refers to a software designed to facilitate the administration of vocational training. 

The LMS is for all organisations that need to share learning resources and monitor the progress of learners. This could be schools and training organisations, for example. But also businesses, of course, particularly in the context of their strategy for the employees' continuing education. 

Principles objectives of using a LMS plateform are :

• the administration, monitoring and learning pathways management
• the collection and distribution of educational content;
• the distribution of information to learners, training and HR departments, for educational or administrative purposes.

Proprietary LMS vs. open source LMS

On the LMS platform marketThere are two types of learning management systems: the proprietary LMS and the open source LMS.

Propriety LMS

Proprietary" LMS platforms are packaged solutions provided by editors. This type of tool is hosted and maintained in SaaS by the provider. This LMS can therefore be deployed and use quickly.

Furthermore, maintenance, including updates and the addition of new features, is managed directly by the provider. The proprietary LMS is not free. However, it saves an additional resource dedicated to managing the IT and technical aspects of the software.

Open source LMS

On the contrary, open source training platforms are publicly available and free of charge. Developed by communities of contributors, they offer great freedom of customisation.

However, this type of LMS requires specific skills to install it on the server, configure it and maintain it. It is therefore necessary to have an internal IT department with these skills or to call on a specialised service provider. The implementation of the platform is therefore generally longer and its overall cost sometimes higher.  

Learning and Management, LMS users

The notions of "Learning" and "Management" are part of the LMS system. This online training platform is therefore mainly aimed at two types of users: the administrator on the one hand, and the learner on the other. 

The LMS administrator: organising training paths

The administrator is he or she manages the LMS platform. Depending on the size of the organisation, it may be part of the training department or HR. 

The administrator's responsibilities are as follows:

• defining the parameters for managing and monitoring the training ;
• organising training sessions with the tool (convocation, planning, attendance monitoring, sending of training certificates, etc.);
• spliting staff into different groups;
• integrating, updating and allocating learning content to each category of learner;
• collecting data on the progress of the training (tracking), etc.

In short, the administrator is responsible for setting up, managing and maintaining theorganise the operation of the learning platform. This is done with a specific focus on the pedagogical and organisational objectives of corporate training.

The learner: learning online with the LMS

The learner is the second user of an LMS. Thanks to this online training platformThey can access the educational resources provided by their organisation. 

Usually, learners are divided into groups on the education management system. There are many ways to do this, such as :

• seniority
• level/position
• department, etc.

Therefore, the training path assigned to a new employee can be, for example, different from that of a technical manager.

On a learning platform, there is therefore a manager on one side who " distributes " the training, and a beneficiary on the other side who receives it. Both are linked by the LMS platform.

And what about the training content ? How to create an e-learning course for the LMS platform? For this purpose, a third user is in charge of designing the learning paths and, thus, ofexpanding the course library of an LMS. He is the editor of the content.

The editor of the training content: feeding the LMS platform 

To provide an effective training offer, it is necessary to provide relevant and up-to-date training content. This is done in line with the expectations of the learning community, the organisation's training project and/or the "compliance" requirements of certain regulatory training courses. 

The content creator, or training designer, takes responsibility for the creation of course modules to meet targeted learning objectives Depending on the size and organisation of the company, it may be a :

• internal trainer qualified in the use of an LMS platform and of authoring tools, but without having to be a developer;
• a specialist member of the L&D department working in close collaboration with the business referents;
• external provider specialising in designing training courses.

The e-learning contents published on the LMS platform come in different formats: documents, videos, infographics, quizzes, etc. Indeed, making training attractive and fun often involves diversifying the types of e-learning modules.

However, it is important to bear in mind that, initially, LMS platforms were only designed to store content and then distribute it. They are not really designed to create content. On the other hand, they are specifically designed to interface with other authoring tools like Adobe Captivate or Powerpoint. The files created with the tools used to compose the learning paths can then be " downloaded " by the training platform

E-learning modules can be :

• purchased, in this case it is referred to as a off-the-shelf training content which often correspond to transversal skills training;
• created by the designer with the help of an authoring tool, in that case it is a tailor-made training creation.

In both cases, the ability for files to be compatible - whether it is off-the-shelf or bespoke content - is made possible by the SCORM standards (Sharable Content Object Reference Model). This allows the transfer of digital training from one LMS to another.

Nevertheless, more and more organisations are seeking means to designing training content themselves. To respond to specific business needs or to help them develop their teaching techniques, for example.

As a result, it is necessary for these organisations to acquire additional authoring tools or to choose a new generation LMS platform that offers such a feature.

Learning Management System, e-learning and performance tool

A LMS platform is generally referred to as an e-learning platform. However, there is more to it than that, as this technology was originally designed for management purposes. Beyond the HR learning aspect, for the organisation, it is mostly a practical way of :

• overseeing the training as a whole ;
• improving skills management.

Thus, it is true that an LMS platform allows the target audience to follow online courses. But its possibilities go much farther, thus responding to the different challenges businesses

Benefits of a LMS platform for businesses

A LMS platform can be used to provide access to continuing education and training; make onboarding more effective; optimise the monitoring of training courses; support the HR function and enhance employees' expertise. The benefits of a LMS platform for businesses are numerous.

Facilitating access to corporate training through digitalisation

Organisations can leverage training to improve their performance. However, although face-to-face training is still relevant in many organisations, it also has certain constraints such as costs, resource management (material and human) and time constraints.

In these circumstances, it is sometimes difficult for employers to train all employees at the same pace. and, thus ensuring a uniform development of the employees' skills. This can lead to frustration within teams and slow down the performance of the organisation.

The use of a LMS platform tends to reduce, if not completely erase, these obstacles to the development of continuous education. Because in a 100% online training context or a blended learning strategyDistance learning is available at any time. 

From then on, access to training is easierIt is also more effective. This is true both for the organisation, for the reasons mentioned above, and for the employees, who, as we shall see later, are more involved because they have more autonomy.

Improving the integration of new hires with the LMS platform

The onboarding process for new hires is an important step in the recruitment process. Rather than waiting for the next face-to-face session, the LMS platform allows new hires to be enrolled in a learning pathway specially designed for onboarding.

Theuse of an LMS platform in an onboarding context allows, among other things, to :

• introduce the organisation, its ambitions, its vocation, etc. ;
• begin to create a link between the organisation and the new hire;
• demonstrate the company's interest in the development of its employees' skills;
• make new hires quickly productive.

Thanks to online resources and courses available on the LMS platformIn addition, the " new hires " are given access to certain training courses as soon as they join the organisation. After joining the organisation, they acquire new knowledge and become accustomed to the organisation's culture. This contributes to facilitating their integration since they can more naturally envision themselves within the organisation.

Monitoring and adapting training paths

As mentioned above, the features of a LMS software mainly benefit the management of an organisation. Trainers and administrators can therefore produce information for training management. Just as they can collect statistics and indicators on learners' learning paths.

From an administrative and practical point of view, the LMS makes it possible to send certificates (attendance, end of training, etc.), invitations to face-to-face training sessions, online attendance sheets, certificates of conformity or evaluation, etc., as well as learning reports including follow-up data.

Produced directly by the LMS solution, reports make it possible to :

• Track individual and team performance;
• identify learners' difficulties;
• know the connection history;
• understand users' behaviour
• analyse the results achieved, etc.

These datas have an educational purpose. Indeed, By analysing these datasThe L&D department knows more about the learning community. Training courses can then adjusted, new content can be created accordingly and the learning can be adapted. 

Supporting the HR function

An LMS platform is also a good option for supporting and increasing the performance of the HR function.

In fact, by using the information transmitted by the software, the HR department collectsmeasurable evidence of employees' skills, both acquired and to be acquired. It can then use this data to :

• prepare assessment interviews ;
• consider or suggest career development;
• support and organise new training courses, as part of the skills development plan;
• facilitate the process of obtaining a certificate, title or diploma, etc.

Thanks to the LMS platform, it is possible to increase employees' profiling. The LMS platform then becomes a powerful tool for talent retention and, consequently, an asset for the organisation.

Benefits of an LMS platform for employees

As mentioned above, face-to-face training has its constraints. For the organisation, but also for the employees. Travelling, poorly adapted lecture formats, already overburdened employees' schedules... Teams may feel that they are wasting their time and thus lack concentration or motivation. In these conditions, learning does not achieve its objectives and becomes less effective. 

Also, although they are not originally "learner experience" oriented, LMS platforms have shown their usefulness and also offer certain benefits to employees.

Being a player in learning process

The LMS platform is an online training platform. Learners can log on whenever they want, wherever they are and at any time. Generally speaking, the LMS platform encourages employees' engagement, as employees feel that they are active participants in their professional training.

In fact, A LMS software offers the freedom to learn prevents training from being perceived as an obligation. Unlike classroom training, learners are autonomous: they can choose among different online modules and progress at their own pace. 

A LMS platform can also be used to reinforce traditional training. This is particularly true when educational content, available online, is used as a :

• training preparation for face-to-face sessions ;
• as a reference content to a practical workshop;
• as a reminder of the concepts introduced

In that context, the employee uses the LMS platform to prepare for a training action. Thus motivation gets stronger. Skills acquisition, including soft skills, is thus better understood.

In the same manner, the employee can refer to the course later on and thus reinforce the knowledge acquired. The learning process is thus a long-term one.

It is more likely to generate support than distrust, training taken on the LMS platform often generates a better engagement rate and greater employee satisfaction.

Maintaining employability

In an environment where the obsolescence of skills is getting faster and fasterToday, employability is a real concern for employees. Through the LMS platform and training, the organisation sends a strong signal to its employees that it gives attention to their career development and the development of their skills. 

By investing in tools such as a LMS platform and new teaching methods, such as game-based learning, the organisation cultivates and maintains employees ' know-how, and therefore their employability. This is a winning strategy, as a continuously trained employeewith significant learning and development opportunities, is an employee who is more committed to his or her work and loyal to the employer.

Best practices for developing the specifications of the LMS platform

Le choix d’une plateforme LMS doit répondre à deux objectifs : facilitate the training management and make the corportate training strategy effective. 

It is therefore important to take the time to develop the specifications before comparing LMS platforms and choosing one solution over another.

Identifying training needs and objectives

When it comes to choosing a online training platformThe first step is to determine the project as a whole. To do this, various questions will help to identify the ideal LMS features for the organisation:

• What are the objectives of the corporate training strategy?
• What teaching methods are currently used? And which ones should be deployed in the short or medium term? How can the current system be improved?
• What are the users' expectations and needs: for the HR department, training department and for the employees?
• Should training content be created internally or should it be outsourced?

For example: a built-in authoring tool may not be useful if you outsource the production of learning content. However, you will need a system with a communication solution if you want to develop exchanges.

Identifying costs

Establishing the overall cost of a Learning Management System platform implies the taking into account different parameters:

• setting up the platform ;
• hosting;
• support & assistance;
• cost according to the volume of users ;
• training on how to use the LMS platform...

As mentioned earlier, proprietary and open source platforms do not require the same budgets. This is true both at the time of deployment and over time.

In addition, some editors offer certain features as part of the basic package. For others, they are optional.

Design and ergonomics must not be overlooked

LMS ergonomics and design are also criteria for choice. The online training course must be attractive. Ideally, the LMS platform should therefore be easy to use. If it is responsive and compatible with smartphone applications, this is even better. The LMS platform will then offer the possibility to develop mobile learning.

Likewise, the graphic customisation of the LMS platform is important. Especially if the tool is used to train external users such as customers, suppliers or organisations withing a franchise network.

Examples of possible applications of a LMS platform

The benefits of a LMS platform are multiple, both internally and externally. When used properly, it can serve the organisation in many different ways. Here are two examples of applications of these training platforms.

Supporting business growth

Audika, a hearing care specialist for over 40 years, is constantly expanding. It was in this context that, a few years ago, Audika decided to create a new subsidiary, the retailer has chosen to equip itself with a LMS platform. The objective was threefold: to train new hires quickly and effectively, to increase the skills of the teams in the 600 French centres and to anticipate the training obligation for the profession.

To support it in this e-learning approach, the network has chosen theLMS editor Dokeos. Between traditional training and courses accessible via the LMS platform all employees now benefit from all the benefits of blended learning.    

Train sales teams on products

For more than 10 years, Alinéa has been training 2,000 employees using online training. The furniture retailer is spread throughout the country. This solution is therefore the most appropriate for optimising onboarding, monitoring the ongoing training of each employee and reduce training costs.

To fulfil its ambitions, the organisation relied on the expertise ofOnline Formapro which has deployed its LMS platform called "Online Manager". This is directly linked to the HR management information system (HRIS), thus enabling precise monitoring of each learner's progress.

On the one hand, staff benefit from comprehensive and regular training. On the other hand, HR and training departments have detailed information for monitoring continuous learning. 

SMEs or large organisations. Training organisations or schools for initial training. Since the 2000s, the LMS platform has become an important response to the problems of organisations in the area of vocational training management.

Also, given the accelerating development of online training and the ever-increasing expectations for a better learning experience, LMS softwares remain in the competition. Offering users more and more advanced features and a variety of teaching methods to complement the traditional training courses.There is no doubt that the learning management system has a bright future ahead of it.