An LMS (Learning Management System) is software that allows organizations to create, deliver, and track training programs and courses. There are different types of LMS for corporate vs academic use. Key decisions include choosing a cloud-based or hosted system. LMS benefits organizations of all sizes by saving time and reducing costs compared to traditional training methods. Implementation involves setting up the platform, building initial courses, testing with users, and promoting the new system.

1. WHAT IS LMS?

2. LMS
• An LMS, or Learning management system, is a
software tool that allows you to create, deliver,
and report on training courses and programs.

3. WHAT IS AN LMS USED FOR?
• There’s no simple answer to this. What an LMS
is used for depends on your organization’s
training needs.

4. TYPES OF LMS
• The term learning management system is a broad tag
attached to a lot of different tools. Under closer
inspection, these tools have some major differentiators
and serve very different users. For example, an LMS
used by a university is a very different piece of
software from one used by a software company. Let’s
examine some key factors that determine the type of
LMS you’ll need.

5. CORPORATE VS ACADEMIC SYSTEM
• Simply put, a business usually opts for a corporate LMS, while
a school or university typically opts for a higher education or
academic LMS. The main difference is the number of features
and tools each offers. A corporate LMS is frequently updated
and enhanced with new features, and offers functionality like
white-labeling, as well as the option to integrate with other
tools. Whereas an academic LMS won’t provide frequent
feature updates and is unlikely to support integrations.

6. CLOUD VS HOSTED SYSTEMS
• The choice here is whether to install an LMS on your
organization’s hardware or to use a cloud-based
service. This is becoming less and less prominent
as most organizations have fully moved over to the
cloud. With that said, some organizations go the route
of an on-site installation to adhere to specific industry
legislation or network requirements.

7. WHO NEEDS AND USES AN LMS?
• The simple answer is anyone who needs to
deliver training. An LMS makes delivering your
training more manageable and streamlined by
reducing the time you spend on course creation,
delivery, and reporting. There’s no shortage of
organizations of all shapes, sizes, and industries
that have use for an LMS. Here’s just a small
selection of them:

8. SMALL TO MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
• Small to medium enterprises
• In this case, an LMS is usually used to reduce the amount of time people spend on training. They
often find training can be laborious and time-consuming to do manually. Basically, an LMS frees up
their time to complete other tasks, but with the right skills and knowledge from the completed
training.
• Large enterprises
• This is a much larger scale example – one where different audiences need varied training. Some of
the most common training large enterprises deliver includes employee training to support new
hire onboarding, or customer training to increase product knowledge.
• Specialized product training
• Companies that have a product use an LMS to train their customers or partners on the product.
This includes software companies, medical device providers, and many other product-based
businesses. The benefits of this type of training are a reduction in customer churn and a more
engaged, valuable customer.

9. HOW AN LMS WORKS
• Before we get into the inner workings of an LMS, let’s
look at the two interfaces. The first is the admin view.
This view is what the main admin, manager, or
instructor has access to. From here you can build
engaging diverse courses without technical expertise,
scale and coordinate how your training is managed,
and track and report on training data directly from your
LMS.

10. • Next, let’s look at the user interface. Once a learner is
added to the LMS, they can be enrolled in any course
on offer. Some LMSs give you the option to create
groups that are organized by job role, department, or
specific training needs. The learner can take the
training in a browser on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or
mobile device to support anytime, anywhere learning
(make sure your LMS provider is mobile-friendly).

11. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING AN
LMS?
• An LMS is a valuable tool for helping you to meet
your organization’s training needs. Not only can
it help your learners, it can also significantly
benefit you and your organization as a whole.

12. SAVE TIME
• Compared with traditional training (face-to-face sessions), an LMS
optimizes your training process. With traditional training, your
learners have to take time out of their day, miss work or travel, but
implementing an LMS is a game-changer. Learners simply log in to
your platform and complete courses wherever they are. Whether it’s
on the bus to work, during a coffee break, or setting aside half an
hour at their desk, there are significant time savings for them and
for you.

13. REDUCE COST
• Traditional learning not only wastes time, it wastes money too.
Instructors, training days, travel costs, training materials, location
hiring – the list goes on and it really adds up. An LMS reduces
these costs for your organization. By creating economies of scale
you reduce costs even further. Your training is all online meaning
your learners can train at any time. Even if you want to run face-to-
face sessions, you can support a blended learning strategy with an
LMS by offering a mix of online and offline training activities, all
tracked through one system. It’s a valuable bonus that impacts your
bottom line.

14. LMS IMPLEMENTATION TYPES
• Cloud-based ☁️
• This solution doesn’t require you to install specific hardware or software to
access and use it. You simply log into a web portal and have access to the
features and courses. This is a popular LMS option type because it’s an easy to
implement, low maintenance, secure and configurable solution.
• Self-hosted 🏠
• This LMS is installed locally on your company’s servers. Some self-hosted
LMSs can have more customization options, but your company’s IT department
will need to install updates and maintain the LMS.

15. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO IMPLEMENT
AN LMS?
• Depending on the complexity of the integration and the
efficiency of the vendor, how long an LMS
implementation takes varies. Quick, straightforward launches
also depend on your company’s internal procedures. When
comparing LMS vendors, it’s smart to ask questions about
timelines. It helps create a clear expectation of how prepared
they are to help you meet your important implementation
deadlines.

16. HOW TO IMPLEMENT AN LMS
• Your LMSs provider should have a dedicated Support and Success
team to help you with your implementation. Once you’ve nailed
down your goals and implementation plan, you can start to build
your courses and add users. The next step is to get a small
selection of users to test your LMS and courses. It’s also essential
to promote the launch of your new learning system before it goes
live. Ask your Customer Success representative to review
everything before you launch so that you’re all set.