Have your learning solutions and practices gone obsolete regarding security, flexibility, and scalability?
A company’s investment in employee training heavily correlates with project success, as a 2014 IBM study found: best-performing companies train 68% more employees than worst-performing ones.
However, not all training approaches are created equal. That same IBM that has always fostered professional growth within their team saved a whopping $200 million by switching to e-learning and improved the training quality at that, which shows just how completely outdated traditional face-to-face learning is.
Aside from being too expensive, offline training is hard to organize. And with remote work, teams scattered around the globe, and knowledge hoarding amid high turnover rates, it becomes simply unfeasible.
Bottomline: training is crucial. However, outdated learning practices can eat away budgets with little return and hinder the company's progress. So, if organizational work constantly takes more time and resources than training, you are due for an upgrade. A dedicated learning management system is a natural step up from traditional offline activities.
Let's take a closer look at the needs of growing companies and their employees and how a quality technical base can accommodate them.
What Can an LMS Provide to a Company?
Regardless of its field of activity, if the enterprise aims to be a big cutting-edge company, its e-learning solution must match some requirements:
Ease of integration into an existing ecosystem
Switching to an e-learning solution should enhance training processes, not obstruct them. That is why seamless integration of a new platform into the company's ecosystem is crucial.
There are many different business models for LMS vendors, i.e., proprietary, SaaS/Cloud, Open Source, etc. Which one to choose depends on the client's technical expertise level, systems architecture, and desired control over the LMS. You can read more on the most common types of LMSs in this blog post.
Opigno, for example, has a range of offerings:
- a free, open-source LMS, the most downloaded among Drupal-based LMSs;
- design, development, and integration of a customized Drupal-based LMS;
- a fully customizable cloud-based LMS available as SaaS.
Adjustability and extendibility of features
The company will grow out of its current LMS configuration just as it grew into it. However, once one has implemented a platform, it is not feasible to go back and redo it from scratch. So, when choosing an e-learning solution, consider whether it is flexible enough.
Future-proof LMSs are customizable, allowing organizations to expand and evolve features and integrate other tools when needed. Thanks to Drupal technology, Opigno LMS provides access to over 2,500 open-source Drupal modules and can be customized even more than alternative systems.
Robust performance and scalability
Talking about future-proof: as the company grows, so does its team. That means more users overall, more concurrent users at any point in time, more modules and training programs, and more content. So your learning management system should be scalable with the ability to withstand increased stresses and maintain a high level of performance.
For example, imagine you double the volume of learners on your learning platform. Your LMS and hosting should scale to support additional learner growth, data storage, computing power, and ad-hoc requirements when needed. Learn how a scalable LMS solves other difficulties here.
Security and data privacy
There are two aspects to security. First, users' personal information should be protected and handled according to national legislation. Compliance is tricky, especially for multinational companies, as data privacy legislation differs from country to country.
Second, integrating a new multi-user platform should not jeopardize the information security of an existing ecosystem. Ensuring such safety requires appropriate expertise. Luckily, vendors' solutions are scrutinized by governments, clients, and in the case of Opigno, also by an open-source community. As a result, they are proactive in ensuring safety and compliance and monitor the landscape at all times.
Now, let's move to users' needs.
How Can LMS Improve Learning Experience?
A learning management platform offers students plenty of capabilities that wouldn’t be available with traditional in-person group training but ultimately make the learning process more effective and inclusive. Here are some of them:
Accessibility of learning materials
LMS encourages the organization to structure information into an understandable knowledge base. It is vital for onboarding, as integrating into a new workplace can be pretty strenuous. (We've discussed new hires' challenges in this blog post.)
An organization can also make information more accessible by configuring LMS so that students can access and retain the knowledge base at any time and in any language. Modern LMSs are designed with students in mind, support single sign-on and cross-platform functionality, and have a user-friendly interface.
Flexible learning
LMSs provide tools to create content in various formats, build personalized courses, and adapt learning paths for any purpose.
Opigno, for example, has 30+ activities available and supports several types of learning: self-paced learning or with an instructor, blended learning, in a group or one-on-one, via lectures, webinars, tests, or interactive tasks – you name it. And the beauty of using a dedicated platform is that creating and managing learning trajectories is not overwhelming.
Continuity of skills development
Learning management systems provide the ability to track students' progress and tailor content depending on their success in learning, opening new possibilities to personalize training even further.
Companies can unlock training programs gradually, set entrance examinations for a course, and issue certificates for its successful completion, incentivizing employees to improve their skills continuously, following an individual learning track.
Communication with students and coaches
Some learning management systems, like Opigno, have built-in newsfeeds, student forums, and other social features like comments and internal messaging. It helps to bring the team together, enables peer learning, and sets up a feedback channel for companies that want to improve the training process and optimize educational content.
An extra feature is an ability to set up access to specific content for partners or customers, e.g., user guides, FAQs, or educational content, on a subscription basis.
LMS is an Investment in Company's Most Valuable Asset – People
Automation, digitalization, and innovation is the only way for a forward-thinking company to grow professionals in its team. And as the e-learning industry is rapidly evolving, learning management systems deploy new developments continuously, thus helping companies incorporate the latest, disruptive ed-tech solutions and strategies into their practices.
Want to learn how Opigno can benefit your organization? Contact us, and we will be happy to answer any questions.
Published on November 22, 2022