Why Every Business Needs a Learning Management System

Learning management systems (LMS) have been around for roughly 20 years, but their importance has only increased with the digital economy’s rapid pace of change.  A recent report from the Association for Talent Development found that 83 percent of surveyed learning professionals confirmed current LMS use, and 71 percent said they had seen an increase in use over the past two years.

Although the specific features and functions of different learning management systems vary, an LMS allows an organization to deploy and track online training initiatives while also providing a home hub for all kinds of important information. More robust learning management systems, like BrainStation’s Synapse learning platform, can offer a host of other features, even allowing students to attend live lectures.

If your organization is considering taking the leap, here are some of the many benefits you can expect by investing in a learning management system.

An LMS Will Save Your Organization Money

ATD Research’s 2018 State of the Industry report found that organizations spent $1,296 per employee on learning, a 1.7 percent increase over the year before.

So organizations are already investing in continuing education, but an LMS can help focus those efforts and ensure that investment isn’t going to waste.

That’s especially true for smaller organizations with limited HR staff, but even in larger organizations with more resources, an LMS can significantly reduce the amount of time your HR department has to spend running training sessions, directing employees to important resources, or responding to queries where answers are easily available.

Succession planning also becomes significantly easier when all training materials and programs are centralized and accessible, and likewise, an LMS makes the process of onboarding new hires a breeze – getting your employees up to speed faster.

Further, using online classrooms and learning spaces is much more efficient in terms of both time and money than sending employees to in-person training or continuing education programs, which can also include travel and hotel expenses.

It Can Provide A better, Deeper Learning Experience

For your employees, an LMS can provide the most convenient, enjoyable and – most importantly – educationally effective training experience possible.

An LMS will give your employees 24-hour access to the learning materials and resources they need, with the flexibility to learn at the office or from home.

And particularly robust LMS will take that educational experience even farther.

For instance, Synapse allows for seamless, responsive real-time feedback that allows for faster and deeper comprehension and engagement. Further, thanks to social learning features across different mediums, students using Synapse will still get the full experience of engaging and networking with classmates and instructors.

And since Synapse is the world’s first data-driven learning platform, instructors have the ability to track the comprehension of course content to develop a personalized learning experience for each student. Synapse also presents instructor comments on coursework right next to the project requirements, creating a constructive feedback loop that learners appreciate.

You Can Track, Report, and Manage Progress

With an LMS, you won’t need to wonder how your employees are faring in their training.

A learning management system will allow you to pay careful attention to where employees are in the training process as well as which concepts are proving particularly engaging or challenging. That allows organizations to identify opportunities for further training, areas of organizational weakness, or even employee strengths they might not otherwise have identified.

Those advanced reporting functions also give you a real sense of the ROI of your training efforts, so you’ll no longer need to guess about their effectiveness.

Those progress management tools are especially crucial within organizations that require any amount of compliance training.

Positioning your company for the future

With the capacity to feature multimedia learning tools, to encourage remote digital communication, and to incorporate the very latest in eLearning trends and strategies, a good learning management system will ensure your company is providing the most current and innovative learning experience for your employees.

But the benefits run even deeper as you look forward. We mentioned that succession planning becomes easier with the adoption of an LMS, but it’s even possible that a good LMS might not simply make those transitions easier, but also reduce turnover overall.

A recent Kronos study found that 87 percent of HR managers polled called improved retention a high or critical priority. If you’re among that group, consider a recent Gallup study that found 87 percent of millennials rate “professional or career growth and development opportunities” as one of the top factors in whether they stay in a job.

In other words, a robust LMS won’t just help you empower and enrich your employees, it may also help you attract and keep the best talent as well.

 

Find out more about Synapse and BrainStation for business.