There are few more important decisions L&D and HR managers have to make today than in the selection of their Learning Management Systems (LMS). Get it right and you are providing the foundations for learning and development success for many years to come. Get it wrong and you can be faced with an unwieldy, expensive and fragmented system - unloved by all.

How will my new LMS link into existing processes? Will my IT systems be able to cope? And how can I ensure acceptance? These are just some of the questions keeping HR directors up at night – many also confused by the host of different LMS providers in what continues to be a growing market. Bersin & Associates' LMS 2011 report predicted global growth to be around 10% during 2011 and as high as 11% during 2012.

For those intimidated by the choice, however, help is at hand. Here are some tips:

For me, the most important criterion for success in the selection of any LMS is making sure that you identify a clear business need at the outset – a business need that can evolve into a learning strategy.

 

Companies that have recently been in search of a new LMS have had a variety of different needs, from compliance training through to the managing of classroom and elearning, support in driving forward talent management programmes, or training sales teams for new product launches.

Furthermore, having that clear business goal often links in to other LMS success criteria, such as senior management buy-in, the acknowledgement that sufficient time and resources have to be allocated, and metrics for measurement. Finally, a clear business need is also likely to speed up roll-out with fewer obstacles along the way.

Just as it's common for short-term objectives to lead the way in influencing LMS purchases, it's also important that you keep an eye on long-term objectives. Will my system be able to scale up as the business grows? What will be my key drivers in five or even ten years time, and will my LMS system have the necessary flexibility to embrace these?

It's also important not to underestimate future success. Many organisations find themselves having to scale up their systems ahead of schedule as the benefits become clear.

One of the biggest concerns in selecting an LMS is IT. With a myriad of different pieces of information and different processes to analyse, measure and report on, technology is the key means of developing a consistent approach to learning, performance, talent and succession and yet can also be the source of frustration. If you fail to have your IT department on board when selecting an LMS or in the early stages of the project, it can often end in failure.

Probably the key takeaway here is to make sure you define your IT requirements at the outset and make sure that your IT department has had the chance to provide their input. The feature sets to be adopted, required scalability, and the necessary reporting capabilities should all be reviewed.

To flush out any potential IT challenges at the implementation stage, it's also worth considering a phased approach – a pilot of a particular business unit perhaps. Also make sure that your system undergoes thorough testing before going live, covering everything from server space to data integrity, bandwidth and software features.

There are a number of factors that can also positively influence the selection and implementation process.

Firstly, it's important to put in place a clear evaluation process from which a Request for Proposal (RFP) can be generated, short list drawn up, and different providers compared. Any evaluation criteria should be mapped against your business objectives and cover areas such as cost, content, IT compatibility, training, previous experience etc. You can then grade proposals and providers accordingly.

It's also important that there is a person or team within the client organisation with a clear responsibility for selection and rollout, as well as having the time and resources to be able to focus on the project. Managing an LMS project is also not something that can be simply added to a person's already full-time job. For the final selection decision, it's also important that the majority is in agreement and buys into the decision.

 

The necessary budget needs to be in place as well. Make sure that you also budget for the complete length of the project and all costs, such as the software to run the LMS, the data migration and integration with other systems, authoring and assessment tools, and all training costs.

Finally, make sure that users are kept on board throughout the process – a central part of any launch plan. This can include creating a sense of anticipation for the new system through to the 'nuts and bolts' training. As different groups of users will gain different benefits from the system, make sure also that the training is tailored. An irrelevant, untargeted seminar can be the quickest user turn-off to a new LMS.

Finally, it's also important to understand that an LMS is just one element of a wider learning and talent management solution covering everything from training and L&D programmes to the tracking of individual performance, identifying and nurturing talent, and filling key leadership positions. While in many cases, the LMS acts as a fulcrum and platform to access all these capabilities, it should always be viewed in the broader context.

A properly selected and implemented LMS can provide immense benefit to organisations both now and in the future. Making the right decisions can quite literally define your career and the future success of your organisation.