How to Choose an Admin-Friendly LMS

In a previous article, we shared some of the most important features a highly engaging and user-friendly LMS needs to have. In this article, we will help you identify additional features that are critical for an easy and intuitive admin experience. 

Why Your LMS Has to Be Admin-Friendly

The experience of the administrators and content creators is just as important as the experience of the learners, because they’re the ones who need to create, manage, and facilitate the learning. If the LMS’s admin interface is not simple and intuitive enough, achieving the desired learning objectives is going to be very difficult. In many organizations, the Learning and Development department is underfunded, and a small group of L&D professionals has to serve the entire organization. Making their lives easier is critical for the success of the company, as they’re the ones responsible for its most precious asset - its people.  

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The Administrative Side of the LMS: What to Look For 

While the learner experience is important in order to achieve high engagement and knowledge retention rates, the admin side also has to be simple and intuitive to allow content creators and administrators to create and manage learning in an optimal way. Below you will find the most important admin features to look for when choosing an LMS.

Built-in authoring tool

Built-in authoring tools allow you to create e-learning content directly within the LMS, so you can quickly build and publish your courses without purchasing any additional software. While this may sound a lot better than using external tools to build content, you have to make sure that the built-in authoring tool is not limited in its capabilities and features. The ultimate LMS is one that includes a built-in authoring tool with a rich set of interactive and engaging features, so that on the one hand you don’t have to use external tools, but on the other hand you don’t have to settle for boring training content. 

Simple admin portal

Creating engaging content is not enough if you can’t track and manage the data in a simple and effective way. When searching for an LMS, see if you can get a free trial version of the system to test it inside out. A good LMS offers an intuitive and user-friendly admin interface that is easy to navigate and use, as it allows you to recognize weak links in the training and keep improving it on the go. 

Excellent customer service

Even if you’re using the simplest and most user-friendly system out there, you’re still going to encounter technical issues or difficulties from time to time. That’s fine, as long as you get the support you need when you need it. Before you choose an LMS, make sure the vendor is offering timely support via multiple channels, or even better, via a personal account manager. When delivering learning to hundreds or thousands of employees, it is super critical to get your questions and problems resolved on time. 

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Additional Things to Consider When Looking for an LMS

Now that we’ve got the learner and admin experiences covered, it’s time to discuss two other aspects that are important to consider when looking for a new LMS. 

Size of your business

As with many other services you purchase for your business, you do not want to be a vendor’s smallest customer. If an LMS serves corporate customers with tens of thousands of employees, it’s probably not designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Choose a system that was built with the intention and purpose of serving companies your size, as LMSs that are designed for very large organizations might be too cumbersome and complicated to use in smaller businesses. 

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Pricing

Before committing to an LMS purchase, try to figure out the pricing plan and model that meet your needs in the best way possible. The most common pricing plans are:

1. Pay per user - Pay a fixed price for a set number of learners
2. Pay per active user - Pay only for users who used the LMS during a billing cycle

How you will be using the LMS will determine the right pricing model for you. Is your number of learners stable? Will you need to add temporary users or conduct one-time training? Will you spread training for different batches of learners evenly throughout the year? All of these things will have a direct impact on the way you will take advantage of the LMS, so write it all down and use it when doing your research. 

Ready to Start Your LMS Buying Journey?

If you are looking for an engaging and interactive LMS, and have anywhere between 50 to 5,000 employees in your company, then myQuest might be the right solution for you. Schedule a call with us to learn more.