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What are Corporate Learning Management Systems?

June 17th, 2022 19 min read

Effective employee training and professional development opportunities are crucial to employee retention. As such, many companies are turning to corporate learning management systems as a one-stop-shop for creating, distributing, and managing their corporate training. A corporate LMS can ensure that companies have quality training programs for employees at all stages of their careers.

Understanding common features and benefits of corporate LMS platforms is a necessary step in selecting the right one for your needs. Since these systems come in all shapes and sizes, we’ll break down the essentials to making an informed decision.

What does a Corporate Learning Management System do?

Corporate learning management systems allow companies to address their needs for knowledge management and employee training within one platform. These systems are designed to provide employees with easy access to resource materials, whenever they need them.

The video below gives an overview of common features and use cases of corporate LMS software.

Many corporate LMS come with pre-built courses, course templates, and course authoring tools. These allow managers and HR professionals to customize the content as needed. Courses often combine video, PowerPoint slides, webinars resource documents, and more. This variety of formats boosts employee engagement. Gamification is also common in LMS products as another method for keeping learners engaged. This means that most LMS products include elements common to games, such as competition leaderboards or a point system that are meant to encourage participation with training materials.

A corporate LMS comes to mind as a learning management solution for HR professionals who need to ensure all employees are trained on company policies. This barely scratches the surface of the capabilities offered by learning management systems. 

Custom course authoring tools mean that managers can create training for their teams long after onboarding ends. These courses can teach new skills as a part of a professional development program or keep employees up to date on policy changes.

Compliance managers can utilize an LMS for any industry-specific compliance requirements. Most LMS have record-keeping and reporting features. These features easily track who is up to date on their learning platforms, when training was completed, and automate reminders. 

An LMS can also track how long an employee takes to complete a course and their scores on any assessments included in that course. This information is great for management to identify ifan employee is struggling with the content. By identifying which employees are struggling during training, managers can offer additional support. This prevents performance issues and potentially boosts employee satisfaction and engagement.

A common term used when discussing course authoring tools is SCORM. SCORM, or shareable content object reference model, ensures that the course authoring tool, completed course and the LMS are compatible. For more information on SCORM, reference the video below.

Lastly, some LMS vendors have e-Commerce capabilities. Companies can sell access to their training courses as an additional stream of revenue. Consulting firms or companies that have developed courses applicable to multiple industries should look for an LMS with this capability.

What are the benefits of using an LMS?

Cost Savings

Despite the price tag associated with purchasing new software, an LMS can assist companies in saving money long term. This is particularly true for companies that have industry-specific compliance requirements, such as HIPPA. Companies utilizing an LMS don’t need to pay a third party for this training. Taking into account instructor time, classroom rental, etc. this likely means significant savings.

Cost savings can extend to more indirect areas as well. An LMS allows HR professionals and managers alike to cut time spent training new hires, as these products automate training. Since the LMS tracks progress and stores training data in one platform, this can streamline reporting processes. This can mean companies need fewer employees for training or administrative positions. 

Easy Access to Training Materials

Training materials are only useful when employees know where to find them. Utilizing an LMS allows employees to access materials online or via a mobile device. Even after training, employees can go back to the training they completed if they have questions. This is advantageous for remote employees who work flexible schedules. 

Storing all learning materials online means that these materials never get lost.  Many companies are seeing high levels of turnover and recruiting simultaneously. Utilizing an LMS ensures that an entire department’s training program doesn’t walk out the door if the manager leaves the company.

Flexible Learning Options

An LMS allows employees to set their own pace, which leads to better training outcomes. In a classroom, the instructor sets the pace for everyone. With an LMS, an employee can dedicate more time to concepts that they find challenging and set their own learning path.

Corporate learning management systems also track employee progress in real-time.  Managers can utilize this data to create a personalized learning experience for each employee. This flexibility allows employees to receive help if they’re struggling. Managers can offer more complex material if the current course is too simple. Just as beneficial, more experienced new staff can have a streamlined version of concepts they already know. 

Several LMS options support blended learning or the combination of online learning and in-person training. Forums that support social learning provide support from peers rather than just management.

Customizable Content

Many LMS options come with some standard online courses that cover most organizations’ basic needs. Customizable course content and course creation tools allow businesses to extract far more utility out of their LMS. Managers can create fully customized courses for their teams on a variety of topics instead of using the LMS just for onboarding or annual compliance training.

The degree of customization available varies across LMS options. All standalone LMS products allow admin users to author their own coursework. These courses can serve as refreshers on company policy. They could also provide professional development opportunities for employees seeking to strengthen their skills. These courses can be updated at any time to ensure employees have the most up-to-date information possible.

Microlearning

Microlearning segments training concepts into small, digestible pieces. Nobody wants to sit in a room and listen to a 4-hour seminar, even if they’re interested in the topic. Beyond the time commitment, a 4-hour block of content is difficult to digest. Many LMS seek to solve this through micro-learning features. By breaking concepts up into smaller interactive pieces, an employee can work to develop a skill a few minutes at a time.

With a microlearning approach, the task of learning a new skill is far less daunting, and it’s easier for employees to find the time to do so. They can also come back to the content as needed so that they can truly absorb the concepts. This is usually not possible in a larger group training setting.

Types of Learning Management Systems

Learning management systems have a variety of use cases, including in educational settings and customer training programs. Corporate learning management systems are aimed at businesses seeking to train their employees. These systems vary primarily in the types of pre-built content available, as well as tracking and reporting capabilities.

Pre-Built Content

The type and amount of pre-built content varies widely across different types of LMS. Many corporate LMS options will provide basic onboarding and some industry-specific compliance training. Typically these courses can be customized to fit each company’s individual policies. 

An LMS for a K-12 school system is likely to have a large number of pre-built courses in several subjects. Customer training products are used by companies to provide in-depth training about their own product. As such, pre-built content is limited in these products.

Tracking and Reporting

Almost all forms of LMS have features that allow admin users to identify learners who are struggling with the content. These systems also offer reporting features, with the types/content of the reports varying based on use case. 

Corporate learning management systems can flag when employees are due for annual training (if required). They also maintain records for audit or compliance requirements.  These systems can flag when employees are struggling with a concept due to lack of completion or low scores on quizzes Typically notification systems are built-in and alert management as needed for a more efficient learning process.

LMS as a part of HR Management Software

Most HR management software companies offer some form of LMS functionality. Standalone LMS products offered by HR management companies generally have the same core set of capabilities, while add-on learning management modules vary widely in feature set. 

Several of the more robust HR management solutions will offer learning management as a module. These modules are sometimes included with the purchase of an HR management product or are available at an additional cost. LMS modules generally include basic pre-built courses with some degree of customizability. These are the best fit for companies whose needs are limited to onboarding or annual compliance requirements. Companies who require advanced customization or course authoring tools or who wish to utilize their courses as an additional stream of revenue will likely find these modules lacking.

Beyond LMS modules, many HR management vendors offer standalone LMS products. Purchasing through your HR management provider can have several benefits. These include ease of integration into your HR management system and allowing your HR team to save time by working with only one vendor.

A standalone corporate learning management system is the best option for companies looking to seriously invest in their training programs. These products are more robust than modules offered through HR products. They are better equipped to deal with ongoing training and professional development. 

Examples of Corporate Learning Management Systems

Corporate learning management systems are highly specialized software products. Vendors in this space often tailor their products to a certain market segment. Below are some examples of popular LMS, based on the market segment the product serves.

Small Businesses

Below are the 5 LMS products that are researched most frequently on TrustRadius by buyers at small businesses with 1-50 employees. The trScore is based upon ratings and reviews from users at small businesses.

ProducttrScoreUnique Features
Rippling9.2/102022 Top Rated Award Winner
Offered as a part of an HR management solution
Provides IT and HR management services in one platform
TalentLMS8.8/10Combines an overall LMS with specialized customer training and sales training options
Can accommodate hybrid in-person and eLearning programs
Moodle8.2/10Open-source and highly customizable
Typically used by educators, but can be customized for a business use case with some additional effort
TovutiLMS9.0/102022 Best Of Award Winner
Equipped with e-Commerce capabilities
Adobe Captivate Prime7.3/10Equipped to scale for companies experiencing rapid growth
Allows for both internal and external training

Mid-Sized Companies

Below are the 5 LMS products that are researched most frequently on TrustRadius by buyers at mid-sized companies with 51-1000 employees. The trScore is based upon ratings and reviews from users at mid-sized companies.

ProducttrScoreUnique Features
ADP Workforce Now7.9/102022 Top Rated Award Winner
Offered as a part of an HR management solution
Emphasizes talent development in pre-built courses
Paycom7.8/10Offered as a part of an HR management solution
Several pre-built, industry-specific compliance courses
Rippling9.1/102022 Top Rated Award Winner
Offered as a part of an HR management solution
Provides IT and HR management services in one platform
Paylocity6.6/10Offered as a part of an HR management solution
Pre-built materials on health and wellnessm, as well as remote work
Ceridian Dayforce HCM7.2/102022 Top Rated Award Winner
Offered as a part of an HR management solution
Global focus allows for automated compliance training for multinational companies

All of the LMS products that made the list are offered as a part of an HR management solution. Buyers at mid-sized companies might be willing to sacrifice customization for cost savings.

Enterprises

Below are the 5 LMS products that are researched most frequently on TrustRadius by buyers at enterprises with 1001+ employees. The trScore is based upon ratings and reviews from users at enterprises.

ProducttrScoreUnique Features
SAP Success Factors7.9/102022 Top Rated Award Winner
Focus on collaborative and community-based learning
Ceridian Dayforce HCM7.5/102022 Top Rated Award Winner
Offered as a part of an HR management solution
Global focus allows for automated compliance training for multinational companies
Cornerstone On Demand8.2/102022 Top Rated Award Winner
Focus on talent management means that overall performance and training can be tracked in the same platform
Degreed9.2/10Emphasizes continuous learning, upskilling, and career mobility
Well suited for companies seeking learning management beyond onboarding 
Moodle8.5/10Open-source and highly customizable
Typically used by educators, but can be customized for a business use case with some additional effort

Of the products discussed here, Adobe Captivate Prime and Moodle are the only two to make the top 10 in research frequency for all 3 market segments. This indicates that they might be a good option for companies that need an LMS that can scale with them.

Start Your Research

A corporate learning management system is a useful tool for companies of all sizes. Benefits include improved employee retention and performance, and income from selling training material.

Each LMS has its own strengths, and some are tailored to specific use cases. To find the best LMS for your needs, start a corporate learning management system comparison on TrustRadius.

Have you used any of the products mentioned in this article? Help buyers make informed decisions by leaving a review!

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