Good. Better. Best. What makes an LMS “Best”? What makes it better than other LMS solutions? And does that mean it’s BEST for your organization or institution? Since we’ve been finalists (and winners) of the CODiE Awards for Best LMS 9-years running and are again 2018 CODiE Award Finalists, we thought we’d take the time to define what it means to us, here.
Rather than listing features (which can always be added by other vendors), price/value (which should always be considered), or emphasizing necessary services like technical support and hands-on training (which are a MUST), this blog will cover what seems to make us a good fit for our clients – both educational and corporate. This post focuses on what makes a Best Corporate/Workforce Learning Solution.
For corporations just forging into elearning, an out-of-the-box LMS complete with some already-built content may be appealing, but is usually a short-lived investment. Almost always, these corporations’ needs grow beyond the initial employee training software scope and a new LMS search begins. The new search usually encompasses more internal departments, thus more needs, requiring a more flexible LMS. Flexibility is key to corporate learning environments.
Note: Flexibility is not interchangeable with the word “customizable”. Far too often, LMS vendors bill themselves as “customizable” but really only mean changing out the logo and colors, adding content, and perhaps (if you’re expert enough) working with the CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
“Flexibility can’t be developed overnight. It comes with years of experience, servicing many types of clients and their evolving needs, and a culture that embraces change. Flexibility requires the LMS to constantly evolve. Few LMS vendors can boast the longevity anywhere near our duration, far too many have serviced one type of client for too long, and their culture is too large or too small to be nimble. It’s that sweet-spot that comes from being around the block a time or two, sometimes even failing and then getting back up again.” – Cathy Garland, Vice-President of Marketing & Sales, Edvance360
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For corporations, flexibility means better reporting and more ways to splice the data (which will make your C-suite leaders very happy). It means click-paths that make sense for your learners rather than being stuck with whatever comes out-of-the-box. It means being able to build content, buy content, and author content then deliver it in an easy-to-use format. It means customizing what users see and experience. It means being able to create your own user types and say what they can and can’t see/do – down to the nitty gritty. It means not being as reliant on a tech support team to make changes to the system. It means using your own vocabulary for every word in the system.
Bottom line: To achieve true flexibility, it requires a vendor like Edvance360 who is able to understand a corporate client’s unique needs and has the resources to deliver the right solutions. Over time, these solutions are already built into the system and fewer have to be created, which is a gain for all the clients we serve. For more information on the costs and features of our latest version, please contact us at sales@edvance360.com.