For every business to survive and to flourish, it needs to manage its resources wisely. This is one of the main reasons that while many are willing to embrace new technology, others are reluctant. Some costs needed to be considered before purchasing, like the price of new software, so companies try to weigh their options.
Most small businesses have this wrong impression that learning management systems are ideal only for big organizations with a huge number of employees and bigger budgets. In reality, it is the small businesses that will benefit the most from the use of a Learning Management System (LMS). With the help of a learning management system, even small businesses can gain the capability to achieve effective employee training and development, without spending too much money.
LMS In a Nutshell
A learning management system is basically a software program that allows you to create and deliver e-learning courses. An LMS software usually consists of a server that performs the core functions like managing and delivering courses and a user interface that runs in a browser that is used by instructors, administrators, and students.
There are also different kinds of LMS. Some examples of learning management systems are open-source LMS, which are often free but need a lot of work on setup, maintenance and updating to get it running. On the other hand, commercial LMS comes with a cost. Apart from that, you likewise need to choose whether to use an installed version or opt for a cloud-based service (SaaS). Many businesses have opted for the SaaS service because it is more cost-efficient, avoiding all the upkeep, maintenance and additional costs of installation.
Why Should You Use LMS
Whatever your niche may be or the number of employees you have in your business, LMS is a powerful tool that can greatly increase your profits, widen your customer base, and more importantly, help you achieve business success. Here are some reasons why your business should use a learning management system:
1. Improves Customer Service
It has been proven that good employee training results in improved customer service. It is because employees have all the tools and knowledge he needs to represent your brand and have a good grasp of customer care basics. In fact, you can improve information retention through mobile learning for employees as statistics show learners study 40 minutes more each week when they can access the learning materials anywhere they go.
Using a course management system that offers customer service courses to your staff will greatly boost their skills, which in turn, will lead to customer loyalty, and ultimately, increased profits.
2. Keeps Current With Product Updates & Company / Government Policies
If there are company policies or government enacted regulations that you want your employees to know, then an LMS is a tool that can be helpful to keep your employees be updated faster and more conveniently. You can incorporate new policies or laws into the modules so the employees can be up-to-date. This is important and will help you save money in the long term if your employees know the rules and regulations that they must follow, then this will help the company in avoiding to pay fines and penalties in the future.
3. Offers a Centralized Data Storage
A learning management system for business allows you to keep a wealth of business information and learning data in one centralized location. There will be none of those training materials scattered on old filing cabinets and multiple desktop computers. So if it is time again to train new employees or to update courses, it is so easy to gain access since everything is in one place. All the data and information is back up from a remote server, there is no risk of data losses.
4. Gives Real-World Training
Online learning platforms offer training and courses that allow employees or students to train and learn in real-world settings, without really going out into the real world. One good example is an employee learning how to use a cash register and carry out a sale, without even going out on the store itself, or an eLearning course on higher education and K-12 LMS mimicking real-life scenarios of students.
5. Allows Customization
One of the easiest things to do, yet the most important feature in an LMS, is its ability to allow customization to suit your business’ needs. With good software utilization, updating it to include new training for employees is such a breeze. Another benefit of this LMS is that it is scalable enough for you to choose which functions and features you want, which makes it ideal for small businesses that don’t need a plethora of training modules.
6. Empowers Cost-Effectiveness
No printed materials, no instructors needed. These factors alone will make using LMS such a cost-effective way of training employees. Through these digital transformations, you need to spend a small fortune on your instructor’s travel fees, and the number of training booklets that you need to print. Not to mention the toner, the electricity used for printing, and many more. LMS does things for you to make training easier and less costly.
It’s A No Brainer
Up until now, many businesses don’t realize the potential, usefulness, and various benefits of utilizing LMS as a useful tool for training. Join the trend, improve customer service, increase your bottom line, stay competitive and achieve business success. Before choosing your tool, it is also essential to do a learning management system comparison to determine which one suits your needs best.
