Selecting the right Learning Management System (LMS) learning platform is a critical decision that impacts your organization’s efficiency, user experience, and growth. Choosing a new elearning software for your Continuing Legal Education (CLE), Continuing Medical Education (CME), or any other training programs can be overwhelming, but a structured approach can help you find the perfect fit.
Here is a focused checklist for what to look for when evaluating potential LMS providers.
The Most Critical Start: Software Integrations
Before anything else, you must consider integration, as it often causes the longest delays in implementation. You’re coordinating multiple systems, and they need to be perfectly aligned.
E-Commerce Platform: Every LMS learning platform or elearning platform that sells content needs a shopping cart solution. Ensure your provider is proficient with your current e-commerce platform or be prepared to change.
Association Membership Software (AMS): If your LMS is separate from your Member Management Software, check for Single Sign-On (SSO) capability. This lets members use one account and password for both systems, greatly improving the user experience.
Essential Business Systems:
- Accounting: Your accounting team’s needs are paramount and often inflexible; involve them early and often.
- Webinar Platforms: Check for integration with services like Zoom to seamlessly run your programs.
- Marketing Tools: Do you need to connect Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or mass email marketing systems like MailChimp or Constant Contact?
Integration Methods: Ask if the provider has a built-in solution or if the connection relies on an API (Application Program Interface). Crucially, ask: Who builds the bridge, and what is the cost?
Credit Needs and Compliance Features
For a training learning management system (especially in the legal sector), compliance is non-negotiable.
Gather Your Requirements: You, the client, must be the expert on your credit complexity, not the vendor. Understand all the variations: different states/jurisdictions, credit types (e.g., 50-minute vs. 60-minute), and certificate design requirements.
Live vs. On-Demand Proof: What constitutes a user’s successful completion for both live and on-demand content? This often includes:
- Time tracking
- Participation codes
- Polling or affirmative action (“I am still there”)
Surveys and Reports: Confirm the system can support the complexity of your mandatory end-of-program surveys, including conditional or triggering questions. Then, verify that the system can generate the exact registration and completion reports you need for submission to bodies like the ABA.
Time Savings: The ROI of a Better LMS
The primary goal of a new elearning software should be to make your job easier.
Templatization: Can the learning management software templatize and automate your certificates, programs, notifications, and evaluations? Look for a “set it and forget it” system.
Content Reuse: Can you build one piece of content and easily publish it in multiple formats (live, webcast, on-demand) without rebuilding it three different times? This also aids in cross-promotion.
Ask the Right Questions: Identify your current daily “time sucks” and ask the vendors directly how their system handles those specific tasks.
Catalog Experience and Marketing
Your catalog is the primary website where you sell your content, separate from your main organizational website. It’s your storefront and a key part of your LMS learning platform.
Marketing Features: Review the system’s ability to handle the marketing needs of your department:
- Discounts, promotions, and course bundles.
- Tiered pricing for members vs. non-members.
- Campaign tracking needs (e.g., Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel).
User Journey: Have the vendor walk you through the entire end-user experience from start to finish:
- Finding and buying a product.
- Watching the product (the viewer’s interactivity).
- Receiving the certificate upon completion.
Cross-Promotion: Check if the catalog easily links related programs by speaker, topic, or format.
Mobile Experience: Does the catalog have a mobile app or a strong mobile-view interface, as many users access content on their phones?.
Support and Future Development
The quality of support is arguably the most important non-software factor.
User Support:
- What days/hours are covered for your end-users?
- Do they offer extra assistance during high-volume periods, like compliance deadlines or large virtual events?
- Where is the support team located? Be cautious of outsourced teams.
Your Support:
- How long is the onboarding process, and what is the expected training and data migration support?
- What is the expected turnaround time for problems you submit?
Development Loop: A forward-thinking provider is willing to change and grow.
- How often do they update their software?
- Can you check their development roadmap and track the progress of the features you’ve requested?
Choosing a great Learning Management Platform starts with knowing your specific needs and asking targeted questions. This checklist, when reviewed with your team, will empower you to find a solution that works for everyone.
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Ready to see these critical factors in action?
Contact CE21 today for a demo. We’ll show you exactly how our Learning Management System handles integrations, compliance, time savings, and more, so you can choose the right provider with confidence.
