If you already have a heritage training system in place, you might not see the value in bringing a new Learning Management System on board. Hey, they mostly accomplish the same task, right? Well, chances are that even if you have a current training system in place, it can’t do what an LMS can for your organization.
Take a cue from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America – they replaced their heritage system with an LMS to wildly successful results, which help illustrate the reasons why an LMS makes a huge difference in training and development.
Big Brothers Big Sisters – Big Problem
While the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization had a training system in place, there were a few major holes. First, the organization has over 360 agencies in the United States alone, which meant all training had to be done on a massive scale. Second, training for volunteers had to be incredibly specific to create a constant experience across all agencies. Unfortunately, the heritage system couldn’t track and certify new volunteers, so training was more or less left up to each agency.
Understanding there was an issue, the organization implemented Impact U; an LMS-based training program that brought the same training experience to all agencies. Impact U could be accessed anytime and anywhere, which meant volunteers could prep themselves before getting started with the organization.
An LMS-Based Training Program
Some other features Impact U offers:
- A daily messaging system for quick information.
- Performance tracking.
- Standardized certification across all agencies.
- Best practices library.
- Forums for inter-organizational sharing and support.
When seeing the success of the program, it’s clear that a simple training module or video series can’t do what an LMS can in terms of training and consistency for larger organization.
Why You Need an LMS
The world of training and development is changing, and your organization needs to change too. Gone are the days when instructor-led, conference room training was enough. The globalization of organizations, paired with the market competition means companies need to work harder than ever to stay at the front of the pack.
Like the Big Brothers Big Sisters experience, an LMS can completely streamline and revolutionize training. Even if your heritage system is working OK, take note of the reasons to make a switch:
- An LMS introduces tracking capabilities, which means seeing when and where employees are accessing training materials, as well as their progress and understanding.
- An LMS automates the training process while still allowing autonomy. All users have access to the same information, but can choose how and when they interact.
- Implementing an LMS means introducing core competencies across all of your locations. Information is no longer interpreted by the individual, creating a more constant experience.
- An LMS allows the administrators to quickly customize and add, which means quickly swapping in new information so learners have up-to-date data and training in the moment.
- Your LMS offers tools line in-system messaging, social networking and forums, creating a more collaborative learning environment regardless of geographical location.
Convinced yet? Just because your current training and development protocol is working fine doesn’t mean it’s fulfilling its purpose. By introducing an LMS, your organization could achieve the success enjoyed by Big Brothers Big Sisters – making training easier, more accessible and ultimately, more effective.
