LMS Feature Checklist: Buying a LMS and Making the Right Choice

What LMS features align with your organization’s vision, training needs, and LMS integration requirements and how the LMS feature checklist can guide you on accessing your organization’s immediate and future needs.

Choosing an LMS requires knowing what features are available when comparing different LMS platforms and costs. This article reviews the features in four parts: administrative (admin) capabilities, learner engagement tools, admin and user features, and important factors beyond core tech features.

• Admin: Data Security: Is the data being recorded, encrypted, and is all data communicated over a secure (HTTPS) connection?
• Learner: Self-Directed Learning: Can learners search and enroll in training courses not assigned for enrichment? And, self-enroll into tracks, live, and virtual classroom sessions?
• Admin and User: Intuitive User Interface: How much training is required to learn the software? And how many clicks does it take to find and access desired content?
• Factors beyond Core Tech: Does the LMS support your entire training program?

HSI’s LMS supports all the features mentioned and supports a full employee training and development program driving employee engagement.

Purchasing the right learning management system (LMS) for your organization is of utmost importance. Not making the right choice when buying a LMS can be a costly mistake. Your software platform has to fit your organization’s vision, training needs, and LMS requirements to integrate with other platforms. Keep in mind, too, the LMS should make your life easier by saving you and your team precious time with the administration of online learning.

"Which key features matter most in an LMS?" Whether you are buying an LMS for the first time or replacing your outdated LMS, it’s important to do your research and make an informed decision. HSI’s LMS feature checklist can guide you on accessing the immediate needs as well as those for the future.

So, how do you zero in on the LMS features that will work best for your organization? And how do you ensure you’re making a true, like-for-like comparison of features? Once the leg work is completed, how do you make the right choice? Keep in mind that an LMS is an accountability tool, something that helps HR, L&D and safety professionals manage compliance and training programs, as well as simplify all training related tasks, from scheduling and tracking to identity lapses in compliance and other training needs.

Start with Your Learning Ecosystem...

A good first step is to consider your organization’s learning ecosystem as a whole.

• Is your training content accessible at any time, every day of the year? On any platform? Anywhere?
• Does your L&D team have a good sense of what content topics you need, and the phase in each employee's career they’ll need them?
• Does your LMS give you user-friendly tools to create your own content? If so, are the tools being utilized by your team?

Our eBook, “The Learning Ecosystem” is a helpful resource.

Next, think about who will need to use the system. This will help determine which LMS is best for the learners and admin.

• How do your learners feel about your current LMS?
• When, where, and how do your learners want to access the training materials?
• What do your admins need in terms of course building, tracking, and reporting?

Consider the content, as well. A new LMS is nothing without the best training content available. Our blog post, “How to Buy eLearning Content for Your LMS”, can offer valuable insights in this regard.

What type of content you’ll need, and how learners will seek out and interact with it depends on your organization’s learning culture. The essential features you need may vary depending on which learning culture you have. Read our whitepaper, The Four Types of Learning Cultures to learn more.

Your corporate strategy should be part of your learning and development decision-making process.

• Are you looking for HR compliance training, professional skills development, or both?
• Have you considered a flexible LMS for HR professionals and safety training?
• How will this technology help your organization meet its strategic goals?
• What problems are you trying to solve? Increasing sales? Improving customer service? Employee retention?

After you know what your people want, what type of content you need, and what your learning culture looks like, you can start looking for the right tools to support them.

Next, it’s time to consider features and technology.

Comprehensive LMS Features Checklist

Please keep in mind that you may not need all these LMS features right away. You may only need some. That’s why there is no definitive answer to the question, “Which LMS should I use?”

It’s important to know what features are available, especially when comparing different LMS platforms and costs.

Let’s review the LMS vendor comparison checklist in four parts: administrative (admin) capabilities, learner engagement tools, admin and user features, and important factors beyond core tech features.

LMS Vendor Comparison Checklist

LMS Admin Capabilities

• Data Security
  • Is all data served over HTTPS?
  • Is user data and detailed history of learner's interactions stored with the training?

• Scalable User Limit
  • Is the LMS user limit scalable with planned expansions and growth?

• Automated Enrollment
  • Can users be automatically enrolled into the LMS from an existing database?
  • Can learners be re-enrolled in appropriate training courses for upskilling and annual compliance?

• Classroom Scheduling and Registration Management
  • Can admins create training courses (instructor-led, virtual, or classroom) with multiple sessions so users can self-enroll?
  • Can attendance be tracked in the LMS?

• Custom Permissions
  • Can permissions be granted based on role, group, and user data?

• Time-Zone Management
  • Is seamless organization and scheduling across time zones an option?

• Course Notifications
  • Can the LMS send notifications to learners when training courses are ready to be completed?
  • Can email notifications be sent to alert admins of past-due user training?

• Automated Reporting
  • Is standard reporting included?
  • Is custom reporting available?
  • Is it simple to set up and schedule reports?
  • Can data figures be visible on a dashboard identifying the status of training programs?
  • Can reports be emailed automatically?
  • Can notifications or reports be sent to managers, team leads, and administrators?
  • Can completions be tracked to measure the team or learner progress?
  • Can you track online, in-person and blended training?

• Content Management
  • Is it easy to create groups based on common attributes (location, role, job, team)?
  • Can you build a series of training courses with a linear flow?
  • Can training courses be readily assigned for learners’ specific needs?
  • Is a tool available to help you assess the training needs of your employees and provide customized training recommendations?
  • Are due dates simple to schedule?
  • Can you configure training frequencies for upskilling and annual compliance ahead of time?

• Content Options
  • Is there off-the-shelf content to supplement your custom content?
  • Is it microlearning content?
  • Is the content award-winning?
  • Can custom content be created?
  • Can you upload your own content (SCORM/AICC courses, videos, PDFs, custom exams)?
  • Are closed captioning and transcripts available in multiple languages?

• Competency Management
  • Can you create your own competency track?
  • How would you rate the ease of use when building customized competencies that align with organizational training needs?

• Personalization/Customization
  • Can admins create training courses in the LMS?
  • Can existing training courses in the LMS be edited?
  • Can admins customize the welcome email for new users?

• User Data Synchronization
  • Can data be synchronized with existing payroll or HRIS databases?
  • Can you import and export data easily?
  • Is it a turnkey process?

• Exam Editor
  • Can you create exams and follow-up quizzes?
  • Are you able to add custom exam questions?
  • Can email notifications and reminder quizzes be generated?
  • Can you change the scoring requirements as needed?

• Advanced Features
  • What advanced features would incur additional charges?
  • Does the LMS support AI?

LMS Learner Engagement Tools

• User Self-Registration
  • Can users create an account and self-enroll without an admin?

• Single Sign-On
  • Can learners sign directly into the LMS without credentials and through a different portal?

• Simple User Interface
  • Can users easily find the required training and navigate to other tabs to find elective training courses?
  • Does the user have access to their own transcript?

• Customizable User Profiles
  • Can profiles be customized with additional information, for instance: city, state, location, job title, and manager’s name.

• Mobile Learning
  • Is the LMS equally accessible on any device?
  • Is the content formatted for use on any device?
  • Are all features accessible on mobile devices?
  • Can learners access content at the moment of need wherever they’re located?
  • Is “just-in-time learning” 24/7/365 allowable for training courses other than the required courses?

• Training Reinforcement
  • Is training reinforcement available?
  • Can email notifications be generated?

• Social Learning Experience
  • Can learners choose who they want to follow?
  • Can learners share training courses with other co-workers?
  • Are learners able to download certificates or wallet cards with scannable QR codes providing proof of course completion and regulatory compliance?

• Self-Directed Learning
  • Can learners search and enroll in training courses not assigned to them for enrichment?
  • Can employees self-enroll into tracks, live, and virtual classroom sessions?

LMS Features for Both Admins and Users

• Custom User Roles
  • Are there predefined and customizable roles for learners and admins?

• Intuitive User Interface
  • How much training is required to learn the LMS software?
  • How many clicks does it take to find and access the desired content? Is it fewer than five?

• Intuitive Course Catalog Search
  • Are topics, tracks, training videos, and materials easily searchable?
  • Do search results show relevant matches in titles and content?

• Personalization/Customization
  • Can the homepage and login screen be easily customized with branding and images?
  • Can favorite training courses be saved and notes made regarding learning points?

Important Factors Beyond LMS Core Tech Features

• Strategic Roadmap
  • Can features be turned on or off to allow for a phased roll out?
  • Is it obvious that the LMS can scale with the growth of your company?
  • Does the LMS provider have plans for improvements?
  • Are there extra fees for new features released after implementation?
  • Does the LMS support your entire training program?
  • Does it integrate with Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS) or Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)?

• LMS Provider Support
  • Is a LMS implementation checklist shared?
  • How long does it take to implement?
  • Is there a cost associated with implementation?
  • Is general customer support included in the cost?
  • Is personal support available at no additional charge?
  • Does personalized support include implementation? Or, for an additional charge?
  • Does customer support include:
    • a customer service manager (CSM) assigned to your organization?
    • technology/bug reporting?
    • consultative services (course recommendations)?
    • ongoing LMS software training?
    • multilingual support?

• Integration with Other Software
  • Can the LMS be integrated with other software, such as safety management system and chemical management tool, to provide a full suite of solutions?

HSI Can Help

Yes, this is a long LMS checklist! If these features are important to your organization, please schedule a demo with HSI.

It's also important to know that with HSI, when you buy our off-the-shelf content, we include our HSI LMS at no additional charge. This simplifies the "how much does it cost” conversation.

HSI can help you drive learning engagement, not just HR compliance. When an organization wants to expand to a full employee training and development program, the LMS function evolves beyond the needs of admins to focus on the user experience. The training goals change from being compliant to things such as reducing turnover by improving managerial skills, building career paths with succession planning, growing a collaborative culture with healthy communications, and much more.

See our learning platform in action—request a demo today!

Additional Resources

• Download our HSI’s Learning Management Datasheet
• HSI’s Learning Management System and How it Works in Action
• How to Buy eLearning Content for Your LMS (And Not Regret It Later)