Choosing new software for your company sometimes feels like an exercise in futility, doesn't it? You've got about a dozen different kinds of software, half by companies you've never heard of, and all of them different prices.
Each brochure practically screams that THIS learning management system is the BEST. With brand-new features like the AsdF-L5000, you can spend five hours trying to add training courses to a calendar, after which it promptly loses your work.
So, you pitch all the brochures in a drawer, wait till you absolutely have to choose, then tack them up on a dartboard and see which one you can hit three times in a row after two dry martinis and a gin and tonic.
Stop the madness! Ignore all the technobabble and focus on finding one main feature for your learning management system: customization. More than any other feature, that will determine how easily a system will cater to your needs and integrate with your style of working, rather than forcing you to adapt to it.
Why is this a good thing?
One of the most frustrating things about adopting new software is taking the time to learn it. Often, it can be drastically different from the software you're accustomed to. Or, if you've been doing your employee training without the benefit of software, then you're changing an entire dynamic. When you're unsure of how a learning management system works, a steep learning curve can make you more inefficient and your job more stressful.
Customization in a learning management system may not completely eliminate the learning curve, but it can lessen it. Instead of being forced to use a program with an interface that's nearly unrecognizable, you can add or remove features so that it makes sense to you. That way, your interface isn't cluttered with useless items. If you don't need it, why have it there?
What are some good customization options?
The user interface is one area where it is vital to have customization in a learning management system. You don't want some software company telling you what you need to have on your monitor every time you open their program. You should have the option to at least "show" or "hide" features like a calendar or resources. That way, you can keep your screen pared down to the absolute essentials and reduce confusion.
Or, let's say you have different training goals for your service department, sales department, and human resources department. Without customization, you'd have to use the same information for every department. However, if your learning management system allows for customization, you can apply information just to your service department or just to your sales department. If the information for sales and HR is identical, then you can group those departments and apply the information to both.
Finally, while it may not be necessary for functionality, being able to customize the colors and branding of your learning management system is a very nice perk. Instead of something that's a generic gray and white or a slate blue color you absolutely hate, you can customize your software with your company's logo and colors. That way, it looks like you had a learning management system created for your company personally, not some basic model you picked up from a software company down the street.
Don't make online training harder than it has to be
Quit making your software decisions with a dartboard and alcohol. If you choose a learning management system that's customizable, you can organize it to function with your optimal work style and decrease the time it takes for you to master a new system. That alone will save you headaches in the long run. Start looking for a learning management system that works with you, not against you.
About the Author
Preston Stiner is the president of Evolve e-Learning Solutions, a solutions provider of e-Learning systems and programs. They offer customers best-of-breed solutions to meet their training needs. Get a learning management system that not only helps you with training, but allows you the kind of customization you need. Visit Evolve online at
http://www.evolveelearning.com today.
