In a previous post I had discussed how changing technology might call for a change in approach to make implementing and managing change in an LMS more effective and fruitful. ‘Stakeholder engagement’ is a term commonly thrown around in the communications and project management worlds. One that, although there are many popular ‘buzz-words’, should not be overlooked. People are the core of everything and without the people’s buy in, support, and effort, any initiative will ultimately fall short.

Many times I come across this typical dilemma my clients face and deliberate upon – should they try to custom build an LMS or buy an off-the-shelf LMS and customize it?

In my experience, I have seen two distinct beliefs that drive clients’ decision making process with respect to the “build v/s buy” decision. At one end is a belief that they can develop (or get developed) everything needed and that no off-the-shelf solution will fit their needs easily. The other side of the coin is the belief that an off-the-shelf package will be more cost-effective and will be able to fit one’s needs.

I recall about ten years ago when I first began implementing LMS Systems. The typical cycle went something like this:

- Select a vendor and purchase LMS.
- Assemble internal project team consisting of Training and Development staff and maybe IT representation.
- Conduct meetings with vendor (using only input from the training administrators, instructors, and IT) and configure the system.
- Test it, load it up with courses and push it out to the users.

Almost a year back, the LMS was under fire from many corners and questions were being raised about its very future. Experts around the world were contemplating if the LMS will survive. Not just did it survive, but today, it has successfully evolved to adapt itself to the changes in the learning ecosystem.

This is evident as we look at changing role of LMS in Training Companies. From a time when its main purpose was to deliver core training activities, to today when social and informal learning components have become de facto the default features, the Learning Management System has come a long way since its inception. It has grown and continues to grow and offer the right set of tools both for formal and informal learning. We have captured this entire journey in an eBook: LMS in Training Companies – Then & Now.

We’ve known this all along that Open Source is never cheap, leave alone free. We keep meeting prospects who are considering Moodle as their first LMS. The reason they say – it’s free or at best, comes at a low cost.

The problem we find with it is that it’s often not a well researched decision and many of these clients may have to review their decision at a later stage.

There is no better way to start a morning than to find not one, not two, but FIVE emails with congratulations written all over them. Earlier today, we received emails from Brandon-Hall Group letting us know that our best value LMS – UpsideLMS – has won 5 Brandon Hall Excellence in Technology Awards (2010) awards. Last year, under the same awards, UpsideLMS had won 3 awards (across different categories). The only LMS to have won these many awards.

As in the previous year, this year too, UpsideLMS won awards in all the categories it was submitted in. In every category, Brandon-Hall announces Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners and UpsideLMS’s tally, for this year, stands tall and impressive with a list of 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze.

What is a Learning Management System used for?

• Administration
• Documentation
• Tracking and Reporting

Now, more than ever, Training Companies are accepting eLearning with open arms. Now, more than ever, Learning Management Systems are undergoing a massive transformation.

From the days when Classroom/ Human Mediated Training was the norm for Training Companies, to today when different modes of training delivery are, slowly but surely, making their presence felt, the Learning Management System has evolved (and continues to evolve) with each step in time. ‘LMS for Training Companies – Then & Now‘ is an eBook which will take you through this journey of the LMS.

The Wiki is one of the most under-utilized and underestimated feature of an LMS. That’s because, most of us haven’t gotten around to realizing what the Wiki is capable of, and hence the potential of the Wiki feature is unharnessed. This post is an endeavor to explore the various uses of the LMS Wiki.

Customer Complaints, how to avoid the traps makes for an interesting read; especially so because it looks at the LMS sales process purely from a customer’s perspective. The issues highlighted are quite pertinent and yes, I think, there is a high probability that an organization looking for an LMS (new or changing) would have encountered one or more of these traps. Some may actually have fallen into these traps unknowingly.

For us this New Year has been more than just resolutions. After a successful 2010, we are all geared up for 2011 with more events and more plans. And hence more opportunities to help you in managing your learning better!

We are kick starting the year with a Brandon Hall Research webinar on ‘How to Select the Right LMS for Your Small/Medium Business’. Scheduled on January 19^th, 2011, this would be the first of many webinars that we have planned for 2011. This FREE webinar will be sponsored by Upside Learning and will address the critical problems and questions faced by most Small- and Medium- Businesses (SMBs) while selecting an LMS.

The recession of 2008 changed more than just the world economy. It changed the way Training Companies functioned. Post the economic downturn, Training Companies the world over were revamping the way they operated and the services they offered to their customers. An important change was evidently the inclusion of eLearning (or online training) as part of their core offering for existing and new customers. Such an offering was not purely driven by a cost-saving strategy on the customer’s part, but was also due to the growing acceptance of eLearning as an effective way of delivering training.