Getting Real Mileage Out of Your Learning Management System

How do you know if an LMS will help your business?

What is a Learning Management System?

Over the past thirty years, most large businesses have invested millions of dollars in learning management systems (LMS).

That might seem like an exaggeration until you add up the costs of the software, migration, implementation, socialization, gamification, administration, reporting, and sending increasingly less gentle reminders to people who don’t comply with using the system. And that doesn’t even count the cost of licensing “off-the-shelf” content or developing new courses.

But the costs are totally worth it. Most employees love using an LMS. Executives are thrilled with the return on investment. The legal team is happy, too––given the confidence the LMS gives them in supporting compliance needs and addressing federal Section 508 accessibility requirements.

Ok, some of the above is not true. The love, results and level of confidence aren’t even close to reality––but the part about the costs is.

The “one-size-fits-all” model

So, if you’re not a large company who has already fallen down the LMS rabbit hole, why would you even think of using an LMS? You’ve survived this long without one and it probably doesn’t sound like you’ve been missing much.

Or maybe you already have an LMS that is clunky, full of content no one wants, and is so user-vicious it might as well shock users with every key press? Why bother moving to something else when it’s just more work and cost for questionably different results?

Older Learning Management Systems were built for management (hint: it says it right in the name) and customized for the company. And even though the older LMS model was built with companies and management in mind, even they didn’t love these “one size-fits-all” systems.

Here’s where a user-centered learning management system comes into play

I’m going to say something groundbreaking. A modern LMS is one that is built for individuals and customized to individuals – where one size fits one.

Modern LMSs (like YesLMS) are designed to:

Streamline on-boarding costs.
Direct individuals to individualized learning paths on any device and at any time those individuals prefer. (Catching onto a theme here?)
Improve accessibility through Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for individuals with individual needs, learning preferences, and languages (no complicated logins, needlessly restrictive setting, or confusing navigation).
Simplify the creation of new materials to support each individual’s contribution toward achieving business objectives.
Reinforce learning to improve memory and application rather than compromising with course completions and “confirmations of learning.” (Sidebar: imagine how happy your legal team would be if your people understood, remembered and consistently applied standards outlined in Code of Conduct or Sexual Harassment materials, rather than just having a checkbox to print out to say, “See? We trained them!” when someone goes rogue).

A strong, accessible Learning Management System serves these real needs.

The real, individual needs of LMS users

We built Yes LMS to serve those needs and the individuals who have often been left behind for decades with the other systems.

YesLMS is a flexible, modern, cloud-first Learning Management System—and the first in the US with complete universal learning capabilities.

YesLMS was created with the individual in mind every step of the way, making it possible to deliver equal educational opportunities to every learner. YesLMS is the best Learning Management System when it comes to accessibility as well as 508 and ADA compliance.

Learn how you can get started with a truly accessible LMS today.