LMS Tools: What Are They & Why Do You Need Them?

Steve Jobs is known for saying “There’s always one more thing to learn.” That mentality along with the increasing popularity of “continuous learning” is pushing the boundaries of online education. And it’s a big part of why more and more companies are looking to education to grow their business. Gone are the days of boring training sessions. You must engage your learners when it suits their schedule. LMS tools make it possible to educate customers, channel partners, employees and gig workers on your product or service simply and effectively and at their own pace. 

The Software as a Service (SaaS) industry is a shining example of LMS tools in action — a la Hubspot Academy. LMS tools are swiftly moving through different sectors, from real estate to Healthcare. Academies are helping companies communicate better, increase retention and build customer loyalty. 

If you want to learn all about LMS tools and what they can do for your business, you’ve come to the right place. 

What’s an LMS?

LMS tools or software is a one-stop-shop for companies who need to educate their employees, customers, gig workers or partners. It’s an interface that makes it simple and quick for companies to create a lesson or a series of lessons to bring their target audience up to speed. 

For those who want a more comprehensive definition, learning management systems (LMS) enable companies to create, manage, deliver and track educational content. They help learners access individual lessons, courses and learning paths on relevant topics to help inform learners and increase knowledge retention.

Now, you might be wondering how you could integrate an LMS into your company?

Types Of Learning Management Systems

If you’re interested in implementing a learning management system, you might be struggling to figure out where to start. 

First, understand the different types of LMS available. Once you know which would be a good fit for your company, you can more easily decide your next steps for implementing LMS software. 

SaaS LMS (Cloud-based)

SaaS LMS (or cloud-based LMS) are quick and easy to get up and running without using too many of your company’s valuable design and development tools. It’s hosted by your LMS vendor, so you never have to worry about running out of space as your academy grows. Northpass is a SaaS learning management system and we pride ourselves on being a solution that can provide accessible, high quality LMS to everyone. 

Installed LMS (On-premise)

If you have a company with a strong set of servers and you want to host your own academy, an installed LMS might be a good choice. Although this method can become costly as your academy grows, it’ll give you total control over your academy. This custom-built LMS is generally built by a third party.

Custom-built LMS

Of all of the types of learning management systems, a custom-built LMS is the best for companies with a large budget and ambitious aspirations for their LMS. This is especially true because a custom-built LMS is a guarantee that you will get all of the specifications you want. You’ll also have total control over the process. The only potential issue? The price.

Open-source LMS

On the other end of the cost spectrum but also within the list of learning management systems, is the open-source LMS. Open-source code is free to use; however, you’ll need extra design and development resources to make someone else’s LMS fit the needs of your company. It can also be tough to make updates. 

Learning Management System Examples

So, what do learning management systems look like in action and who uses them? Is it just big companies or is there a space for LMS tools within a smaller company? Take a look at four companies that use LMS tools and see for yourself. 

Shopify helps its customers create online shops to sell their products. Shopify was finding that many of its customers did not know how to use all of the features of a Shopify account. To educate their customers, Shopify made learning fun for their customers, using tools like quizzes to help customers boost their online sales. 

OneVision Resources is a company that works with smart homeowners to ensure that their customers are making the most out of their smart homes. If customers need to be connected with resources about smart homes, the Northpass LMS program can be their starting point. The learning platform will help customers understand the structure of OneVision Resources more quickly so that they can spend more time choosing between resources and less time looking for resources. 

Health Current is a nonprofit that provides workers in the health sector with technology to improve patient care. They wanted to prevent malware and phishing for their partners in the healthcare sector, so they created a series of lessons that helped the healthcare providers understand the dangers of phishing and malware. This is just one example of teams using LMS to educate each other on important issues.

BabyQuip uses Northpass to onboard independent contractors (AKA quality providers) so that they quickly become part of the BabyQuip team. LMS tools are a great way to integrate part-time or independent workers into your workforce seamlessly, helping them understand the company’s values and expectations.

What to Look for in an LMS Software Company 

Now, you’re searching for an LMS, but you realize that there are many LMS companies that do not seem interested in providing your company with a flexible LMS solution so you can seamlessly blend it into your website and brand. Instead, they seem most interested in providing you with the solution that will be the least expensive for them. So how do you figure out if you have found the right LMS software company for you? Here are three things that all good LMS software companies should do.

Expansive Feature List

The biggest pro of the explosive growth of LMSs? The completion forces each LMS to offer incredible features to lure you away from their competitors. Meaning no matter which LMS tool you use it should have a wide variety of features. The trick is finding which LMS has the right features to fit your learning program needs. Now and in the future.

Useful Integrations

Want to make sure your academy’s performance is top-notch? Before choosing an LMS check out its list of integrations. You’ll find some LMSs have relationships with other tools in your tech stack making it easy to forge connections between your learning data and other company metrics. From analytics and CRMs to communication tools and customer success; integrations break down silos and forge connections so you can serve your learners the best content at the right time, in the right place

Ongoing Support

You don’t want a company that will set you up with their LMS just to leave you hanging as soon as they have your money. You want to ensure that your company will continue to receive support from the LMS software company. Support reps and CSMs can be a guiding light to make sure you're getting the most out of the LMS. Your support reps should help you learn all of the new updates to your LMS as soon as they are rolled out. You should never feel like you have to chase down your LMS provider to get help with the newest update. They are a learning platform after all — they should teach you. 

Best Learning Management System

With that in mind, what is the best learning management system? Although there are many learning management software companies out there bringing different qualities to their platforms, none go so far as Northpass when it comes to creating the customizable academy you need to grow your learning program and your business.

Northpass: The Best Learning Management System

Northpass is an intuitive LMS that allows you to build a unique and functional academy. Northpass offers expertise in a variety of industries as well as assistance to get your academy up and running with ease.

No matter if you're looking to build out a program around, customer education, partner training, gig workforce onboarding or employee learning you'll have the flexibility to create, manage, deliver and track engaging learning experiences.