How to Develop an Effective LMS Strategy for Your Industry

When it comes to running your organization successfully, adapting to the specific challenges and needs of your industry is critical. This applies not just to your day-to-day operations but also to selecting the right Learning Management System (LMS). Whether you're an association, specialized in fields like aviation or healthcare, or have other distinct needs, tailoring your LMS strategy to meet your organization’s unique demands is essential for advancement. Let's explore why this alignment is so important and how it can help your organization’s progress, using the following examples.

Associations

Associations serve as hubs for encouraging professional growth, networking, and sharing resources among industry or interest groups. Regardless of their size, associations prioritize easy access to member benefits and resources such as professional and personal training. An Association usually engages with its members using an Association Management System (AMS) customized to the association's needs. However, while AMS systems are great for managing memberships and resources, they typically lack ideal training features. That's where your LMS strategy comes in. An LMS is a specialized platform made for delivering and tracking training programs. Connecting the AMS and LMS is essential, as it allows members to access resources seamlessly and tracks Continuing Professional Education credits efficiently. This integration doesn't just improve member experience and business processes, it also ensures compliance with membership requirements, encouraging a culture of ongoing learning and professional development. A proper integration allows for compliance tracked in the LMS and the AMS. 

Aviation

In the aviation industry, regulatory compliance is a non-negotiable. Organizations must adhere to strict standards and rules while making sure their staff are well-trained and certified. Safety and efficiency are on the line, highlighting the need for an LMS that fits aviation's unique needs. One of the challenges in aviation training is managing documents and keeping them up to date. Training materials have to be carefully maintained and quickly adjusted for rule changes. Plus, customization is crucial since different operators have their own ways of doing things. An LMS suitable for the aviation industry addresses these issues with advanced document management, easy updates, and customizable training. By bringing training together in one place and staying compliant, organizations can boost safety, reduce risks, and improve how they operate.

Healthcare

Organizations in healthcare have very specific needs and requirements. Individuals like nurses often don’t have access to computers, so it’s important they can offer training to deskless team members, and that the training be available securely if they are using mobile devices or their personal devices.  Data security and privacy are another important requirement. Providers must ensure staff are well-trained and that data is secure, following strict regulations. Because sensitive data is involved, healthcare organizations need an LMS that meets high standards for hosting data securely. They also need to be able to give different types of training to different groups, such as doctors, office staff, and support workers who may have very different learning needs. An LMS for an organization in healthcare must also have strong security features, such as encrypted data and access controls, to meet industry specific regulations. 

Case Study: LMS Discovery Project

In a recent project with a data provider in the healthcare industry, we evaluated their business, technical, and security requirements. Our research involved interviewing internal stakeholders, clients, and comparable organizations. It became evident early on that simply implementing a new LMS wouldn’t address the primary issues uncovered in our initial research. Instead, we found that before the organization engaged in an LMS replacement project, they needed to improve their internal processes.   This project resulted in a customized report to assist the education department in refining their learning strategy and developing an action plan for the future. Ultimately, it emphasized that an immediate LMS replacement isn’t always the solution. Before undertaking the costly and time-consuming process of searching for and implementing an entirely new system,  seek support from an expert to identify the root cause of the problem. For more information, refer to our full LMS Discovery Project case study.

Remote Work

As remote work becomes increasingly common, there's a growing need for learning solutions that are flexible and easy to use. Companies need to find new ways to train their employees effectively, even when they're spread out across different locations and time zones. A successful LMS strategy for remote learning should prioritize ease of use and accessibility. It should enable individuals to access training materials from any location, encourage active participation, and facilitate communication among remote team members. It's equally critical that the platform functions seamlessly on mobile devices, ensuring that learning can occur even when individuals are not confined to a desk or consistently connected online. By using an LMS strategy that's built for remote work, companies can maintain continuous training initiatives and keep their employees engaged, regardless of geographical constraints. 

Technology Integration

Today, organizations rely on a variety of tools to run their business operations, from managing customer relations, to handling training records and projects. Ensuring these tools work seamlessly together is critical for smooth operations and informed decision-making. Your LMS strategy should seamlessly integrate with your existing tools. As part of your implementation, it’s essential to identify all the systems your LMS needs to integrate with to define specific integration objectives. This means the systems share information one way or two ways, automate processes, and make the learning experience easier for all stakeholders. For example, it could automatically enrol new hires in training upon recruitment or provide insights into training progress alongside employee performance evaluations. By adopting an LMS strategy that integrates well with your existing tech stack, you can improve your training effectiveness, streamline workflows, and promote synergy across the business.

Audience-Centric Approach

In addition to industry requirements, understanding the needs of your learners is crucial in selecting the right LMS for your organization. Many organizations focus their training efforts on internal employees, who require onboarding or compliance training. The LMS should be capable of accommodating various learning paths tailored to different staff members and departmental needs, while also meeting reporting requirements for department managers and HR. On the other hand, some organizations provide training to learners outside their immediate workforce. These could include clients for training organizations or partners supporting their distribution channels. Given that many organizations cater to diverse learner profiles and undergo continuous evolution, they require an LMS that can adapt and expand alongside their changing needs.

Choosing the Right LMS

Choosing the right LMS can feel overwhelming with everything you need to consider. However, if you take a step-by-step approach, you can make the selection of the system and the following implementation more manageable.  Start by figuring out what you really need based on your industry needs, your learner needs and your organizational needs. Don’t be afraid to go into the detail of all your requirements before you assess LMS systems for their fit.  To help with this process, download our guide "How to Choose the Right LMS." It takes you through the complete process in 5 simple steps. 

Final Thoughts

In the end, getting the right LMS for your industry is important. No matter if your organization is an association, or in the aviation or healthcare industry, or has other very specific requirements, having a LMS that fits your needs is key to a successful learning program.