A step-by-step guide to choosing the most beneficial LMS for your needs.
For many companies, an LMS for SharePoint just makes sense. The obvious reason is the utilization of software that you already have plus the integration with every other system used by your business – a major plus both functionally and financially. However, with the different SharePoint LMS systems on the market, this blog will give you some ideas to consider before choosing which system will work best for your specific needs.
LMS FOR SHAREPOINT
No matter what SharePoint training system you choose, there are some big advantages to using a SharePoint LMS.
SharePoint in and of itself sets the path for training success. Right out of the gate, companies can utilize the following features:
Adding in an LMS feature to your SharePoint environment is the icing on the cake. Even more training functionality is provided, including:
CHOOSING WHICH LMS FOR SHAREPOINT IS RIGHT FOR YOUR COMPANY
Now that we’ve discussed a few of the benefits of a SharePoint LMS, let’s get even more granular and talk about some of the specifics to consider when evaluating various training systems based on SharePoint.
If you know, without a doubt, that you want to utilize your SharePoint environment and a SharePoint LMS is right for your business, consider these things before purchasing:
Is the LMS built on top of SharePoint or integrated with SharePoint?
This is something you may or may not think to ask while getting information about the system. A SharePoint LMS that is built on top of SharePoint is a true SharePoint LMS. This is because it works as part of your SharePoint environment and inherits all existing authentication protocols etc. When the system is just ‘integrated,’ there will be multiple systems that need to ‘talk’ to one another and it creates a situation where it might not be as cohesive.
Do you need a system built for corporate or educational environment?
Each SharePoint LMS on the market will have its specialty and it’s worth asking the question. Is it designed for business enterprise, education or human resources? ShareKnowledge, for instance, is designed for enterprise and is completely scalable. We can handle up to the 80,000 user range while our competitors will not be able to handle more than 5-10,000 users effectively. Some SharePoint LMS systems are more focused on HR and the training aspect is very small and limited in scope.
Simple or complex needs?
This is another big question to ask. For some companies, all they need is simple training while others require more complex workflows. Some SharePoint-based LMS systems on the market cater to very small groups that almost exclusively use SharePoint out-of-the-box features. This means you cannot scale nor handle large amounts of data which is fine for some users. However, if you have multiple organizational units and very complex needs that require customization, than these simple apps will not suffice and you’ll need a system like ShareKnowledge to handle this.
These are just a couple questions to keep in mind while deciphering between the various SharePoint LMS systems on the market. They all have great benefits but it’s important to know what they excel at and what they do not in order to align with your business needs.
ShareKnowledge is the first corporate LMS built on SharePoint. A Microsoft® Partner with Gold Application Development Competency, ShareKnowledge is considered the industry’s most valuable SharePoint add-on — providing a powerful learning solution that will transform your organization and propel business productivity.
Not only are we SharePoint experts, but the folks at ShareKnowledge have over 20 years of combined eLearning experience.
A step-by-step guide to choosing the most beneficial LMS for your needs.