LMS implementation requires a significant amount of effort from start to finish. It takes a team effort, and you can't go with the flow and hope for the best. You need everyone on board and ready to strategize in order to make your LMS goals a reality.
What is required for a successful LMS implementation plan? There is a comprehensive LMS implementation checklist, which we will go through in detail.
If you’re interested, then read on.
Define the goals of LMS
Start with some self-reflection. In this phase you should assess where your company is now, where you want to be, and what you need to do in the learning space to get there.
Begin by making a list of your existing restrictions and pains, and then sketch out what difficulties you could face that don’t exist. You should also consider how you want the user experience of implementing a LMS look like for communities, portals, classrooms, and so on. Related article: Why Edutainment is an Absolute Game-changer in Learning?
By identifying goals, you become a more empowered buyer than one who acts solely on a functional requirements wish-list. You may need gamification, e-commerce, single sign-on, and webinars, but you must first consider the big picture. Have you started taking notes yet?
Identify timeline
After you've designed your project and determined the scope of your LMS implementation process, it's necessary to develop a realistic timeframe. This timeline should specify when you intend to complete each task.
Clear communication with your IT staff and LMS vendor can help you determine how long the total process will take from start to finish. You should also set the milestones your team must meet.
Your vendor has extensive experience deploying their LMS. As a result, speaking with them provides you an estimate of how much the process will take. When determining your own LMS implementation timeline, this range is an excellent place to start.
The length of the implementation process is also determined by the type of LMS used. Growth Engineering LMS, our cloud-based LMS, normally takes 6-10 weeks to implement. However, depending on the scale of the project, the timetable can range from 4 to 12 weeks. Your project timeframe might be influenced by different factors, such as the number of user accounts and the complexity of integrations.
Keep in mind that this strategy is not set in stone. In fact, impediments frequently appear en route. You can avoid them influencing your overall timetable by including tiny time buffers for larger processes like data migration.
Elaborate LMS implementation strategy
The basis of strategy implementation is as follows - a team, milestones, and deliverables. Typically, at this stage, entrepreneurs select a software implementer for LMS development to begin by completing a business analysis through the efforts of the vendor's BA. It will greatly improve your strategy vector by providing findings targeted to your specific requirements.
When collaborating with a software development company, create a clear explanation of processes and needs, as well as the expected output based on your request for a quote, together with a list of significant dates and deadlines.
Consider piloting an MVP version for a restricted set of learners if you are launching an e-learning system for the first time. It will provide feedback and help you avoid making rash decisions about functionality.
Build your team
After you've established objectives, milestones, and a timeframe, it's important to identify who is in charge of what and when. In other words, you must form an LMS implementation team that will drive the project forward at full speed.
It is critical to start building your team as soon as possible. This allows you to ensure that you have enough resources for each stage of the project. After all, your staff will be in charge of assisting you in setting up the LMS, developing new processes, evaluating the trial roll-out, and eventually launching your platform.
Your new LMS will most certainly have an impact on various processes within your company. When assembling your team, remember to include employees from all departments. Individuals from the HR, IT, Customer Success, and L&D teams may be included. Related article: Corporate LMS: How It Drives Business Success.
Keeping the small team ensures that the process is as concentrated as possible. For example, your ideal team could include:
Team Leader. They are in charge of developing strategy, distributing responsibilities, and tracking progress toward goals. They are frequently the driving force behind your LMS installation process.
Project Manager. They should be in charge of tracking and overseeing each project stage and ensuring that it is completed on schedule.
E-learning Specialist. Having an e-learning specialist on your team guarantees that you have the infrastructure needed to implement preferred LMS. They are in charge of things like data security, data migration, and integrations.
L&D Administrator. They are e-learning specialists as well, but their focus is on LMS configuration and management rather than course content or migration. Administrators are critical components of your platform because they are in charge of keeping your LMS operational once it has been launched.
Make sure that everyone on the team understands what is expected of them. Every team member should be completely on board with your overarching goals and their role in the project. After all, your program implementation team is responsible for a large portion of its success. Poor team communication and collaboration cause more than one-third of all project failures.
Train your admins
Administrators are critical to your platform's long-term success. They are the people who ensure your system runs well and has a sense of purpose.
At this point, you should concentrate on administrative training. Your administrators, no matter how tech-savvy they are, must learn how to use their new LMS to become your LMS’ internal specialists. They must understand the system better than anyone else who is utilizing the solution.
With so much to learn, administrator training is critical. The more they understand, the more confident they will be in implementing new content or complete training initiatives.
Creating microlearning courses on how to interact with the learning management system in the most efficient manner is a wonderful method to deliver admin training. You can also use these modules to familiarize your end users with the platform.
Customers can enroll in Administrator training and certification programs offered by some LMS companies, such as Growth Engineering. Make the most of this training by taking advantage of it as much as possible.
For example, our interactive sessions focus on connecting your individual use cases to the LMS features. We provide training and certification on all possible functions to ensure our administrators have all the necessary abilities.
Prepare for data migration
The LMS implementation timeline is determined by the type of LMS used. Installing an on-premises LMS on your own server may take longer than installing a hosted or cloud-based LMS on the vendor's server.
The amount of user accounts and software products you wish to migrate into and connect with the LMS affects the LMS implementation steps as well. Be realistic about your timeframe and allow enough time to meet each milestone before the actual launch.
Whether you are moving from a legacy LMS or adopting an LMS for the first time, deciding which courses, data, and instructional assets to transfer to the new system is critical. Transfer only the courses and data required for the upgraded LMS and archive the rest. Consult your legal department to determine which files must be maintained.
If you're transitioning from a legacy LMS to a new one, have your IT professional assess your instructional assets to guarantee they'll work with the new LMS. Even if SCORM is compliant, the courses may require modifications to function on the new system.
Identify integration options
Providing excellent content may appear to be the obvious key to your LMS implementation plan's long-term success. Data and technology, on the other hand, are frequently as vital as anything else. As a result, you should consider whether your new learning platform will require integration with any systems in your existing software stack at this time.
Integrating your LMS with existing apps or technologies makes your job easier! Growth Engineering LMS and Learning App, for example, are integration sensations. Typical integrations include user provisioning via an HR system, CRM, and technologies that aid with eCommerce services. Related article: How much Does It Cost to Develop an LMS?
Your data has never been more portable, allowing you to integrate your LMS with other business applications. Our well-documented APIs and webhooks make connections simple, saving you valuable time. We even offer custom integrations if they could help you meet your training objectives.
Cooperate with a software provider
After selecting a software vendor, you would rely on the LMS implementation project plan to determine the following points:
- Provide all necessary solid facts regarding your partnership expectations.
- After each iteration, define project management technique, milestones, and deliverables together to make teamwork comfortable and productive.
- Make the LMS solution's technology stack clear.
- Consider storage for your content as it grows. Based on their experience, your vendor will most likely provide the best option.
- To establish the correct collaboration vector, organize a joint onboarding meeting to convey your company's principles and philosophy.
- Divide development into sections so that it can progress gradually and observe first tangible results as soon as possible.
- Plan a preliminary LMS trial launch with your software development company to test it with a small group of handpicked users before going public.
- Schedule a combined webinar or instructor-led learning session on LMS usage in which your project lead and the vendor will offer usage instructions.
- Specify criteria for measuring the LMS's technical performance after deployment so that your software partner can make changes.
- Discuss a feature wishlist so that it can be implemented when the time comes.
Switch to a new LMS
You are now prepared to launch your own LMS. As a result, your business will begin to reap the benefits of your efforts! In reality, the success of your project will now be determined by the value it adds to your training program.
There are numerous strategies to transition to your new LMS. This comprises an overnight total switch, a progressive phase-out of the old system and a gradual phase-in of the new system, or running both systems in tandem prior to the final transition. The optimal solution is determined by your learners' needs, timeline, and overall goals.
The journey, however, does not finish here. Implementation of LMS and onboarding are only the first steps toward success in your learning transformation. As a result, you should concentrate on gradual progression. In fact, we believe that having a constant growth mindset is the best LMS practice.
There will always be ways for you and your team to improve. To accomplish so, you must regularly collect feedback and analyze data.
Evaluate results
Once the learning management system implementation process is complete and the new system has been operational for an amount of time, evaluate how the process went for everyone involved. Identify and correct any technological flaws that may have hampered the launch.
Additionally, when you complete your learning management system implementation project plan and timeline, undertake the following evaluation: Examine how many users logged into the system and how they navigated it. Did they finish the courses? What was their final score? Scores and user satisfaction do not tell the whole story of how successfully the LMS met organizational goals. However, at the beginning, such statistics provide insight on the LMS's technical performance, such as page uploads, upload time, and overall user experience.
How to Create an LMS from Scratch?
The key issue is how to create a learning management system. You should look into the process before employing an outsourcing web development team or in-house experts to assist and support you at every stage of software development.
- Create an LMS Project Plan
This is the first and most crucial stage in validating your idea. In this step, you must find evidence that investing a significant amount of money in LMS is worthwhile.
It will get more profit from using the LMS in terms of having more students and fewer expenses or having more productivity from staff after training them. With a clearer understanding of why you need an LMS and who your target audience is, you will have a better insight about the LMS and eLearning industry. You should also consider the essential features.
You should ask yourself the following questions:
Why is it necessary to develop an LMS website?
What issues is your organization now facing, and how would the LMS solve them?
Who will develop the LMS from scratch?
Who will be in charge of LMS implementation?
How much are you going to invest in the development of a learning management system?
- Choose Your LMS Service Provider
It is important to choose the right service provider. You can either create the LMS from scratch or use a ready-made SaaS application. If you decide to develop an LMS from scratch, you should be aware that a complex LMS can take 400 to 500 hours to complete. The work entails a great deal of discussion about the architecture, design, and features layout.
PioGroup Software can provide you with a dedicated team, which is an autonomous group of developers who work full-time for a customer. The Time & Material engagement model utilized by Piogroup means that payment is based on actual time invested in development as well as the actual cost of materials and equipment used. This model is adaptable to shifting timeframes and resource requirements. It is an excellent framework for projects that are likely to vary during the development phase or when estimating the overall project size is difficult. You can discover PioGroup Software projects here.
- Build the LMS Website
When you've decided on a service provider, you may begin creating content - courses. In this stage, you might begin by establishing a new course and adding a description, attaching files, and possibly adding videos and photographs to the gallery. You can also include certain jobs/questions/networks in this phase. When you have finished adding content to the course, you can invite students to participate.
You may also include a feature at the beginning to check your student's or employee's knowledge and competence by assigning a quiz or test to them. Related article: E-learning Websites: Types and Tips for Development.
- Test Knowledge of a Student or Employee
A quiz, test or exam is the most effective approach to evaluate a student's or employee's skills. With an LMS, you may evaluate any student's answers while they are taking the test and provide feedback or suggestions for improvement. You can also discuss with the student their approach. Once they have completed the test, evaluate them based on their responses. Most LMSs allow you to tell students of their findings in real-time. In some cases, the student is informed that their response is correct after each answer, thus they do not need to wait for the result. There are numerous strategies to improve your online learning platform.
- Create Responsive App and UI/UX
Your LMS website should be responsive and looks good on all browser sizes. The app should function on all mobile devices, desktop computers, and tablets. It should be compatible with all operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, and iOS. It should work with all browsers, including Chrome and Firefox. The software should give a straightforward experience to all users, whether they are teachers, students, or administrators. Related article: How Much Does it Cost to Develop an Educational App?
- Final Check
After you've completed adding courses and inviting users and students, double-check that everything is working properly. You have completed the development of an LMS if there are no issues and everything functions properly. It is now time to maximize its potential in order to recoup your investment.
Conclusion
We wanted to describe many key points about the LMS implementation project plan within your company's training process that need more discussion, which we will undertake in future blog entries. Let us now wrap up the LMS implementation.
You have a lot of work ahead of you. Everything begins with well-defined objectives and strategies, a clear vision of outcomes, careful preparation, and smooth implementation. Sharing tasks with a trustworthy partner might provide fascinating effects that will spread positively far beyond your business ecosystem.Contact us in case you want to create an outstanding LMS platform.
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Anastasiia Dyshkant
Content Marketing Manager
