Using an LMS, such as the learning management system from Halogen, can help a business save large sums of money associated with training employees. Here we’ll look at some of the key elements of a LMS and why it might be the right solution for your business.
Savings
Travel costs can be greatly reduced if employees can receive their training online rather than have to go to a physical facility.
The flexibility of an online learning system can also help a business reduce the costs of training employees by allowing them to receive their training at home on their own time. This can prevent infringement on productivity if employees do not have to be scheduled away from their normal duties to receive training.
The cost of administering training can be greatly reduced by centralizing all of the documentation of the training. This can be important if employees are under legal obligations to receive sexual harassment or cultural sensitivity training, or if the employer needs to keep records of ongoing training needed for professional certifications or licenses held by employees.
Automation
A LMS can notify Human Resources that an employee is overdue for training or has allowed a certification or license to lapse. The employee can be notified and scheduled conveniently and at little cost.
The administrative benefits of an LMS can be realized even when the training itself cannot be conducted online. Truck drivers and medical assistants must receive some of their training in the real world, but their instructors can enter information into a LMS to document that the employee has passed a road test or learned how to move a patient correctly.
Small Business Considerations
The cost savings of a LMS are more easily realized through economies of scale. Smaller businesses may have to conduct much more detailed cost benefit analyses when considering whether to use a LMS. A small business may have to carefully consider whether to purchase and install software or subscribe to a LMS as Software as a Service (SaaS).
Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages. Purchasing and installing the software usually means a higher cost up front, but gives a business more control of the configuration of the system. For some businesses, this option may require the purchase of additional servers to host the LMS, and may require additional IT staffing to administer and maintain the system. Updates or upgrades to the software usually mean additional costs. These problems can be avoided by using a LMS that has a hosted or SaaS option, but the cost of the subscription per trainee can be higher for small organizations than large organizations. Customizing the features of a hosted system can often be prohibitive for small companies.
Ease of use is an important selling point of nearly all LMSs. They allow trainees and instructors to have one point of access to do everything necessary for training. Most systems on the market require only basic computer literacy and Internet access to use the systems.
These are usually not important considerations unless employees do not have Internet access or are not computer literate. Some LMSs offer the coursework on CDs for trainees who do not have Internet access.
A LMS may not be suitable for employees who need to be taught how to use a computer just so that they can receive training for tasks that do not involve using a computer.
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