What is an LMS (learning management system)?
In short
An LMS (learning management system) is a learning platform on which an organisation offers training and e-learning, enrols participants and records their progress and results. You can see who has completed which mandatory training and when a certificate expires.
What does an LMS do?
- Offering: e-learning, videos, documents and classroom training in one catalogue.
- Assigning: mandatory training per role or department, with reminders.
- Tracking: who has started, completed or passed which module, with test results.
- Certificates: proof of attendance and a reminder when a certificate or qualification expires.
When do you need an LMS?
An LMS pays off when you need to be able to show that employees have completed mandatory training, for example in healthcare, construction or financial services, or when you onboard many new employees. Companies that train customers or partners also use an LMS.
What should you look out for?
E-learning from different makers works in an LMS thanks to standards. The best known is SCORM, developed by the US ADL Initiative. The newer xAPI, an IEEE standard since 2023, can also record learning activities outside the platform. Check which standards an LMS supports if you want to use existing or purchased courses. Also look at the integration with your HRM software, so new starters and leavers are updated automatically.
Which software helps with this?
There are learning platforms with their own courses and systems that mainly plan and record training. Check whether the platform can play SCORM modules from other providers and whether it integrates with your HRM software.