A learning management system is a digital platform that offers a training and instructional environment. It is an online learning-based tool that establishes a setting for instructors and learners to work together to implement a learning process.
Everyone is looking for an engaging and relevant eLearning environment these days as a result of an increasing trend toward the digitalization of the corporate and learning industries.
Learning Management Systems are now being used by businesses all over the world, who gain from their many integration possibilities. The ability of a certain LMS to integrate with other tools is what helps make the lives of the training and development teams easy.
Yet, finding the right tools that will match their needs and choosing an LMS that will integrate with those tools easily is something that most organizations struggle with.
So to help you out, in this article we will discuss the various types of LMS integrations that can help you come to a decision regarding your purchase of LMS.
Before we get into the types of LMS integration, we should look at the importance of LMS integration.
Importance of LMS integration
Your training program’s reach, convenience, and efficacy can all be significantly improved by your learning management system (LMS). However, how well your new LMS integrates with your current technology will greatly influence how successfully it drives improvements in business performance. Integration of LMS is crucial because of the following reasons.
Almost no administrative redundancy between systemsYour new LMS can be integrated with your old software and can be fully loaded with all of your learner information in minutes rather than hours, days, or weeks with the use of a secure connector.
Greater complianceLMS can get warnings when new legislation necessitates specific training for a particular set of employees. It can even notify you when a training program and re-certification are necessary if it is integrated with your legal and/or HR systems.
More adoption by employeesFriction is decreased when your LMS is already prepared to integrate employee data and their progress from other systems, as users can immediately find value and relevance in the platform. By lowering friction, your employees will perceive the new LMS as something that will ease their workload rather than increase it.
A better appraisal of trainingTraining could be observed to assess its efficacy, demonstrate training ROI, and identify any areas in need of content enhancement or individual support initiatives with the help of an LMS integration.
Now let’s look at the types of LMS integration.
Types of LMS integrations
Applications that combine or integrate with your LMS in order to improve performance and build a collaborative system can greatly increase the effectiveness and efficiency of your work. Here is the list of the various types of LMS integrations.
Content Management System (CMS)Utilizing tools like the Content Management System, or CMS has made generating, managing, and organizing content relatively simple. With only one tool, you can create interactive courses with robust features and assist in the creation of cutting-edge material. For moving and keeping existing content in a centralized manner that is always accessible, CMS is an ideal LMS integration.
CRM
You may combine your customer relationship management system with your online learning environment using a type of LMS integration that supports this. They enable you to create tailored online training programs for your customer service and sales employees based on their skill gaps and your company’s goals.
Through the use of an LMS with CRM, you can automate some procedures and promote better connections with prospective consumers and devoted supporters. For instance, the employee gets suggestions for online certification programs or training to improve their low conversion rates.
API Integrations
An LMS integration that serves as a catalyst in the procedures is the Application Programming Interface (API). API essentially offers developers an interface via which they can easily manage and automate various applications. A database is frequently integrated with an organization’s internal LMS using API integrations. The security, as well as verification of API integrations, are crucial in preventing potential data thefts because API integration is a useful tool but potentially vulnerable.
eCommerce
Integrations with an eCommerce LMS are crucial if you intend to sell your online training materials. To help you increase revenues and establish your brand, they handle everything from online payments to sales and conversion analytics.
Some businesses even decide to market more sophisticated consumer education materials in order to make more money. For instance, a certification eLearning course that enables devoted consumers to develop useful skills and become brand ambassadors
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Every LMS integration has benefits for both you and your company. A solution called Single Sign-On (SSO) may easily centralize your authentication platform. With this, you can use the same login information to access both your training portal as well as other digital platforms. SSO would not only save you time but also safeguard your information against potential dangers. Additionally, you can reduce IT expenses and avoid password fatigue.
Video Conferencing
One of the most efficient methods for bringing people together and engaging them in online training with the help of video conferencing. Therefore, why not spend money on an LMS that incorporates your preferred web conferencing program to hold live events and encourage active participation?
Employees get the opportunity to raise concerns and receive immediate feedback from eLearning. They can also learn insider information from more seasoned remote collaborators.
Without ever leaving the platform, you may promote live events, integrate them with the group calendar, document them for later watching, as well as upload them to the LMS library.
Social Media
In today’s time, it seems incomplete to do anything without social media. Given this, it would be accurate to argue that social media integrations are crucial for your company. For instance, companies solicit client input through online discussion threads, live chats, polls, and other consumer-centered material.
Conclusion
Test-driving the tool is one of the best ways to focus your assessment methods and evaluation criteria for LMS integrations. To evaluate the functionality and choose the best integrations for your team, the majority of vendors offer free samples or demos. Use those free train periods to check and see in reality which integrations are beneficial to you and your business.