Choosing a Training Management System: Top 8 Criteria to Consider

Choosing the right technology for your organization is never easy. Functionalities, scale, vendor capabilities and customer support, integration…

It’s sometimes hard to consider and appropriately weigh all the criteria to assess the various solutions out there. So, let’s go over 8 key criteria for selecting a Training Management System to optimize your instructor-led training (ILT) activity and manage your learning events.

What is a Training Management System (TMS)?

Definition: A Training Management System is an integrated back-office system that manages your training operations. Specifically, it helps optimize and streamline Instructor-Led Training tasks such as scheduling, planning and logistics, administration, cost tracking and financials, sales and profitability optimization and reporting. A Training Management System is not only designed for L&D departments, Extended Enterprise and Corporate Universities, but also Training Companies and Non-Profit Associations.

Is a Training Management System the same thing as a Learning Management System (LMS)? No. But, the TMS complements and integrates with the LMS. This provides a much-needed layer of training operations management for instructor-led training in the learning tech stack. The main differences are that the LMS is focused on elearning and the learner. Whereas, training management software is a back-office tool for optimizing and managing instructor-led training operations. For more info, you can dig deeper into the differences between a training management system vs. a learning management system.

How can a Training Management System help you?

A training management system helps organizations overcome many instructor-led training management challenges.

• Financial Pressure & Budget Constraints

A common requirement for Training Departments and Corporate Universities is to reduce their budget “30% over 3 years.” For many organizations, their answer is to do LESS instructor-led training. While this may work in the short term, there are many problems with this approach. Namely, that they are reducing the type of training that has been proven most effective in many situations. By implementing a Training Management System, organizations can train MORE, with less.

• Lack of Instructor-Led Training (ILT) Management from the Learning Management System (LMS)

The LMS does not enable efficient back-office management for instructor-led training. ILT represents 70% of training dollars. Yet, crucial capabilities such as logistics planning, resource management, scheduling, and cost tracking, which would allow you to optimize your ILT programs, are missing from the LMS.

• Productivity Issues

Resources are wasted in performing time-consuming administrative tasks. You may also have issues collaborating across teams, managing disparate systems and tracking training costs.

• Unreliable Data

Many training departments are still using and managing activities with an inconceivable number of Excel files, Outlook or other calendar apps. Instead, you should be finding the right training management software. Sometimes you even use it partly with the LMS or other systems. This decentralized approach is not only frustrating for admins, but it’s costing organizations significant time and money. It’s also resulting in data that is difficult to access and put together. Therefore, meaningful action can’t be taken.

• Inefficient, Decentralized Learning Event Management

Need we say more?

>> How is your organization performing? Assess your company’s training management performance with our ROI calculator. Plus, get a personalized report to see where and how much you could save with Training Management Software. <<

8 Criteria You Should Consider When Selecting a Training Management System

Training Orchestra has partnered with some of the best companies in their field to help them optimize their training resources. Building on our two-decade-long experience with more than 600 clients worldwide, we developed 8 key criteria that you should consider when selecting a training management system. These can also be used to assess different learning technologies.

1. Vision & Long-Term Orientation

   

• The vendor has a deep understanding and commitment to the Training Industry.
• You can upgrade the software without any additional costs, and 100% of clients use the last version.
• The solution offers advanced configuration but avoids any specific development so that you benefit from a standard solution.

2. Organization

• The solution matches your processes and your organization (e.g. organizational structure and scale).
• If you do business in multiple countries, you need a solution that supports multiple languages, currencies and local legal regulations.
• The solution enables collaboration and cooperation within the organization.

3. Total Cost of Ownership

• The solution has a flexible architecture and elastic parameters to guarantee your autonomy from the software vendor.
• You can adjust your solution to make it fit your needs as these change.

4. Implementation/Rollout

• Interoperability with 3^rd party systems. The solution builds on standard APIs to easily interface with existing and/or future solutions (LMS, Learning Experience Platform, Accounting system, CRM…).
• Tasks are executed on time and within the budget.
• Test and qualification is done in your real functional environment to make sure that you end up with a stable solution.

5. Expertise

• The project manager is dedicated to the solution and has both functional experience in the training industry and technical expertise with the solution.
• You receive a vendor hotline that is accessible and offers expert help.
• The vendor provides personalized training in your functional environment.

6. Usability

• The training management system is user-friendly beyond “look and feel”. This means that workflows are intuitive and actions can be replicated in one click. In addition, information should be easily accessible, dashboards should be personalized by role, etc. Ease of use of the software leads to higher productivity.
• The solution ensures a quick learning curve for teams who are not technical experts.
• It is intuitive from a learner’s perspective and it matches your processes and your organization.

7. IT Considerations

• The solution offers a full-web interface.
• It is based on recent and reliable technology.
• The solution provides high security, with consolidated processes and data.
• It meets the required capacity level to guarantee the necessary quality level through the server system agreement.
• It offers flexible models such as SaaS mode and/or a private cloud.

8. Functionalities

• The training management solution helps you maximize the use of resources. You can optimize costs and profitability by optimizing the usage of all resources.
• It helps you monitor, manage and optimize your financials: forecasting and monitoring of the budget, real-time cost tracking, and profitability optimization.
• It helps you manage and accelerate sale processes.
• The software helps improve administrative productivity. Time saved on administrative issues can then be used on more value-added activities.
• The solution helps you secure sectorial constraints: recycling, local regulations (Spain, Canada, France, Belgium are very strict in terms of training regulations).
• It ensures data reliability by centralizing in one place all the data coming from all parts of your company.
• It provides advanced and flexible reporting through pertinent KPIs and best-practice reports.

>> Want to learn more? Have a look at our detailed white paper on the ROI of a Training Resource Management System! <<

Whether your needs are focused on course management systems, seminar management systems, or training management software systems in general, Training Orchestra covers a variety of training needs.

About Training Orchestra

Training Orchestra helps learning professionals optimize the performance of their operations while maximizing their training investment. As a leading Training Management System (TMS) with more than 600 satisfied clients worldwide, Training Orchestra supports the entire training process from planning and budgeting, scheduling and logistics, to sales and reporting. The integrated solution empowers teams to collaborate effortlessly, enabling L&D Departments, Training Companies, Associations, and Corporate Universities to Train More with Less.

To find out more about how Training Orchestra can become your best partner in optimizing training operations, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts. Or, request a demo here. We can help you tackle your goals!