How do you avoid common pitfalls and risks of LMS integration or LMS migration?

One of the common pitfalls is not understanding your user journey - and not fully considering the journeys of all of your users. Having a well-thought-out series of user journeys will help you not only validate and prioritize functionality but also to think through process flows and integrations that you may not normally consider.

If you really need an LMS, write down what you need it to do, how you want it to do those things, then write a workflow for each item. Use 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, etc. format to make things easier to communicate and edit as needed. With the workflow written out, edit each flow to become user acceptance test scripts. When all that is done, contact LMS providers. Get several quotes from each provider including their full service cost so you can negotiate down. Give your top 3 vendors your workflows and scripts, then ask for a new price. When the project is ready for testing, find some real dummies to run the test scripts you wrote. Yes, real dummies! You know, the ones with AOL and Yahoo email accounts.

To avoid common pitfalls and risks of LMS integration or migration, thorough planning is crucial. Begin by conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to identify requirements and objectives. Ensure compatibility between existing systems and the new LMS. Test the migration process in a controlled environment to anticipate and address potential issues. Engage stakeholders throughout the process to gather feedback and address concerns promptly. Provide extensive training and support for users to facilitate a smooth transition. Regularly monitor the system post-implementation to identify and resolve any emerging issues. By following these steps, organizations can mitigate risks and maximize the success of their LMS integration or migration.

We used a tool called Olive to help us narrow from 40 options, to 8, and eventually to the top 2-3. Several vendors commented on how it was the easiest RFI (request for information) they had ever encountered (and we had 176(!) line items for them to review). Our requirements were informed by our organization's strategic goals, industry standards, our org's unique use-cases, and built-in suggestions from Olive.

While we take every measure to choose the right LMS for the requirement, one way to get unstuck with an LMS is by deploying an LRS and sending all learning (user) data to the LRS. Should the choice of the LMS prove ineffective for whatever reasons, sometimes it could be the requirement has changed post deployment. A smooth migration to new LMS requires compatibility with the current LMS w.r.t structure/ features/ taxonomy and the preservation of historical userdata such as completion records and grades. By employing LRS, all these userdata is no longer tied to the LMS. Infact, with this architecture it is possible to host more than one LMS depending on our requirements and still maintain sanity w.r.t record maintenance (who did what).

It was very helpful for us to ask for referrals from industry peers so we could learn how they were leveraging the platform, and if they had any lessons learned to share with us.

We recommend working with the platform partner to position a no-cost intentional 90/180-day proof of concept trial. Get existing end users in the platform (high-use admin, high-count repeat ticket creators, the top 10-25 curious learners with the most voluntary course completions, etc.), using the platform in an MVP mode (with 5 business driving content and 5 leadership skills). Observe how they use the platform and what they learn. What one thing went well? What two things can be better? We also recommend documenting a hypothesis - try using the scientific method: If users find value, then we will have 5 additional requests for join the pilot from their peers in the first 2 weeks.

Your goal is to help grow your company's profit as rapidly as possible. You do that by enabling, assuring, and continuously improve performance. Now you need to figure out if/how an LMS will help you do those things. If you're perfectly honest, you'll find you only need a way to host and launch training content and capture test scores. There are lots of cheaper ways to do that without an LMS. If you really think you need an LMS, consider it's 1990's technology that can't capture the data you need to prove the ROI of your training. The analytics are of limited value beyond who took what course, when, and what their test scores were. Scores on tests executed less than an hour prior have very little correlation with performance.

Even before going to a new LMS, ensure you have clear governance in place. Governance around what content is allowed in the system, the lifecycle of the content, who owns and manages the content, and if and how the content will be assigned must be in place prior to go live. If you are migrating data, this ensures you have clean data going in and can have processes in place to keep it clean. It is a game changer!

After implementing 6 LMSs including 2 global systems implemented concurrently for a life sciences company, I say the day of the LMS has passed. The only value they provide is efficiently launching content and tracking usage, which can be done much easier/cheaper now. However, if you must implement one, my best advice is to do as much as possible to prepare for the implementation before any clocks start ticking. This means getting all your content SCORM compliant, organizing all your content as you'd like it to be accessed from the LMS, and map out all communications. Essentially, you should be able to tell consultants what you need before they ask. If you don't have a learning tech on staff, hire one. Also, hire/contract a project manager.

One of the biggest pitfalls in LMS integration or migration is not adequately preparing your data and content beforehand. It’s essential to clean and organize your data before the transition—any inconsistencies or errors can multiply once moved to a new system. Make sure your content is compatible with the new LMS, and if necessary, convert it to the appropriate formats. Testing your data in a sandbox environment can also help catch issues before they become full-scale problems. The better prepared you are upfront, the smoother the integration or migration will go. It’s all about minimizing surprises and ensuring a seamless transition.

Definitely get IT involved sooner rather than later. They will help you understand security concerns, tech needs, systems integration needs, etc. that you will encounter and need to answer for at some point.

Before doing anything else, document all your workflows using 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, etc. format for easy communication and editing. Hire a contractor, if needed. Then, write a user acceptance test script for each workflow. Hire/contract a professional script writer if you don't have one on staff. Once the workflows and scripts are written, contact some LMS companies and get their best prices for full implementations. Then, give them your workflows and test scripts and ask for new pricing. Revise the workflows and scripts throughout coding. When everything is set up, find some REAL dummies to run your test scripts. Yes, dummies. If you don't already know who they are, ask people to raise their hand if they have active AOL or Yahoo email accounts.

Goal #1 is the platform being intuitive enough that users don't need extensive tutorials, guides, job aids, and FAQs. Ideally, it works as they'd expect any packaged technology as a consumer out of the box and things make sense. Another option is to layer in-tool performance support over the platform to keep users learning the platform within the platform rather than being redirected elsewhere. People will find a way to a 'person' to help vs opening a ticket everyday. The 'support' experience can promote self-help (seek a solution on your own - with smart keyword tagging or generative AI), community of peers (ask a friend), and last stop a support desk (ask an expert) where the support desk experience emulates a concierge service.

I suggest planning as if you'll never get another dollar to support or operate the LMS. Go light on training and heavy on performance support. User acceptance testing will indicate where support is needed (use REAL dummies for testing.) Design a simple PS layer using highlighting and numbering alone to guide users on each step and a button to turn it on/off. Simple means effective and easy for the LMS manager to personally edit. An LMS FAQ and support "office hour" to accommodate call-ins is helpful. Write PS/notes to yourself throughout your LMS experience because, after 5 years of no updates, users will start complaining and questioning if it's worth fixing the LMS or if it should be replaced. Then, you'll do it all over.

In my experience, creating an interactive tutorial, to be completed after a demo, is the most effective strategy in ensuring users understand how to use the LMS. These tutorials feature tools that the user can interact with (freely and as much as they'd like) to understand how to navigate through and use the platform. This significantly reduced the amount of confusion and frustration that typically follows LMS integration.

I would suggest that you don't wait until after go live to train or provide documentation. Ideally, there should be a communication stream leading up to go live that discusses exciting new features and changes. You will probably have the new system in some sandbox environment and this will allow you to populate it with real content and data that users are familiar with. This will allow you to create documentation, tutorials, and even provide live training pre launch. All of this will lessen the support calls after launch.

I wouldn't suggest spending a lot of time on this, maybe have the LMS manager login and poke around every other day. LMSs don't capture the ratio data you need to make financial calculations such as ROI or to correlate content with performance change. If an LMS was needed and you provided one, then people will use it -no need for monitor use. Complacency, stagnation, and declining use suggest the LMS is difficult to use, not helpful, or unnecessary. If you need to make financial calculations, have high numbers of manual workers who can't stop working to access LMS content, or have "unlearnable" content in the LMS, then you might have been better off purchasing a hands-free EPSS/digital coach. In that case, cut your losses & switch over.

LMSs are old tech. Consider leapfrogging it with a digital coach. Also, consider replacing much of your front-line training with intelligence augmentation/job aids/performance support.

To avoid common pitfalls and risks of LMS integration or migration, start with thorough planning and assessment. Involve key stakeholders, set clear objectives, and ensure compatibility with existing systems. Prioritize data migration and user training, and establish a reliable support system. Test extensively, create a backup plan, and have a rollback strategy in case of issues. Stay updated on industry best practices. Keep communication channels open throughout the process, and work closely with a reliable LMS provider and your internal IT team to mitigate potential challenges and ensure a smooth transition.