Top 5 Things to Avoid For An LMS Launch
There are lots of things to get right when introducing a new learning management system to your organisation. In this article we present the five key things to avoid when launching a new LMS.
1: Launching quietly
You have a brand new learning management system! How are you going to tell everyone? Updating the link on the intranet will hardly set anyone's world on fire. Put up some posters near the coffee machine! Send out an email to the whole company! Hire a marching band! The last one is a little extreme but I hope you are getting the idea- your new LMS deserves to be seen.
2: Your organisation's busiest season
All organisations have busy periods. If you want your launch to have an impact choose a launch date that lets your learners take notice. This might mean that you are ready to go before the launch date, but that's not a bad thing- see points 3 and 4!
3: Releasing before testing
One of the worst things to happen would be to have a fantastic uptake from learners on the launch day, only for the system to throw up error messages. Make sure that you have tested everything from both the administrator and the learner's perspective. If you are integrating with a HR system or importing data from an external source, confirm that the integration is working as expected.
4: Releasing without content
If you have excited learners, make sure they can hit the ground running. Upload your content, schedule courses so that they can register. Give them reasons for using the software rather than logging in to a blank LMS- they'll engage more and are more likely to return!
5: Keeping the old system around
If you are replacing an existing LMS, then make sure that all references to it are removed from any training documents and intranet links. Forgetting to do this can lead to confusion for learners, which will undermine your hard work.
If you are unable to migrate your learning materials, consider rewriting them in a format suitable for the new LMS. This will avoid having to manage two different platforms.
Conclusion
Choosing and implementing an LMS can seem like the hard part, but all of your efforts will go to waste if you don't launch it correctly. Avoid these five common pitfalls and you'll be on the right track.