When it comes to selecting the right Learning Management System (LMS) for your association, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The right choice can elevate your members’ learning experience, drive engagement, and streamline your operations.
But with so many options on the market, how do you ensure you’re making the best decision?
To help you navigate this critical process, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 59 essential questions that will guide you in evaluating and selecting the perfect LMS, tailored to your association’s unique needs.
General Questions
- What are the most popular features of your LMS? What do users rave about?
- How many users do you have that are similar to my association?
- What is the typical number of users for the organizations that use your LMS? What is required to scalable higher if we need to accommodate future growth? What is the maximum capacity?
- Can you demonstrate the process to build a course?
- What do your customers typically customize? Who does the customization? How long does it typically take?
- What AI capabilities does your LMS have?
Specific Features
- Can your LMS support webinars, virtual conferences, or other live events?
- Is there a shopping cart or a way to charge for taking a course? How is the payment process integrated with iMIS? What data is passed to iMIS? How frequently is the data updated?
- Do you have a recommendation engine?
- Do you have a certification module?
- Do you have proctoring, so users who are taking an assessment are prohibited from using ChatGPT?
- What roles are available? For example, can you give a manager the ability to assign a course to the people who work for her? What can super admins do?
- Do you offer personalized learning paths?
- Does your LMS support multiple languages and localization?
Technical Questions
- What are the system requirements for the LMS?
- Is the LMS cloud-based, on-premise, or hybrid?
- Is your LMS open source? If yes, what organizations provide implementation, customization, and training?
- How does your LMS integrate with iMIS?
- What other systems typically integrate with your LMS? How is that integration handled? What data can be exchanged between systems?
- Do you have multi-factor authentication?
- What level of security does your LMS provide? How do you protect sensitive data?
- If your LMS is not cloud-based, how often are updates and upgrades released, and what is the process for implementing them?
User Experience
- What options do we have for customizing the branding of the LMS?
- Are branded subportals possible?
- What makes your LMS user-friendly and easy to navigate for both administrators and learners?
- What accessibility features does the LMS provide?
- Can your LMS support mobile learning? Is there a dedicated mobile app?
- How is the LMS designed to engage learners (e.g., gamification, interactive content)?
- What do you offer to help speed user adoption of the new LMS?
Content Management
- What types of content can the LMS support (e.g., videos, PDFs, SCORM packages)?
- What is the process to create, upload, and manage content within the LMS? What tools do you provide for content creation and editing?
- What support do you provide to migrate content from another LMS?
- What do you offer to make it easier for staff to create quality, engaging content?
- What challenges do users typically face when updating content?
- What assessment and quiz functionalities are available?
Reporting and Analytics
- What reporting and analytics capabilities does the LMS offer?
- If you are required to report to specific boards or organizations, is the LMS able to deliver the reports in the format you need?
- Can custom reports or dashboards be created? What is the process for creating them?
- Does the LMS provide real-time dashboards?
- How is learner progress and performance tracked?
- How do you track credits?
- Is there a way for learners to provide feedback about the system?
- What reporting features are requested most often by customers? Are any of those planned for the coming year?
Onboarding, Support and Training
- What training and onboarding support is provided for administrators and users?
- What kinds of support do you provide to help users create courses?
- How much time do you recommend the staff allow for training?
- What technical support options are available (e.g., 24/7 support, dedicated account manager)?
- How big is your customer support team?
- Is there a community or forum for user support and interaction?
- What documentation and resources are available for troubleshooting and learning the system?
- What percentage of your customers find they go over budget in their implementation?
- What are the most common issues that cause users to contact your help desk?
- How do you recommend overcoming staff resistance to the new system?
Cost and Licensing
- What is the pricing model (e.g., subscription-based, one-time fee)?
- Are there any hidden costs or additional fees (e.g., for updates, upgrades, additional users)?
- What is the licensing structure, and how flexible is it for scaling up or down?
- Are there any discounts available for non-profits or associations?
Compliance and Standards
- With which industry standards and regulations (e.g., GDPR, ADA) is your LMS compliant?
- Does the LMS support e-learning standards such as SCORM, xAPI, or AICC?
Choosing the right LMS for your association is a decision that will have lasting implications on the value you provide to your members and the efficiency of your operations. By asking these 59 essential questions, you’ll be equipped with the insights needed to make a well-informed decision.
Special thanks to industry experts Jessie Reyes, Kris Nguyen, and Brian Lindsey, who allowed us to interview them and gain additional insights into best practices for selecting an LMS.