The purchasing – and practical benefits – of a learning management system

Purpose – An exploration of the corporate market for learning management systems (LMSs), looking at key issues in the buying process, LMS features and characteristics. It illustrates this with two case studies of global organisations’ LMS usage. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Discussion paper making use of analyst and buyer interviews. Findings – Having taken time and trouble to find the right LMS for your organisation can bring tangible benefits – for the organisation (via improving efficiency and achieving business goals), learning and development professionals (in charge of the whole process) and individual workers/ learners. From the case studies, this is true for companies in two widely diverse industries. Research limitations/implications – The value of understanding the differences between the 800 or so LMSs currently on the market – and going through a thorough and professional system to acquire the appropriate one for the organisation. Practical implications – Implemented successfully, an LMS enhances the user’s knowledge and skills; enables the learning and development professional to be more efficient and effective while reducing time pressures, and enables the organisation to achieve its business targets band goals. Social implications – Individual workers find learning – and performance support – simpler and easier to achieve as and when they require it. Originality/value – An attempt to discern some current trends and explore them through two recent cases.