Tizra Posts > Is an LMS the Right Choice for Your Association?

Online continuing education (CE) is trending upward for professional associations, and it’s only going to grow for the foreseeable future. In fact, if your association hasn’t already started thinking about providing online CE for your members, you may have some catchup work to do. As you consider the tools you’ll need for providing eLearning, no doubt the first thing that comes to mind is a learning management system (LMS). Learning management systems are the default choice for online learning, and they can provide nearly any learning-related capability you can imagine. But for many associations, an LMS could be a choice that creates more headaches than it’s worth. This is especially true for organizations that are looking to create a simple and efficient online learning experience. An LMS can be a monster of a platform, and many associations find that they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Is an LMS the right choice for you, or the wrong one? And what other options are out there? Let’s take a look at some considerations you need to know about an LMS before you buy. Cost For budget-conscious associations, pricing out an LMS is no simple matter. As you’ll quickly discover, every vendor has a different pricing structure, so it’s nearly impossible to do a side-by-side comparison based on cost. The best approach to comparing systems based on cost is to determine which package the vendor offers is the best fit for your needs. Then, add up all of the additional costs and make your best estimate on what the bottom line will be. Do that with the other vendors you’re considering and compare final prices. Initial expense Generally, there are four standard LMS pricing methods: Per learner, per month — This is based on the total number of users in the system or the number of active users enrolled in courses.   Per learner, per use — This lets you opt out of certain software features and pay only for what you use.   Per course — The LMS vendor offers specialized content that’s available through their LMS platform, and pricing combines elements of the per use model with premium prices for specialized content.   Licensing fee — This is a license to install LMS software on-premise, instead of hosted in the cloud. Vendors might ask for an annual payment, even if prices are broken down by month. In the end, it isn’t unusual to pay up to $25,000 per year for a basic learning management system. Additional costs Often, LMS providers charge additional fees for services you’ll need. For example: Implementation Support Maintenance Hosting Annual renewals Customizations Design work Extra features There may also be an initial service fee for creating an account. Implementation Because LMS providers tend to charge for implementation, it might be tempting to consider a DIY approach. But implementing a learning management system is rarely a simple process, and most associations that try to do it themselves end up regretting it. Even with a vendor’s help, implementation can take months. Doing it on your own means pulling valuable internal resources from other work, and for a longer period of time than a vendor-led implementation would take. If your association has never used an LMS before, you’ll probably need all of the support you can get. Ease of Use There’s a reason 25 percent of LMS customers plan to replace their system. Learning management systems are notoriously difficult to use — especially on the backend. While the pricier brands have become more user-friendly in recent years, associations with a limited budget could find themselves frustrated with a clunky system that has a steep learning curve. If you don’t have a highly technical point person to manage the LMS on a daily basis, pay special attention to usability issues. The challenge for organizations is to find a right-sized LMS that is also highly usable and budget friendly. Support There’s a wide range of technical support available for LMS customers, but the support you receive will depend on the LMS vendor and the service level you purchase. Some vendors only provide an online user forum or a basic knowledge base, but others give you white glove treatment. You can avoid unpleasant surprises by having a conversation about post-implementation support during negotiations (some providers provide a different level of support after implementation). Ideally, your association should have a dedicated account manager who is available during business hours. Also look for vendors that provide a wide range of training resources, including videos and in-depth articles. What Else Is There Besides an LMS? For associations that are looking for a simple, efficient, budget-friendly eLearning platform, an LMS may not be your best bet. But there are other options. For many associations, the ideal solution is content delivery with basic interactivity and access control. That’s really all you need to provide valuable continuing education to your members. The content could be a mix of written materials, videos, slide presentations, and interactive information. If that sounds like the kind of content you’re currently providing, then you’re already more than halfway there! The only ingredient you’re missing are integration and content control capabilities — something a good resource hub platform provides. A resource hub is designed to give you a unified experience across all kinds of content, which makes it an attractive solution for online CE. This is exactly what Tizra was designed for. Tizra makes it easy to build beautiful resource hubs that unleash the power of your content. Provide more value, generate more engagement, and deliver more impact with Tizra’s unique combination of search, access management, ecommerce and curation tools. The same kinds of tools that make for a great content experience can also make for a great online learning experience. Continuing education can be an incredibly simple prospect, and it doesn’t always require a learning management system. If you have basic CE needs, a more content-focused approach may be your ideal solution. Our latest whitepaper walks you in detail through the factors to consider before buying an LMS. Don’t make a purchase for your association until you have all the information. view the white paper   Tizra has been the premier provider of content solutions for associations and societies since 2006. We're dedicated to helping organizations use their content to generate more revenue, more engagement, and more impact.   If you're interested in buidling a beautiful resource hub and unleashing the power of your content please get in touch with one of our content strategists.