Five Key Considerations to Selecting an Association LMS Company

We’ve noticed that among many organizations, a primary focus for their RFPs is to ensure that the platform selected meets a defined set of requirements. The review process of narrowing down a list of providers, tends to be based on which companies can satisfy those requirements.  The company you will be working with is typically a secondary consideration, but should it be?  Here are five considerations when identifying the ideal company to support your LMS platform.

1. How has the company developed and evolved?
   • Have they grown organically over many years and have an established staff with a long tenure? Alternatively if the LMS was part of an acquisition, how was it handled?  After the transition, did a core group stay on to provide continuity?   Has the mission or focus changed?  Companies that are home grown tend to have a more singular focus on the client and not worried about politics and mixing in with other internal forces.
2. Do they have a positive culture?
   • Do you sense that their staff is happy and fulfilled?  The platform you are selecting is the tangible component of your decision, however the relationship you are establishing will most likely be, at minimum a few years.  So like any relationship, is this a company that you feel confident and comfortable engaging with on a regular basis?
3. Does the company have a reputation for listening to client ideas or requests and incorporating that input in their development process?
   • The set of features within the LMS you are selecting is a moment in time.  This is not necessarily an indication of what the platform will be like a year from now, or multiple years from now.  It’s important to learn about how the platform will evolve and whether the company will take your future online education needs into consideration when making these updates. 
4. How are their reviews?
   • Some of the best platform feedback and advice that your organization can receive are client reviews.  We have found that ReviewMyLMS is an excellent source of information because it focuses specifically on the association community.  It recognizes that the way association LMS options are evaluated is different than other markets.
5. What complimentary solutions does the company offer that can bring value to your organization?
   • Are there additional services that can extend the effectiveness of your platform, such as, instructional design, course development, livestreaming, content capture and webinar production?  Being able to work with an all-in-one company on content and the LMS platform reduces complexity and leads to a more seamless result.

We all understand that a priority is selecting an LMS platform that will meet specific feature requirements.  However, it’s also important to consider that the company you sign a contract with can have a profound impact on the platform’s future success.