How to Choose the Right SAAS Learning Management System?

SaaS Training Program

Companies are switching from hosting to SaaS learning management systems. They give you an unmatched level of control while being significantly simpler to adopt and utilize. For the most part, we put our trust in the cloud to store many important things in our daily lives.

Today’s youth use hoverboards, our iPhones have facial recognition capabilities, and self-driving automobiles are available to the general public. It has undoubtedly demonstrated its power over the past 10 years, so L&D teams can now deliver learning to a broader audience than before. Discover what SaaS LMSs are, how they differ from hosted LMSs and our top 5 selections for 2022.

SAAS – What is it?

Software as a Service (SaaS), like iCloud, Google Cloud, or Verizon cloud, stores and hosts your data in the cloud. The cloud lets us access daily essentials. With the cloud, you may store and access data online. This shared software makes e-learning and cloud-hosted LMS solutions user-friendly and high-quality.

Hosted LMS

Physical servers used by hosted LMSs require manual updates and upgrades to their components. You must manually download and install any necessary software or hardware onto your devices while using these solutions. SaaS learning management systems can be substituted with hosted LMS. To access training courses, you must first install hardware or software on your device.

It is frequently observed that this “old school” method of delivering online instruction necessitates extra upkeep. You must manually complete all required maintenance and updates after the software has been installed. Additionally, you are paying for hosting plans for various plugins, scripts, and video content.

SaaS LMS

Instead of being self-hosted on-site, a SaaS LMS is a learning management system hosted in the cloud. In other words, if the internet is the sky, then the LMS SaaS can be compared to a cloud. However, “cyberspace” hosts and retains your files and data, not ice crystals or water droplets.

The cloud is accessible to everyone at any time. They will therefore be able to quickly access your LMS from any location, at any time of the day, if you are creating training for a team or audience that is widely dispersed.

What makes SaaS LMS more well-liked?

• Costs You Can Control

  This is the first benefit that prospective LMS buyers see. Since most SaaS LMSs have little to no setup costs, the initial cost (base price) is typically low, and you also save time on tasks like installation and troubleshooting. Additionally, you are aware of your monthly payment obligations.

• Rapid Setup

  LMS as a service is very easy and quick to roll out. Everything is ready to use because the LMS is hosted in the cloud and has already been set up. Therefore, the deployment takes only a few minutes after you sign up and submit your criteria.

• Scalability

  The SaaS LMS’s limitless growth potential is a beneficial feature. It will scale with you without any or little involvement from your end, even if you suddenly have 10 times as many users. In addition, the number of training courses, materials, and instructors you can add to the system is also unrestricted.

• Effortless Maintenance

  You won’t have to stress about resolving issues or other technological hiccups with routine maintenance if you use a cloud LMS. While you concentrate on educating your users, most LMS providers have a large team of IT support personnel on hand to handle these problems and routine software updates.

• Flexibility

  A clear benefit of having a cloud LMS is that users can access it on any device and from any location. An internet connection is a sole prerequisite. LMS as a service offers flexibility like no hosted LMS can when it comes to accessibility with respect to time and geography.

• Effortless Use

  Since they are made for an audience that wants to use them right away, SaaS LMSs have a minimal learning curve. Additionally, the vendor typically handles much of the complexity, such as setup and maintenance, making your job even more accessible.

  A robust SaaS LMS will also guarantee Ease of performance monitoring and results tracking, Full automation of the learning process, improved user retention through gamification and other interactive learning features, and security and adherence to regulations like the GDPR.

• Integrations

  Even a powerful LMS can’t operate in isolation. To run in unison with other crucial business operations within the firm, it must be able to communicate with other essential software, such as your CRM, billing software, and subscription tool. To accomplish comprehensive operations, look for an LMS that allows for simple interaction with your current software.

How to Choose the Best SaaS LMS?

Check out this checklist to help you choose the most acceptable option for your company now that you know the LMSs available in the current eLearning market. Start by posting the following inquiries to yourself:

• Do I need course authoring skills, or is my course content already created?
• Will SCORM packages for my course be released?
• Is there any synchronous, in-class material in my course, or is it entirely self-paced?
• The SaaS LMS supports mobile devices. Is there a native mobile app available?
• What kinds of APIs and interfaces with third parties will I require?
• Does the SaaS LMS vendor offer illuminating analytics and reporting?
• Do I need to have the ability to create my course content, or is it already available?

Your platform’s structure and functionality should match the information on it. For example, consider that you have already created a set of courses that take advantage of all available multimedia (e.g., PDFs, text, images, audio, and video). You will then require an LMS to handle these files and their sizes.

However, if you require an LMS with course-building features, you must confirm that it provides the necessary content authoring features (e.g., a course editor, quiz builder, etc.).

Will SCORM packages for my course be released?

Your SaaS LMS system should comply with technical eLearning standards like SCORM, xAPI, cmi5, or AICC to track trainee progress and performance. SCORM is the most widely used standard in the eLearning sector and is widely supported by modern software solutions. Therefore, picking a platform that promotes SCORM is crucial.

Is my course synchronous, in-class component, or is it entirely self-paced?

While many firms choose asynchronous learning, where all instruction is delivered entirely online and at the student’s own pace, many others prefer a mix of online and in-person instruction (i.e., blended learning). Therefore, you must ensure that your SaaS LMS offers the necessary technologies, such as integrated or external web conferencing capabilities, class scheduling functionality, etc.

Does the SaaS LMS support mobile devices? Is there a native mobile app available?

More people than ever are working. Convenience and flexibility are therefore essential variables in course completion and learner success. So, your LMS needs to be compatible with mobile devices. Some of the top SaaS LMS providers even include native mobile apps that enable employees to learn while on the go.

What kind of third-party connectors and APIs will I require?

Examine the list of APIs and integrations offered by the SaaS LMS provider before picking it. For instance, you might need to use marketing tools like MailChimp to send automated emails if you intend to advertise and earn money from your courses in the future. If you’re educating personnel, you’ll probably require features that let the LMS seamlessly interact with your company’s internal systems and client management and payment vendor integrations like Stripe.

Can you get insightful data and analytics from the SaaS LMS vendor?

One of the most crucial aspects to look for is the capacity to evaluate learner success and development across various measures. Because of this, most SaaS LMSs include a reporting and analytics component. But not all of them are alike. For example, you’ll need essential statistics on your trainees, their grades, and course completion rates to identify strong and weak points in your training programs. In addition, you will require reporting and analytics that track sales and learner success if you intend to sell online courses.

List of 5 top SaaS LMSs

• Paradiso LMS
• Canvas LMS
• Docebo
• Nimble LMS
• Loop LMS

Final thoughts

With fewer hassles, SaaS LMSs give you greater control over the training content and delivery. Learning management systems that are SaaS-based are more affordable, simpler to use, and provide more flexibility and time savings.

Additionally, they are better suited for a future forward learning strategy that utilizes the cloud and functions similarly to the rest of our technology.

It’s time to think about where you want your future-friendly learning software to reside as your learning progresses. It is time to end the hosted LMS, which served as a solid home for the initial learning management system.

If you would like to know more about the SaaS Learning Management System and how the LMS as a service can help transform your training outcomes cost-effectively, contact us today!