LMS Tips: July 2007 newsletter for E-Learning and training software

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Launch a Successful e-Learning Initiative

Scott Lehr

July 2007

Many companies have announced new, technology-based initiatives with great fanfare and enthusiasm, only to have the project scrapped before the new system is unveiled and any benefits are actually realized. Sound familiar?

Failure to allocate sufficient resources or lack of planning and organization may be the culprits. However, the more common explanation is that the technology is just too complex, or is designed such that the system implementation and maintenance requirements are inestimable, resulting in a never-ending project.

Unfortunately, some e-Learning software has reached a dead end after proving too cumbersome to actually utilize, despite flashy demonstrations and fleeting ROI commitments. It's no coincidence that the most difficult software solutions are often the most expensive, which leads to wasted resources - precious time and money.

Increase Your Odds

One way of increasing your odds to reach your online training goal is to shift the focus of your software evaluation. Take a closer look at the tools that your system manager and course developers will be using rather than concentrating solely on the end product that your students will see. The right questions up front will save you capital and your reputation in the long-run.

Here are a few items your spotlight should illuminate:

• Are the screens and development tools intuitive?
• Is there a built-in, integrated authoring tool?
• Do features integrate with each other in a common menu or icon structure?
• Is there a common database, or does data have to pass between different architectures?
• Is the software web native?
• Is there a user-friendly reporting capability?
• Does it deliver courses over the Internet, Intranet or Extranet?

Take Ownership

Who will be in charge of your E-Learning project, the training professionals or the technology titans? The right E-Learning software will streamline the processes for the people that will implement and manage your program.

Your online learning system will assist the content developers and training professionals with transforming training material from the classroom to the web. Convert product manuals, procedure guidebooks and other training information, including Word, PowerPoint, HTML, Flash and video to online training to create dynamic, multimedia offerings. Take pride, and ownership, of the E-Learning project knowing you can maneuver the software with ease and simplicity, and without programming or total reliance limited on IT resources.

Once you own the technology, your opportunity for time and capital savings begins. With careful preparation and the best online training product, your project success will be reach for launch.

More Information:  www.FlexTraining.com

THE AUTHOR