Published on November 16th, 2019 | by Sunit Nandi

How to Get the Most out of your LMS Free Trial

LMS is the short form for the Learning Management System; this web-based application is employed to assess various aspects of the learning process. The virtual market is filled with options, and you can choose the right software according to your needs. You can find genuine and trusted vendors online.

Infographic credits: E-learning by Course For Me

However, as the availability increases, so does the confusion. The question that haunts the customer is whether or not they should ask for a demo? The answer to this question is yes. Another most frequently asked question is how to get the most out of the LMS free trial? The answer is given below.

Never Skip a free trial

Every product has some perks as well as issues, and you get to know them once you try them yourself. Through the medium of a free trial, companies allow you to access a part of their product. A demo helps you to decide if a product is suitable for the needs of an organization.

If you buy the software only to realize that it doesn’t help you to tackle the problems of the company, then you end up losing a lot of money and your precious time. Demo also provides you with a chance to discuss your concerns with the professionals, and they can guide you better to find what you are looking for.

Establish a team

It is advisable to create a group of people who will be operating the learning management system in the future. You should include some people from all the departments to ensure fair representation. It will help them to understand how a system functions and other troubleshooting tips.

This will also help them to select the perfect system for the company that provides a window for the employees to enhance their skillset and grow professionally. Please make one team and stick to it, instead of creating different groups to assess different software.

Schedule a preliminary trial

It is possible that you have no idea what you want from a system and it is entirely reasonable, as the system is relatively new to people and only a few know about it. Setting up a preliminary trial can allow you to better understand the needs and problems the organisation is facing.

You might feel pressured that you might waste your demo period and unable to focus on the applicability of the product. You should keep in mind that you can ask for another trial. Don’t think that you have ruined an opportunity; take it in this way that now you have made it easier for yourself.

Make a list of desired features

The number of features a system has to offer depends on your price range. If you like a feature, but it is out of your previous devised budget, then you need to discuss with your team if it is necessary to buy that feature.

Some of the features that you can choose from are:

Data migration
Customised reporting
Social media support
Collaborative learning tools
Built-in gamification tools
Personalised learning paths
Brand integration

Assess the trial

A trial period is generally two to four weeks long; it varies from vendor to vendor. You can start slow by focusing on some essential features one at a time. You can get the hang of the software by incorporating it into the daily functioning of the company.

You can ask your team of testers to rate the various features of the product. This can significantly simplify the process of selection. You can access the system by developing a tool kit; it includes having a few dummy users and course content. Ask the vendor if he provides access in the way that you can derive the results of your tool kit. It can help you set realistic expectations about the product.

Clear your doubts

Surf the internet and be ready with some basic queries that you have about a particular system. It is better to have a uniformity of questions to all the vendors that you wish to try. Combine that knowledge with new information from your preliminary trial. You are allowed to question the vendor if you don’t understand a part or process.

An essential thing to check about your vendor is their services, including the customer support system. You can find their other customers and ask for feedback about the services once the deal is done. You should observe how the vendor reacts to your questions, for instance, if he gets annoyed or not.

Tags: free trial, get most out of, how to, LMS

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.