Corporate Learning Management Systems

What are Corporate Learning Management Systems?

Corporate learning management systems (LMS) software provides access to online materials and courses for training and development purposes. The two main use cases for corporate LMS software are internal (employee training) and external (customer training). Some corporate learning management systems have built-in ecommerce/billing features, whereas others might integrate with an online storefront.

Courses designed for customer training may be monetized in a couple of different ways. They can be sold to customers in addition to a company’s software product as a training resource, or as a stand-alone product. This may be the case for professional training providers that offer online training courses for complex software, such as Oracle or SAP.

Other corporate learning management systems may be purely designed for distributing courses, managing learners, and reporting on completion and compliance. However, most corporate LMS software includes a set of common tools or capabilities:

• Content authoring tools
• Content library
• Learning pathway tools
• Scheduling features for webinars or offline training
• Reporting and analytics

Some vendors also offer point solutions that focus on course creation, curation, and providing online material from subject matter experts. These are sometimes referred to as learning content management systems (LCMS), and can usually be integrated with corporate LMS software.

Corporate Learning Management Systems vs. Academic Learning Management Systems

Academic LMS software and Corporate LMS software share some common features but are typically used for different purposes. Learning management software focused on education is primarily used by teachers, administrators, and students to organize and manage online learning.

In comparison, Corporate LMS software is used to manage and deliver online training and may be called training management systems or eTraining / eLearning portals. Corporate learning management systems are also related to Talent Management Software, which offers robust corporate learning and training modules.

However, some vendors offer learning management systems that can be used for both corporate and academic learning.

Corporate LMS vs. Training Management Systems

A closely related term is training management. It refers to an interactive course or session led by an instructor. These sessions can be in person or online. In contrast, learning relies on courses with no human instructors and pre-recorded content.

Due to the difference in material, there are typically a few differences between learning management systems and training management systems. For example, training management systems will often have some form of scheduling and reservation management to handle signing up for training sessions. Learning management systems will not have this because most courses can be handled asynchronously.

Corporate LMS vs. Enterprise LMS

Both systems have similar features and functionality. However, enterprise learning management systems tend to emphasize features that help with scaling: Better employee management, more roles or role-specific training, etc. Further discussion of corporate learning management systems' features and which ones are most commonly researched for enterprises can be found here.

Corporate Learning Management Systems vs eLearning Systems

A term that is often associated with corporate LMS is eLearning Systems. However, there are a few key differences between the two. An eLearning system is any piece of software that enables the consumption of eLearning content. As such, eLearning systems is a much broader term. It can refer to software such as Academic LMS and K-12 Online Learning platforms as well as Corporate LMS.

Another key differentiation is that while all Corporate LMS are eLearning systems, that does not necessarily make them eLearning Content Providers. Similarly, it does not necessarily mean that they will have Course Authoring Tools. While many packages and systems have preloaded content and course authoring tools, the extent of both varies widely. Check your specific system for what content and tools are included.

Corporate LMS Features & Capabilities

Most Corporate LMS platforms offer these common features:

• Content creation
• Pre-formatted content customization
• Content library management
• Course management
• Assessment creation and management
• Certification management, particularly for highly-regulated industries
• Video learning
• Performance reporting
• Mobile access
• Employee feedback tools
• Employee performance timelines
• Collaboration tools
• Leaderboard
• Employee engagement data
• E-commerce integration or online storefront

Some learning management software vendors also offer more advanced capabilities such as:

• Social media integration
• Blended learning support
• Live webinar learning
• Gamification tools
• Interactive videos
• Virtual reality (VR) learning headsets
• Course preview capabilities
• Widget integrations

Corporate LMS Software Comparison

To compare different Corporate LMS software, you likely want to consider evaluating these facets of the software:

1. Standalone software vs. HR suite: Do you want a corporate LMS as part of a larger suite to support all your HR functions on one platform, or do you want just the LMS capabilities? Many HR professionals point to the value of unified platforms, but the depth of content, customizability, and support could be deeper with standalone software.
2. Mobile accessibility: Corporate learning has become increasingly mobile, leading mobile accessibility to be an expected feature in more corporate LMS software. However, user experiences in mobile versions can vary. If your user base will make use of mobile learning content, keep a look out for reviews of software's mobile experiences.
3. Compliance support: Corporate LMS software can play a large role in ensuring businesses’ regulatory compliance. This functionality is not universal, and the specific support offered varies. Some common differentiators are automatic notifications and prebuilt compliance-specific reporting, as well as any industry-specific considerations you may have for maintaining compliance.
4. External training: Some corporate LMS software offers training tailored to businesses’ extended partners and customers. Vendors vary in the range of personas they prebuild content for, as well as the presence of support functions like billing.

Start a Corporate LMS comparison

Pricing Information

There are two main pricing models for learning management software: monthly/annual subscriptions, or one-time license fees. Many vendors may also offer a free trial version of their product.

Monthly or annual subscriptions can range from $20 per month up to $100 per month, depending on the breadth of the features. Perpetual license fees are typically much more expensive and can range from $300 to $1,500 depending on the number of features required.

More Resources

• Announcing the Top Rated Corporate LMS for 2019
• 4 Corporate LMS Software Trends in 2020
• What is Corporate LMS?
• Corporate vs. Academic Learning Management Systems
• How to Improve Your eLearning Courses
• Corporate LMS Software Market Update (2021)