Elearning - September/October 2008 - (Page 19)

must support the implementation plan, a stakeholder group that is often overlooked is line management. “Without line management support, rolling out the system is an uphill battle,” says Mitnick. Two other factors contribute to an effective LMS implementation: >>Ease of use. If the technology is cumbersome or not intuitive to use, the roll-out will be extremely difficult. Proper testing is equally important. “If there are many problems after roll-out, credibility is lost and will be difficult to get back,” says Mitnick. “Credibility will also be lost if reports are inaccurate. In the final analysis, key management only sees the LMS through its reports. If they are inaccurate, people will stop running them.” >>Involving a consultant. “IT departments don’t always view LMS implementation as a critical project and rely on HR personnel to manage it,” says Hearn. “Yet these systems are as complex as any enterprise software and require considerable knowledge and skill, and without the involvement of an IT professional, the risk of failure is great.” ‘Have all short-listed vendors do the same demo so you’re comparing apples to apples.’ —Consultant Paul Mitnick A simple measure of success is how quickly the organization is off the old system and using the new one. Ultimately, the most crucial yardstick is whether or not the goals of the original requirements have been accomplished. YOUR NEXT LMS Mitnick’s initial research included attendance at a seminar on implementing LMS’s. He was stunned to discover that many of the participants were installing their third or fourth system, and one company was up to its seventh. Curious about the high incidence of failure, he asked around and discovered one reason, above all, which they all had in common: They had purchased systems without first taking the time to figure out what they needed. To find the last LMS you’ll ever need, base your selection on a thorough analysis of goals and requirements. It should meet all current needs and be flexible enough to accommodate training innovations that may emerge in the foreseeable future. —Alice Shepherd is a Southern Californiabased business-to-business journalist specializing in training and development topics. For further information, visit www.tradepress services.com or telephone (805) 496-8850. For further information on GeoMetrix Data Systems, telephone (800) 616-5409, e-mail info@trainingpartner.com or visit the Website www.trainingpartner.com. Elearning! September/October 2008 19 http://www.tradepressservices.com http://www.tradepressservices.com http://www.trainingpartner.com http://www.tellmemore.com/corporate http://www.tellmemore.com/corporate

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Elearning - September/October 2008

Elearning - September/October 2008 Contents Editor’s Note News IBM Goes Green Green Resources Deals Trendlines Learning Leader Up to Speed Cover Story: Going Green The Green Mindset? Cutting Down Turnover Tips: EET Case Study: Pacific Pulmonary Services Case Study: British Telecom Case Study: Allianz SE Case Study: LXR Case Study: St. Elizabeth Tips: Green Initiatives New Products LMS Tools Pop Quiz Last Word

Elearning - September/October 2008

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