The market for e-learning platforms for companies is large, but the requirements are individual. One aspect is always the same: User-friendliness should be at the forefront! Find out now what criteria you should also consider when choosing the right e-learning platform for your company – including a checklist for a quick overview!
Clearly: In 2021, nothing works without e-learning or blended learning! Both small innovative companies and large family-run businesses are gradually transitioning their corporate training to digital measures. Whether microlearning, WBT, or video training – the variety of e-learning methods is vast.
But what criteria should you consider when looking for the right e-learning platform for your company? The following funnel helps to sort through the numerous requirements for a learning platform:
User-friendliness > Framework conditions > Functions
Why User-friendliness is the Top Priority for E-Learning Platforms
An e-learning platform is a tool used by very different people: Whether Werner Köhler from the manufacturing department or Leonie Bachmann from marketing – every employee should be able to use the e-learning platform well. And "using well" is the absolute minimum requirement! If your participants don't even know where to click next, your e-learning has already failed before it even started. Ideally, your e-learning platform is not only "easy to use" but also fun to operate!
Moreover, the e-learning platform should not only be user-friendly for participants but also for course creators. Here, too, the skills and focuses of course creators or administrators can vary widely. Your e-learning platform is suitable if your current and future trainers can use it without special "e-learning training" or a thick manual – and simply enjoy creating courses!
Conclusion: An e-learning platform for companies is user-friendly if
every participant can handle it immediately,
every trainer can create their own courses and content right away,
there is no thick manual needed for application,
everyone involved has fun using it.
5 Framework Conditions for Choosing Your E-Learning Platform
Next, let's discuss important fundamental questions that every HR developer asks when choosing the right e-learning platform for the company:
What budget is available?
In which country should the platform be hosted?
How well should the new platform be integrated with existing products?
Are you looking for an authoring tool or a simple LMS?
What is the support like from the e-learning provider?
Answering these five fundamental questions helps you narrow down the selection of suitable e-learning platforms for your company. Often, the first three questions are already settled, as costs, server hosting, and integration with existing products are usually decided outside of HR development. Additionally, these points are often only clarified in personal discussions with the provider.
Authoring Tool or LMS?
Do you just want to upload content to an e-learning platform and manage the courses there? Then an LMS is a good choice. If you or your trainers want to create content themselves, an authoring tool is often necessary. Since an authoring tool frequently lacks user management, many companies look for several software solutions: An LMS for user management and an authoring tool for content creation.
How good is the support?
Most e-learning platform providers offer support: For technical issues, there is a phone number or email address you can contact. A few providers offer support beyond classic assistance: Customer success is the trend of not only acquiring customers but making them successful in the long term. If you choose an e-learning provider with customer success, your company will receive personal consulting and ongoing support beyond technical questions.
In Conclusion: The Choice of Functions
After you have checked e-learning platform providers for user-friendliness and some framework conditions, you face the question of functionality variety. For this aspect, we can give you the least general advice since each company looks for different applications and thus has very different requirements for functions. However, the general rule is: Don't fixate too much on specific functions, as this greatly limits the choice of an e-learning platform.
However, it helps to consider the following fundamental functions:
Interactivity: How much can participants engage?
Planning: How well can trainers schedule the release of content?
Flexibility: How quickly can trainers make changes?
Measurability: How well can you measure the success of your e-learning? In addition to these typical functional requirements, many companies are currently looking for platforms that offer gamification: Often, a simple quiz is enough to support playful learning. Otherwise, gamification is not a function in the strict sense but rather a method to make e-learning attractive.
Checklist: Choose what is important to you when selecting an e-learning platform for your company!
User-friendliness, framework conditions of the platform, and finally, the variety of functions: What is particularly important to your company in corporate digital training? Download the checklist for free and without barriers with just one click and check it off:
Download: Checklist for suitable e-learning platforms
We hope the checklist helps you in your search for a suitable e-learning platform for your company.
