March 10th, 2010 by Learning Systems

As any company with an outsourced extension knows, business process outsourcing (BPO) can involve certain risks. Security, disconnect, lack of motivation, and unforeseen costs are just a few. However, learning management systems (LMS) can help mitigate these risks by creating a more centralized training system, in which all employees are trained to execute the same processes. In doing so, outsourced extensions of a company are able to operate in a more unified and parallel way, and avoid the traps that so many outsourcing organizations fall into.

What are some of the risks involved in business process outsourcing, and how can a learning management system prevent them? For starters, there can be some security risks involved. Outsourcing an Information System, for instance, might be a risky venture. If an information system is being controlled overseas, this could involve not only privacy issues, but communication problems. Learning management system training content that covers these challenges and prepares employees and managers to handle them can stop these issues from arising in the first place.

Another risk is a disconnect between you and your outsourced extension. For that reason, a strong learning management system course that deals with compliance training topics such as communication strategies and specific processes is key.

Solid LMS training for managers is an essential implementation for BPO extensions. For example, a course in project management could help your managers review project management processes, project and team cycles, and evaluation and improvement techniques. A project management course is able to orient both staff and managers to the functions and tools needed for successful management.

Another kind of course with great benefits for managers in an outsourced post is a course that covers team dynamics and staff motivation. While most managers would agree that staff motivation is a critical element of managerial duties, many do not actually practice effective motivation, and are in the dark as to what kinds of strategies, techniques, and theories factor in. A course training managers on what kind of motivation strategies actually work, and how to implement them, is a strong preventative measure against BPO risks such as a changing attitude among employees or low employee morale.

BPO works best when all employees are trained uniformly using an LMS that delivers effective and repeatable training programs. It’s also important that the LMS training is easy to update to address extension-specific matters and new developments in a company.

This is another reason why online training is an effective risk-preventative measure: the fact that it is easy to update and deliver immediately, when you need it. In the past, when training was handled with instructional books and booklets, or with pdf and power point documents, the process of updating training was often a slow and painstaking one. An LMS training program is essential in providing staff with the most up-to-date information.

When you use online training technology like learning management systems to train employees in BPO positions, you’re thinking progressively for your company. Think about it. The person you’re training–especially for outsourced HR positions–just might be the one in charge of administering a very similar kind of training someday. When that day comes, having had experience with LMS training, they will be in an ideal position to help others along in the process, and deliver the training effectively.

In order to reap the benefits of business process outsourcing, the risks involved must be foreseen and prevented using the resources available to companies. One last risk is the underestimation of running costs for outsourced extensions. Cost-effective LMS training solutions can help lower the costs of BPO as well as take care of a number of other problems before they even arise.

March 1st, 2010 by Learning Systems

Business process outsourcing is fast becoming the norm among large-scale companies and businesses, and offers some outstanding benefits. But it can also be a complicated venture, which is why strong LMS or other online company training is crucial for organizing and training employees whose work is outsourced.

Business process outsourcing (BPO) refers specifically to the contracting of business processes to a third-party service provider, instead of having them performed inside the company. It can involve the outsourcing of basic business functions like human resources or finances and accounting (back office outsourcing). Or, it can include customer-related services like contact centers and user support teams (front office outsourcing). Offshore, nearshore, knowledge process, and legal process outsourcing are four sub-segments of business process outsourcing.

Of course, business process outsourcing (especially off- or near-shore) can save organizations a great deal of money. Everything from labor to overhead costs like electricity and water bills becomes cheaper. However, it also means that it becomes increasingly important that employees are part of a supportive and efficient training system, in order to ensure successful distance team work.

BPO is nothing new. Outsourcing itself can be traced to as early as the 1830’s, when the U.S. commissioned workers in Scotland to build ship sales and wagon covers. By the 1970’s many computer companies were outsourcing their payroll preparation systems to different financial offices who offered these services. Manufacturing companies like Coca-Cola also began to use business process outsourcing, and more and more businesses caught on to the trend as the 70’s passed. By 1980, almost all company accounting tasks, as well as other kinds of work, were being sent outside company walls.

In relation to the frequency of business process outsourcing taking place, companies are paying greater attention to their learning management system training and other online training systems. Everyone wants to secure a process that works for his or her company, to reduce the cost of training by finding a customized solution and making it both adaptable and repeatable.

It’s never been uncommon for organizations to outsource content development, such as learning programs, management and company training, including tasks such as the production of books, training materials, videos, and other educational materials.  LMS vendors offer benefits such as flexibility, customization, and cost-effectiveness to organizations using BPO.

In the past, before learning management systems and other online training systems, training employees was a more decentralized process. Oftentimes, companies could not even be sure how much money they were spending on training across their enterprise. The process varied widely from group to group, and company to company.

Companies who use business process outsourcing can save money if they are able to centralize and repeat the process of training. This is where learning management systems are useful, since they allow users to create and deliver customized training solutions. Companies can make training their own, integrated with their logo and corporate color scheme. Learning management systems that use a pay-per-use business model make it easy to load and reload learning content as required for relevant, up-to-date training. This model allows organizations to help employees gain the skills and knowledge required in exactly the period of time necessary.

February 25th, 2010 by Learning Systems

When shopping around for a learning management system that perfectly fits the needs of your organization, you might consider seeking the help of an LMS consultant. Consultants can help you sort out all the nitty gritty in your decision-making process, bringing years of experience in the LMS industry to your aid.

They are able to determine your company’s requirements for the system and review proposals and demonstrations of each vendor. Consultants can cut down on the amount of effort you’ll need to spend and can show you how each vendor meets or doesn’t meet your LMS requirements. They are able to highlight concerns and issues that might otherwise go unidentified.

Of course, whether or not you choose to hire a learning management system consultant, your first step to securing the perfect LMS is to decide on your organization’s needs. Consider a few different issues. First, determine the scale. How many students and other users will you be catering to? Consider the number of learners, courses, trainers, sessions, and administrators involved.

Second, what do you need your LMS to do? What do you need to track? These might be courses, grades, attendance and so on. Find out whether or not you need your LMS to be standards compliant (SCORM, IMS, etc.).

Third, consider your distribution plan. Will you be using your LMS only internally, or will you want it to have e-commerve capabilities? Will you need automatic billing?

Get straight on all the details before choosing an LMS. Learning management systems come in all sizes and meet a variety of requirements, so ensure that you have one in mind that covers all the bases you see fit.

A fourth consideration: should your LMS be connected to other systems within your company? Should it be able to export data to other systems?

The fifth issue is a critical one. What kind of support will you need? Does your organization have a strong IT department which will be able to meet any tech-related issues that may arise while using the LMS? And finally, does LMS you are considering provide reliable and 24-hour support to users?

Sixth, take into account your organizational needs in respect to organizing the training. LMSs have evolved to provide not only online education and training, but also to meet organizations’ planning and procedural needs. Ensure that these functions will be sustainable throughout the development of your organization.

Oftentimes, choosing an LMS forces companies to take a hard look at their approach to corporate training. For example, you may discover that you need to redefine some of your business processes, or even redesign your course delivery methods.

A learning management system should be both flexible and scalable. Too often organizations implement a LMS that works for a while, but as the organization grows, the LMS no longer meets its needs. LMSs should help you grow, so be sure to select an LMS that will grow with you.

Having a handle on what each LMS offers is a clear first step in deciding on which one you would like to employ. A consultant can help you answer the questions, “Does this LMS provide all the features we need?” Different LMSs offer a wide variety of functions including video, text, audio, assessment and quiz, gaming, podcast, and other tools to make your online training effective and interactive.

However, beyond making sure that your chosen LMS has everything you need, you should also consider any function the system provides that you actually won’t need. In many cases, you’re paying for all those extra features in addition to the actually useful ones. Of course, neat extra features might seem cool to have, but do you really need them? In order to prevent paying more for your LMS than you need to, it’s wise not to choose on an LMS with lots of bells and whistles that you will never actually employ.

But do check out the unique tools and functionalities offered by each LMS, and contact a few vendors to ask them to demo their LMS. Be sure that the learning management system has everything you need, and that the demo is able to illustrate your company’s requirements.

February 23rd, 2010 by Learning Systems

The Learning Management System is currently taking the lead in helping over a thousand companies to use in their application processes. There are some who find it a relief to acquire such program and there are a lot of people who commends the computer based training program as convenient and user-friendly. Here are some more reasons why it is very important to acquire this type of software for your organization.

First of the advantages that Learning Management System can provide is that it has a comprehendible course management feature. Anyone or people who are not that equipped with such knowledge regarding high end technologies can easily comprehend every single detail of the process being assessed as the system can sort and organize courses and lessons.

You may have noticed a lot of companies have already adapted this kind of system online. It is just in your discretion on which one has caught your interest or which system provides you better outputs. However, it does not matter what company you select. Comparing it to traditional ways of learning programs, it is better by a mile. Your stressful task has just been solved through these types of programs.

These programs are generated through hard works of the best programmers and developers in the world. They were able to come up with various courses from a set of fields ranging from health, education, computer courses or accounting and other. An organization has the option to choose the specific field they are interested to deal with in this type of technique.

Learning Management System also manages to have a systematic compilation and organized documentation of ever course and lecture a company or an organization has, which makes it easier to understand. Not only that, it is more convenient for people as they can allocate time by considering their pacing in understanding the course. Bid farewell to piles of lecture notes as Learning Management System do everything for you by not compensating the knowledge you would be getting from the program.

With the best things Learning Management System could provide, it just proves why it is leading the current trend of computer based training programs that companies and organizations love to use.

February 16th, 2010 by Learning Systems

Two ways that learning management system courses can enrich content and heighten the provided learning experience is with the incorporation of web 2.0 tools and speech technologies. Web 2.0 tools are ubiquitous and fun, and when used correctly, can increase the amount of interactivity for more effective and exciting learning.

That said, the challenges companies and institutions using a learning management system (LMS) often face in integrating web 2.0 technologies in their courseware are numerous. Although both training and educational courses can benefit greatly from incorporating such tools into their programs, the interruptions and distractions often prevent them from being very effective.

Blogs, social networks, discussion boards, wikis, VoIP technology (Skype et al) and podcasts are just a few great tools that more organizations and schools are incorporating into their online learning programs.

It’s a big web 2.0 world with great potentiality for interaction between students and trainees. However, distractions like advertisements are just one downside–especially for schools. When choosing which web 2.0 tools to implement in your online course or training program, choose tools that respect your users. Ads like those used on MySpace are an unfortunate aspect of many social networking and other sites. On MySpace’s login page, for example, it’s nearly impossible to locate the login box in the sea of hypnotically moving ads. But sites like Google and Facebook allow only less aggressive advertisements.

One might argue that difficult economic times make such obtrusive ads more permissible. However, not everyone does it. Companies like Google embody the spirit of user respect and ingenuity, proving that it isn’t necessary to resort to big, obnoxious ads. How does Facebook do it? Creatively, and soliciting the voluntary action of its users.

Facebook uses what it calls “engagement ads” to invite users to comment on videos, attend an event, or send a virtual gift. For instance, last year on election day, Ben & Jerry’s bought an ad that allowed users to send a virtual ice cream cone to their friends, advertising its offer of a real cone to anyone who voted. The ingenuity of social networking sites is the voluntary activity they prompt, and advertising is no exception on Facebook.

Distractions aside, most web 2.0 tools allow learning management system users to have a more interactive and dynamic learning experience.

An LMS offers a host of functions to organize employee and student learning experiences, all without having to pay for gas. And whether it’s in real space or cyberspace, most people would agree that speech is much preferred to typing. An LMS can be integrated with social software programs to give employees a virtual space for collaboration and training practice.

Speech synthesis programs like text-to-speech (TTS) and speech recognition programs are another exciting development to watch unfold. The quality of TTS continues to outshine speech recognition, but recent advancements in speech recognition technologies such as Google’s show a lot of promise. Of course, a functional TTS program is invaluable in meeting the needs of visually impaired learning management system users. But the ability to hear any text that appears on one’s screen is an incredible tool not only for the visually impaired, but for all students.

Speech recognition, however, is the newest hot topic with Google’s newly announced plan to combine Google Voice with Google Translate. Imagine a world in which English abilities are not the be-all and end-all in order to communicate with fellow trainees and students across oceans. Being able to talk seamlessly with people from other countries is an exciting prospect indeed, not only for the development of web 2.0 tools, learning management systems, and online education, but for greater global cooperation on a whole.

February 16th, 2010 by Learning Systems

The Learning Management System portal was able to produce different short courses related to different fields – business, accounting, government, and even law. But, nowadays, more and more fields are using a LMS to deliver training and as a result, the continuing education in healthcare is made readily available through online courses as well.

Each and every single day, different discoveries related to medicine are being found, and progress is being made by science. It is important for nurses, and everybody in the field of medicine to be informed about these different advancements. Seminars were quite a wonderful way to do that. What if there is not time to attend seminars? Learning Management System programs are already available, vast in the market to make people’s lives easier.

Okay, here’s a deeper explanation, if you are still quite confused why it has to be continuing education courses. Although it is not necessarily required, it helps people in the field of medicine to take these short courses. It is indeed true; the knowledge that people have learned since college is required while caring for the patients. It is true that there are books to give information just in case you are lost. You may even refer to the Internet for latest health news. However, Learning Management Systems can now offer everything with a click.

Sometimes, these health and new science news does not cover everything that you need to know related to your field. Sometimes, the information given might be a bit vague, which may cause more confusion for you. But, with these learning courses online, more nurses would get the chance to have all the information that they need and sign up for continuing education short courses any time of the day.

It has been noticed universities that offer the continuing education short courses were able to produce registered nurses. Learning Management Systems not only provide great information or merely provide information that is not discussed through books. Online continuing education courses also increase the effectiveness of a student to pass the board exam – and gives further information to nurses who are currently taking up a Post graduate degree. Since the students and nurses can get the chance to choose the time that they can review these courses, it will be a lot easier for the information to sink in. And also, similar to short online courses related to business, government, accounting and finance, continuing education via a Learning Management System also provides an interactive interface where everyone can go back to the previous discussions, and even answer all of the exercises provided.

It is indeed no doubt that these continuing education course plays an important role when it comes to providing recent information to nursing students, nurses and people in the related field – and relay all these information in an effective manner. Also, did you know that for those people who are trying to renew their nursing licenses, the continuing education courses are also recommended by most experts? It is indeed true; that there is nothing else more wonderful than the Learning Management System and more effective when it comes to continuing health care education courses.

February 12th, 2010 by Learning Systems

Over a thousand companies and organizations have chosen Learning Management System for quite a few reasons. Some say they are really relived that there is such an application, and some people comment that they are quite convenient and are easy to use. There are actually top ten reasons why it is essential to have this kind of software – that is if you haven’t got one for your organization yet.

Among all the top ten reasons, the most popular reason why it is recommended to use this kind of program is because it provides an easy course management feature. What does this necessarily entail? Basically, this feature of the Learning Management System simply states that a child or someone taking up a short course can easily understand each and every single concept because the system can actually divide and have all the courses well organized.

Well, there are different companies offering this kind of system online, it is up to you whether which one catches your attention and which system can answer to all of your needs. But, no matter from what company you choose, definitely, it is a lot better compared to the normal hands on or even paper test and course lectures. So, if you would ask, how does a Learning Management System provide all of your needs and have it organized at the same time? You may think that it may be quite stressful, or even a hassle. Definitely, it will go the other way around.

Most of these systems were developed by great, if not great, the best programmers in the world, these developers were able to come up with different courses coming from different fields – health, accounting, education, or even a short computer course. With this, an organization may be able to choose which particular field they are interested - something that is related to their line of industry.

The Learning Management System has the following features, which enables each and every company or organization to have their courses, or lectures more organized and even easier to understand.

People would not have to leave their homes and have to struggle through the traffic while carrying a pen and even a notebook for training. Course takers may simply use the wonders of innovation and technology and have everything laid out to them without all these paper works. Say goodbye to a mountain pile of notes for lecture – say goodbye to confusing notes, and even struggle to write everything that is being discussed. The Learning Management System is definitely a paperless environment, wherein students can go back to the previous lectures just in case something is not clearly discussed.

Since this is an online course, this kind of system has texts and sometimes audio that comes along with the course. That way, trainees won’t be able to doze off, and even become more interested because of the interface. As a matter of fact, aside from being organized, many researches have already been conducted and had been proved that this kind of learning system is more effective compared to the traditional learning system course.

With the wonders Learning Management System could offer, it is so precise and there is no doubt why a lot of organizations are going into this kind of learning course.

February 8th, 2010 by Learning Systems

Although there’s no denying that the education trend (not only online learning via learning management systems, but non-virtual learning as well) has shifted toward an independent, self-guided mode, people still require incentives to learn just about anything. For this reason and others, monitoring trainees’ learning processes is critical.

Despite the widespread pedagogical pressure to believe the contrary, intentional learning doesn’t happen for most people. Or perhaps it does in some areas, but not for all kinds of content. Of course, anyone can get excited about learning a particular skill or topic that interests them. There’s no need to keep tabs on a teenager’s learning of their new video game, for example. The intention already exists.

But the hard truth is that although company training certainly can be fun and engaging, it’s often not centered around the most exciting topics trainees can imagine.

At its core, learning is about always wanting something. For people in a classroom setting, that something may be good grades. In a company training session or learning management system (LMS) course, the desired objective may include rewards for good performance, or simple verbal encouragement and acclaim.

People of all ages–both children and adults–are typically responsive to simple words of encouragement from a respected superior. Along with a user-friendly training program with its own system of points and rewards, employees benefit greatly from human motivation. A leader who motivates trainees not only facilitates the learning process, but instills a sense of team unity, which improves work relationships.

But beyond encouragement from a supervisor or training leader, another way to aid effective training is to monitor student progress. Some LMSs have features like the Activities monitor, which helps solve a problem all too prevalent in online training. The Activities tool makes simple the administrative responsibility of overseeing and guiding students in their learning process. It provides training administrators with a simple tool to track, in real time, the online course activities of students through a tab in the LMS interface.

The Activities feature serves a practical purpose. Using the feature, administrators can track student activities to find out where each one is exceeding, and in what areas extra attention may be required.

Monitoring trainees with the aid of a feature like Activities helps ensure that students are actually absorbing the content they are learning. Why is this important? First of all, ensuring training effectiveness saves organizations and educators valuable time and energy. In what ways? Many–and each depending on the kind of training you’re delivering.

On the other hand, some kinds of training may not necessarily benefit from such a feature. For example, training material given to new employees, teaching them the ins and outs of their new position, may not cry for a feature that monitors student progress in such an active way. After all, newcomers to an organization are typically excited about their new job–they want to learn. They are intentional learners.

With compliance training, however, that story changes. Here organizations save money in the long run if they ensure successful training. Conflict can be avoided, and employees can be protected. And of course, productivity is always increased when employees are well educated on workplace issues which are meant to facilitate communication and prevent conflict.

Automated tracking of learning allows trainers and educators to concentrate on teaching and administering content. Trainers can focus on the content and guiding student interaction with the material, rather than actively keeping tabs on them.

However, the most effective way to ensure that learning is taking place is the existence of a strong and engaging training course. It’s not enough to create satisfactory content, get it out there, and expect students to eat it up. A complete and flexible learning management system which provides a variety of robust features is the best way to create content that entices all learners to become intentional ones.