Are you in the midst of switching to a new learning management system (LMS)? Or perhaps you are planning to make the switch sooner rather than later? The thought of switching to a new LMS may seem overwhelming, but there are a few steps you can take to make the process a little bit easier. We’ve rounded up a few tips to help you get started.

1. List the pros and cons. What useful tools does your current LMS offer? Create a list of pros including anything that may be valuable to you, whether it is customer interaction tools or seamless system integration. Then, create your list of cons.
2. What expectations do you have? You’ve probably had some sort of LMS for a while now, and that means you have a pretty good idea of what you need and don’t need. Why are you switching to a new LMS and what expectations do you have?
3. List any technical challenges. Before researching vendors and making an LMS switch, what types of technical challenges do you have? Do you have a designated LMS team or an IT staff to help learn and maintain the new system?
4. Browse vendors. Who is the competitor of your existing LMS? Research a few different options – What do they have that your existing LMS does not? Try a free trial or demo to really get a feel for what’s different.
5. Make a plan. In order to switch from one LMS to another, you will need to migrate all content and data over from the existing. You need to make a plan on how, when, and who will do so. Remember, you should have a designated LMS team that will be learning the new LMS, inside and out.
6. Make the switch. Once you have your decision made and your LMS team assembled, it is time to begin the migration of your content, data, and customers!

Choosing an LMS requires lots of planning and research to find the perfect fit for you. Just remember, the whole reason you are switching to a new LMS is for something to that can better fit your needs. With these simple tips, the switch doesn’t have to be so daunting.