Without a doubt the LMS and online training industry has grown significantly over the years – and there aren’t any signs of it slowing down any time soon. With that being said, what types of buyer trends have we seen throughout 2014 and how will those change into next year? Based on the latest report by Software Advice, we’ve rounded up a few top LMS buyer trends in 2014 and included how the DigitalChalk platform compares. Let’s take a look.

• Over 36% of prospective buyers were using manual methods to train their employees, 10% had no training system in place, and 32% already had an LMS in place.
• The majority of buyers that were replacing their current LMS were seeking more functionality, hoped to consolidate current systems and improve efficiency. All in all, they were unsatisfactory with their current system.
• First-time LMS buyers were also seeking a system with more features, while mainly wanting to replace manual methods, streamline the process, and improve efficiency.
• The top 3 features on LMS buyers’ wish lists: 1) the ability to upload and store existing training content, 2) track training progress, and 3) reporting capabilities.
• 76% of buyers preferred web-based software, to give trainers and trainees the ability to access the LMS remotely from any device.
• More than half of the LMS buyers had goals of implementing the new LMS within less than 3 months.

• While all business sizes can benefit from an LMS, the majority of buyers were from companies with 101-1,000 employees.
• Many buyers are in a variety of highly regulated industries; healthcare and manufacturing companies are the most common.

How does DigitalChalk compare?

DigitalChalk’s LMS platform has the most preferred features by LMS buyers: the ability to upload and store existing training content, track training progress, pull thousands of custom reports, and much more.

Although most businesses with 101-1,000 employees make up the majority of LMS buyers, DigitalChalk can accommodate all company types and sizes. Perhaps you are just starting up or have 5,000 trainees – it doesn’t matter to DigitalChalk.

Are you one of those buyers that require trainers and trainees to have 24/7 remote access? Lucky for you, DigitalChalk has exactly that – a web-based software platform with 24/7 anytime, anywhere access.

Commentary
Software Advice, a company that helps LMS buyers determine which systems are best for their needs, recently analyzed data from a random sample of interactions with LMS buyers in 2013. The company found that 53 percent of buyers were looking for an LMS system that could help them track employee trainings and award certificates upon completion of courses. Meanwhile, almost a third of buyers (28 percent) noted they wanted a system that would allow them to administer tests to employees. – Erin Osterhaus, HR Market Researcher at Software Advice

All data courtesy of Software Advice.