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Time is precious. So, when you want to find the best learning platform for your organization, how do you narrow the field as quickly as possible?
I often talk about the benefits of defining your requirements. But in a world where more than 1000 solutions are constantly vying for attention, your shortlisting strategy is just as important. Why?
A viable shortlist makes software selection faster, easier, and more effective. That’s because it prepares you to start evaluating a narrower group of qualified vendors early in the buying process.
No one wants to waste time trying to figure out what every vendor in the world does. But if you aren’t careful upfront as a buyer, you’re likely to face all sorts of unwanted consequences.
Too many teams get stuck in a mind-numbing cycle of sales calls, or they’re constantly updating requirements, or chasing an endless stream of vendor references. I’ve seen these situations all too often. And I know they’re avoidable.
In today’s complex, fluid LMS landscape, your best bet is to zoom in on a handful of vetted systems designed to meet your organization’s needs. But all shortlisting tools aren’t created equal. So, what kind of resources get the best results?
Join me as I share my best advice on this Customer Ed Nuggets mini-podcast…
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6 Helpful LMS Shortlisting Tools
For a faster route to your best learning solution, let me introduce you to our collection of free research-based resources…
1. Learning Systems RightFit Grid
At first glance, this graphic may look like any other 2×2 market grid, but that’s where the resemblance ends. Why? Because others treat the upper right corner as the “best” position for all solutions. But in our view, all four quadrants offer unique strengths.
We built this RightFit Grid around common enterprise LMS decision characteristics. The horizontal axis plots vendors by breath of purpose, from all-in-one solutions on the left to specialists on the right. And the vertical axis plots vendors by complexity and scalability, with sophisticated enterprise-class solutions located above simple self-service applications.
The result is an interactive market map, featuring 80+ vendors across all 4 sections – Luminary, Innovator, Contender, and Powerhouse.
This grid isn’t the end of the purchasing road. However, it is a great place to start if you don’t want to slog through a sea of unknowns. Just identify the quadrant that most closely matches your high-level selection criteria, and you’ll find 10-20 vetted possibilities.
Which learning system is best for you? Check the newest RightFit Solution Grid, based on our team’s rigorous independent research. GET YOUR FREE COPY →
2. Talented Learning Awards
Next, you’ll want to compare the top vendors in your category. This is where our annual Learning Systems Awards come in. The latest list features 10 or more winners in 6 segments:
- Enterprise learning
- Employee learning
- Customer/partner education
- Association/professional education
- Learning operations, and
- Learning tech innovators
Participation is free and open to all vendors who complete a comprehensive capabilities survey. We also invite vendor executives to a private product briefing with me.
As you can imagine, I invest hundreds of hours each year in this research process. But it’s worth the effort to stay connected and informed with industry players.
In our awards announcement, I briefly summarize every winner in each category. So, by using this along with the RightFit Grid, you can choose 5-10 strong candidates.
Celebrate the best in learning tech innovation! Check our annual LMS Award recipients, featuring 60+ solutions across 6 categories. SEE ALL WINNERS →
3. Learning System Directory
To tighten your target list further, you’ll need more detailed information. This is where our newly redesigned Learning System Directory helps. We’ve been building and updating this collection of “living” vendor profiles for over a decade, and we’ll continue to expand and enhance its capabilities on an ongoing basis.
You can browse through all the listings and drill down by vendor name. Or, with the filters at the top of the page, you can sort by system type, use case, industry, region, and other attributes. This makes it easy to focus on vendors you’ve already identified in the RightFit Grid or Awards List.
When you click on any vendor logo, you’ll see all the information we’ve gathered about that solution, presented in a standardized profile format. This helps you easily discover each vendor’s capabilities and compare them with others. In fact, we’ve added a special “Compare Now” feature that instantly shows you details for 2-4 vendors in a side-by-side matrix.
This may seem similar to other software review sites. But our directory is different because I personally develop each profile. I don’t delegate this responsibility to AI or to junior members of our team. What you see always reflects my analysis as an independent industry consultant.
Want a better way to manage the business of learning? Find vendor profiles, reviews, case studies and more in our free Learning System Directory. START HERE →
4. Hot Take Reviews
Whenever I attend a vendor demonstration, I immediately record my reaction in a follow-up video. Because these Hot Take Reviews are unscripted, they’re highly popular.
You’ll find these brief videos on our site in two locations:
- The LMS Directory features my latest Hot Take on each vendor’s profile.
- In addition, the entire collection is available on the “LMS Reviews” page, so you can quickly scan videos by use case.
NOW PLAYING: Dig into our growing collection of LMS Hot Take video reviews with Lead Analyst, John Leh. SEE ALL HOT TAKES →
5. Product Demos
In addition to Hot Take reviews, we offer a collection of in-depth demo videos. But unlike Hot Takes, these are vendor presentations I’ve recorded over time.
Each session follows a standard agenda framework I’ve developed, so no matter which vendor is in the spotlight, the discussion flow is similar. Also, these conversations are sructured to provide a more complete view of each solution, including the company’s mission, product strategy, and key differentiators.
It’s yet another way for you to get actionable buying information without having to manage all the early qualification steps, yourself. This can save days or weeks of valuable time. It also helps you avoid sitting through kitchen sink demos, where vendors present what they want to show you, rather than what’s important to you as an extended enterprise or customer education buyer.
Watch top learning solutions in action. Join vendor executives as they guide Analyst John Leh through in-depth product demos. SEE ALL LMS DEMOS →
6. Case Study Directory
Success stories are compelling and useful for buyers, but often tricky for vendors to publish. That’s because clients must agree that the solution warrants their endorsement. Even when an implementation is strong, client executives or legal teams may not be willing to endorse it publicly.
However, I’ve been gathering a catalog of LMS case files for 13 years. You can sort them by use case, industry, and more. Reading these real-world stories will help you understand what others are achieving with solutions you’re considering and how to improve outcomes with your own implementation.
Find out how real-world companies achieve more with learning systems that create business value. Get inspired by dozens of success stories in our LMS Case Study Directory. CHECK IT OUT →
The Bottom Line on LMS Shortlisting Tools
If you want to research learning systems efficiently, don’t try to contact hundreds of vendors yourself. Instead, start with publicly available information from trusted sources.
We spend every day collecting, organizing, and sharing this kind of intelligence so organizations everywhere can make better buying decisions faster and with more confidence. We produce all of this content independently. And every tool comes directly from me:
- Talented Learning RightFit Grid
- Annual Learning Systems Awards
- Learning System Directory
- Hot Take Reviews
- Product Demos
- Case Studies
So, if you want to research the marketplace without sales pressure, you’re always welcome here. And if you have questions at any point, you can always schedule a free consultation with me.
Watch This Customer Ed Nuggets Episode
Want more details about LMS shortlisting tools? Watch the video version of this mini-podcast below…
Or, if you’d rather listen, tune in to the audio version right here at TalentedLearning.com.
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About Talented Learning Customer Ed Nuggets
Hosted by Talented Learning CEO John Leh, the Customer Ed Nuggets podcast is a trusted source of advice, guidance and best practices for customer education professionals of all types. In this series of brief video and audio “nuggets” (each 10 minutes or less), we explore key topics with numerous guest experts.
Join us anytime here or on our YouTube channel to explore all facets of customer education, from how to build a persuasive business case, to effective strategies, technologies and content that help professionals create, deploy and grow successful customer-centered programs.
How to Follow the Customer Ed Nuggets Podcast
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Buying or Selling a Customer LMS?
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Need LMS Shortlisting Guidance? Let’s Talk…
Get independent advice you can trust. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with me, John Leh, Founder and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning:
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About the Author: John Leh
