Generic demo videos on websites or YouTube don’t tell the whole story. To see the features you expect to work in seamless coordination for your specific learning system use case, you need to schedule and organize use case demonstrations. It’s really the only way to dig in and see each platform in action. And it’s a critical step in the process of choosing the best solution for your organization.

There are two types of learning system demos: those driven by vendors (marketing demonstrations) and those driven by buyers (use case demonstrations). Vendors prefer marketing demonstrations because they can show their product in the best light and conveniently skip weaknesses. But you really need to see all relevant capabilities up close before you buy. Selecting a learning platform without this eye-opening LMS comparison is like flying blind.

Use case demonstrations are scripted around the exact steps you want learners or key users to take when they access the system, find content, and interact with it. There’s no better way to select a platform than use case demos that verify capabilities that stood out in the RFP process.

LMS Demos: Who’s in Charge?

No buyer skips the LMS demo phase. But you’ll want to avoid letting vendors take charge and deliver a generic marketing walk-through. Use case demonstrations are the only way to ensure that an LMS has the features you need, will function the way you want, and is the best platform for your organization.

Consider the downsides of relying on a vendor-led marketing demo:

• You know System A has the features you want. Later, you discover the system has a particular feature, but it is terribly weak. It takes 20 clicks to complete this process.
• During implementation, you discover that some features don’t have the proper configurations, forcing manual administration.
• In a worst-case scenario, unforeseen limitations mean the system cannot be implemented. This puts the project (and possibly your career) at risk.

Use case demos prevent all of the above and help you build confidence in your final selection choice. When demos and discussions are complete, you’ll be glad you took this step to dive into systems and see them operate in ways that target users will interact with them.

Define Your Use Case

Many learning system vendors claim to have a variety of features. Remember, they’re keeping tabs on their competition. Sometimes, they publicly state that a feature exists, but in reality, it is not fully developed or configurable.

The only way to confirm and compare the same feature across systems is to ask vendor finalists to show how their solution addresses a particular use case defined in the RFP. If social learning is important, ask each vendor to demonstrate exactly how it works in their system within the context you want to use it – cohorts, expert finder, and content sharing, for example.

Our team has identified 7 best practices to ensure a successful LMS demo:

1. Create 4 or 5 specific use cases for your critical learners, training customers, and other audiences. Then ask each vendor to demonstrate, step-by-step, how their solution addresses each case.
2. Develop a rating checklist to use when evaluating vendors, apples-to-apples, on the same use cases. Consider weighting specific use cases or criteria if some are more important than others. For example, you may feel LMS administration deserves more weight than the way a system coordinates training courses for new hires.
3. Ensure each LMS vendor knows you will grade them comparatively on each of the use cases, as well as the quality of process completion steps.
4. Encourage vendors to use the detailed information provided in your RFP to customize their demo.
5. Be sure to allow enough time to see each solution in-depth, and for your internal team to discuss afterwards (without the vendor). At least 2.5 to 3 hours is usually sufficient for each demo session.
6. Complete ratings sheets and notes during or directly after each demo. If you delay documentation, you’re likely to forget demo details and differentiators.
7. Debrief often as a buying team, and encourage participants to share feedback openly.

Fiercely Independent LMS Vendor Research

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