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55 within. All involved parties and teams, should they be the Information Technology (IT) implementation and support teams, as well as the academics administrations side of things should be well addressed by the help of a strong Customer Support system and crew in place. Existing solutions should contain video (both online as well as locally accessible) and Computer Based Training (CBT) tutorials combined with a strong community of user forums for connecting with other users (local or globally.) Users should be able to use and have access to some sort of dedicated help site for troubleshooting and answers to commonly-asked questions, possibly with a strong knowledge base of already recorded, well known instances and issues. For general system administrators and developers, there is also a strong argument for the existence of well developed, comprehensive support resources, with additional software packages and support, version tracking and update download resources and all related reference materials. Before purchasing a LMS solution, universities and higher academics organizations need to first figure out what their requirements are - such as whether they want to buy or build their own content. One good recommendation is to have a checklist of the necessary features ready before looking at vendors. Here are the top main points of focus all companies should consider when purchasing an LMS (BetterBuys): &RVW – LMS solutions vary in co st and you’ll need to factor in the number of users and subscription packages (if you plan to purchase it as a Software-as-a-Service). For on premise systems, there is the cost of purchasing the software up front (as well as cost of implementation or softw are upgrades, if applicable). You’ll want to do a pricing comparison among different vendors 6FDODELOLW\ – If you plan to train more employees in the future, make sure the system is scalable. You’ll want to make sure it can hold a large amount of content and that the content can be used again in the future. $ELOLW\ WR ZRUN ZLWK H[LVWLQJ V\VWHPV – Make sure the LMS is compatible with othersystems the company uses, such as a HRMS or an employee database. Having LMS integrate with a HRMS eliminates the need to manually enter employee data – such data is transferred from the HRMS to LMS, or the administrator can sign into both systems at once (single-sign-on). ,QSXW IURP XVHUV – The organization will need to get buy-in for the software, not just from top leadership team, but also from HR, IT and the managers who will be responsible for training, both the colleges and departments administrators as well as the faculty and staff. One way to do that is to get users involved in choosing the system (user groups, forums, testing and usability opportunities, etc.) 7UDLQLQJ DQG VXSSRUW GXULQJ DQG DIWHU VRIWZDUH LPSOHPHQWDWLRQ – You’ll want to ensure the vendor offers implementation assistance, including any training. Does the vendor offer training remotely or onsite? You’ll want to choose a vendor that can provide training at your convenience, if feasible – for example, having a rep conduct training sessions to multiple users on-site. Also, make sure the vendor provides support after the software is deployed, such as 24/7 tech or customer service support via phone or online. /HQJWK RI LPSOHPHQWDWLRQ SURFHVV – The implementation process can vary. You’ll want to speak with the vendor and request details on implementation timelines. You’ll also want to plan for any issues that could arise during the implementation phase. 5HTXHVW WR VSHDN ZLWK YHQGRU¶V FXUUHQW RU SDVW FXVWRPHUV – It’s important to seek references from a vendor’s existing or previous clients . The vendor will give you the name of most positive clients, but ask for companies that have similar needs to