10 Reasons why Training Companies must invest in a SaaS LMS

When investing in a Learning Management System, Training Companies, whether moving to eLearning or looking to scale their existing business, have one need in common - the ability to deliver and manage training for multiple clients (corporate or individuals or a mix of both) effortlessly. With absolute data security. And high scalability. For lower TCO and better ROI. This seemingly long list of must-haves can turn into a roadblock for Training Companies when going down the 'hosted' LMS route. The solution - SaaS LMS.

By the very definition, SaaS (Software as a Service) LMS is hosted by the vendor (typically on Cloud, but not mandatory) and made available to customers 'as a service' via the web. Customers do not need to buy, install, maintain, or update any server environment.

For Training Companies, a SaaS LMS can help on various levels:

1. Faster Go-To-Market

With hundreds and thousands of learners being hosted and trained via the Learning Management System, Training Companies need to get the training started in a jiffy! Unlike traditional 'hosted' Learning Management Systems that can take weeks or even months to deploy, SaaS platforms can be implemented much quicker giving Training Companies a faster go-to-market with their training. This is owed to the fact that SaaS LMSs don't require any software installation thereby reducing the time spent in configuration and issue resolution that can get in the way of the software deployment.

2. Hosting Multiple Clients on the Same Setup

SaaS LMSs typically have a multi-tenant architecture. This enables Training Companies to host several clients (corporate or individuals or a mix of both) on the same setup/ instance. Each of the client portals can be configured to have separate branding and access, with the master control being with the Training Company.

3. Lower TCO and Better ROI

Zero infrastructure requirement for hosting the LMS means zero maintenance and upgrading cost, leading to a lower TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for Training Companies. Further, with the SaaS LMS residing in a shared (Cloud-based) environment, all costs are borne by the vendor and distributed amongst all LMS customers. The low TCO, along with almost all other tasks being handled by the vendor allowing a Training Company to focus on its core USP i.e. 'training', leads to a higher ROI.

4. High Scalability

A SaaS LMS is equipped to grow in line with the Training Company's growth plans; scaling to accommodate more users and features along the way. Vis-à-vis the hosted LMS, which requires buying new server(s) or software to make room for the increased demand, the SaaS platform resides in a cloud environment that is highly scalable, allowing the Training Company to ramp up (or even down) by thousands of users with ease.

5. Seamless Integration with Third-Party Software

SaaS LMSs have readily available APIs that let Training Companies to integrate seamlessly with external ERP systems, customers' HRMS data or PMS data, or other business productivity systems. This enables Training Companies to leverage other applications their customers' organizations already use - from internal calendars to social networks, HR systems and beyond. To their customers, the integration ability offers seamless accessibility through any third-party software in the LMS.

6. Data Security

Most Cloud LMSs are geographically distributed. This not only helps in delivering customers the best experience, but also in providing absolute data (content and user data) isolation between portals for full data security. For Training Companies, it makes the hosting of multiple clients on the same setup a breeze! The organizations hosted on the SaaS LMS don't have to worry about their sensitive data being exposed to other organization(s) as the physical separation of database provides an additional level of security to their data.

7. Hassel-free Upgrades

No downloads. No installation. Since the LMS is hosted by the vendor (either on Cloud or its servers), the responsibility for maintaining and upgrading it also lies with it. All upgrades, new features and fixes are carried out without the Training Company's intervention and are much lower than the traditional (hosted) model. Further, these updates and upgrades are configurable and managed smoothly with minimum downtime, making it a hassle-free and cost effective model for Training Companies to operate in.

8. Innovation

Closely tied with 'Hassle-free Upgrades' is continuous innovation that SaaS LMSs bring in. As the SaaS LMS vendors incorporate the latest technology and features in the LMS in order to make improvements to the system on a regular basis, Training Companies can be assured of a platform that is always ahead of the curve and in line with emerging learning trends.

9. High Reliability

LMS reliability is a critical factor for Training Companies as the training of thousands of learners and organizations is dependent on the functioning of the single LMS instance and includes having ~99.99% uptime amongst other factors. SaaS LMSs being (typically) hosted in the Cloud, leverage the strengths of leading Cloud providers to offer high performance of LMS servers with high uptime assuring high reliability.

10. Wide Reach

For Training Companies, reaching out to multiple clients (corporate or individuals or a mix of both) is of utmost importance. And in today's multi-device world, making its training available on all devices - desktops, laptops, tablets, Smartphone and everything in between - is what a Training Company needs the most. Hosted in the Cloud, SaaS LMSs enable learners to access training anytime, anywhere on any device of their choice as long as there is an Internet connection thereby widening the reach for Training Companies.‍

UpsideLMS , our Best Value SaaS LMS, has everything to make the management of your training business easy and cost-effective. Request a Demo