LMS Selection and Setup Playbook for Small Teams

Choose your first learning management system with confidence, then set it up and launch it properly, using a method that works with any vendor.

Who it is for

• Owners of small businesses who need one place for training and training records.

• Office, operations and practice managers who have been asked to "find us an LMS."

• HR staff and trainers choosing a training system for the first time.

• Managers of several locations or field crews whose records are kept in different places.

The problem it solves

Most small teams choose a learning management system (LMS) from a demo. The demo shows features they do not need, the price leaves out add-ons and setup time, nobody tests it on the phones learners actually use, and the first new hire finds the setup errors. This playbook gives you an eight-step method that names no products and works with any of them: decide whether you need an LMS, write a needs list with clear priorities, work out the real 3-year cost, question vendors in writing, run scripted demos and a hands-on trial, score the options, set the system up in the right order, and pilot and launch it.

What is inside

• Copyright and License (page 2; 1 page)

• Part 1. How choosing an LMS works (pages 3 to 4; 2 pages)

• Part 2. Step 1: Decide and define the purpose (pages 5 to 8; 4 pages)

• Part 3. Step 2: Write the needs list (pages 9 to 12; 4 pages)

• Part 4. Step 3: Budget and total cost (pages 13 to 16; 4 pages)

• Part 5. Step 4: Shortlist and vendor questions (pages 17 to 20; 4 pages)

• Part 6. Step 5: Demos and hands-on trial (pages 21 to 24; 4 pages)

• Part 7. Step 6: Score, check and decide (pages 25 to 33; 9 pages)

• Part 8. Step 7: Set up the system (pages 34 to 37; 4 pages)

• Part 9. Step 8: Pilot and launch (pages 38 to 44; 7 pages)

• Part 10. Worked examples (pages 45 to 46; 2 pages)

• Part 11. Variations by setting (page 47; 1 page)

• Part 12. 30-day launch plan (page 48; 1 page)

• Part 13. Mistakes and FAQ (pages 49 to 50; 2 pages)

• Editable Word version of everything above (48 pages)

• Excel comparison scorecard (.xlsx) (6 sheets: options, needs with priorities and weights, scores, 3-year costs and a summary that flags any must-have need not met; a blank copy and a filled-in example copy)

How to use it

1. Read Part 1 for what an LMS does, the words vendors use, and how the eight steps fit together.

2. Work through Steps 1 to 8. Each step explains what to do, why it matters and how to do it well, then gives you a template and a filled-in example.

3. Score your options in the Excel comparison scorecard. It weights your needs, flags any must-have need an option does not meet and compares 3-year costs.

4. Use the 30-day setup and launch plan once you have signed.

How long training records must be kept, and what personal information a system may hold, can depend on your location, industry and company policy. Check these before you choose and set up a system. This playbook gives general good practice; it is not legal advice.

Formats and file types

• Printable PDF (50 pages), US Letter.

• Editable Word file (.docx, 48 pages) with every template ready to adapt.

• Excel comparison scorecard (.xlsx), as a blank copy and a filled-in example copy.

Frequently asked questions