Why Choose SmarterU?

How to pick the right LMS

With so many LMS options out there, picking the perfect one for your organization can be overwhelming. Therefore, we’ve broken this task down into six steps to help you streamline this process and zero in on the right LMS.

Establish your learning goals and how you want to achieve them

Every organization has its own learning goals. Whether it’s employee upskilling, safety compliance training, or helping your new hires get a great start with a fantastic employee onboarding program.

In all of these cases and more, an LMS helps everything run more smoothly. So, consider your learning goals and which workflows are vital for accomplishing them. From there, you can research LMS providers and determine which features your ideal LMS should include.

A few things you may consider are:

  • Does this LMS support government-regulated compliance training?
  • Can I supervise learners while they take exams through this LMS?
  • Is this LMS accessible through mobile devices?
  • How will the LMS work for the various types of training and use cases that I need it for?

Armed with this knowledge, you are prepared to consult a learning solutions expert about the LMS that “checks all of your boxes.”

A cheerful young man with short curly-wavy brown hair taking notes in a book while he looks at his laptop screen. Slightly overlapping, in the bottom-right corner, is an illustration of two characters looking at a computer monitor.

SmarterU excels as a feature-rich LMS

SmarterU is feature-rich, which means there’s a high chance that we can offer the right features for your workflows. Take a self-guided LMS feature tour to find out more.

Compare what's out there

Chances are, you’ll encounter multiple LMS platforms that include the features you need. So, it’s important to look across the board and compare the full functionality of all of your options.

Many LMS vendors use the term "Discovery Call" – which is the initial conversation between interested LMS buyer and LMS vendor. A great Discovery Call doesn't require any obligation – it's best to think of it as a mutual fact-finding mission where both parties ensure there is mutual fit and align. That's where the conversion starts.

You may ask yourself questions like:

  • How responsive is their LMS support team?
  • What if I need assistance setting up my LMS or populating it with courses?
  • Will this LMS interact with my other software tools? If so, how?
  • Does this platform support non-English speaking learners and learners with additional needs?

Once you’ve thought about the questions that matter to you and compared various LMS providers against them, it’s easier to short-list your options.

Illustration of a man clinging to a rocket that flies out to the top-right corner. Little paper airplanes are scattered in the background, all pointing their noses up to the top-right corner. Overlapping, in the bottom-right corner, is a photo of a group of smiling people who are holding laptops and tablets.

An LMS that adjusts to you

At SmarterU, we pride ourselves on being an LMS for your entire digital learning ecosystem. Our highly-responsive client success and support teams — our Success Desk® — are focused on creating an LMS experience specifically for you. We’re also focused on putting your learner’s needs first with robust multilingual and accessibility options.

Narrow down your LMS choices

Now that you’ve spent time establishing your needs and researching your options, you should validate which options meet your budget and timeline requirements.

Narrow down your list to the 2 or 3 providers who best align with your goals. Then, take a look at the implementation options each LMS platform provides.

To help determine your LMS shortlist, ask yourself:

  • What promises do they make about the implementation process?
  • Are there options within your budget?
  • How much guidance will you receive during implementation and launch?

Some LMS providers list this information on their websites, and if they don’t, you can always reach out to a learning solutions expert to learn more.

A woman stands in front of her coworkers who are seated at a table. She's using a pointer to indicate an area on a white board showing a flowchart. Slightly overlapping the image in its bottom-right corner, is another photo of a woman gesturing to some colleagues while holding a highlighter pen.

We're with you every step of the way

SmarterU offers a wide range of implementation plans. Enterprise clients can enjoy a guided implementation process or take advantage of our white-glove plan. With white-glove implementations, you make the decisions, and we do the work, making them an excellent option for time-sensitive projects. We also offer a budget-friendly corporate plan that still provides you with all the benefits of a feature-rich SmarterU account.

Get in touch with a learning solutions expert

You have chosen your final candidates. Now it’s time to “take a look under the hood” by booking a demo with a learning solutions expert.

Demos can be very insightful by letting you see the features you want in action. Sometimes, a demo can “make or break” your decision because you are often first exposed to the LMS’s user interface during the demo.

During your LMS demo, you may want to consider:

  • How usable are those features you’ve researched?
  • Is the LMS’s interface easy to navigate?
  • Is the expert friendly and open to your questions? This is often a reflection of the company’s customer service practices.
A cheerful woman wearing glasses typing away at her laptop. In the bottom-right corner, a smiling man in a suit jacket taps on a digital tablet screen.

With LMS demos, first impressions matter

SmarterU’s user interface is designed with client feedback in mind. Every page in our LMS looks modern, can be customized, and is intuitive to use for learners and admins alike. We also boast a friendly, responsive team of learning solutions experts who will tailor your demo to the conversations you’ve had and make sure every question gets a satisfactory answer.

Take your LMS of choice for a test drive

Every new software comes with a learning curve. However, if the software’s learning curve is too steep for your team, it may not be the right solution for you.

Consider taking a brief trial of the solution to evaluate its usability compared to its effectiveness. Some software providers offer free trial periods, and others may provide you with a “test account.” No matter how you test the software, take this opportunity to work with your learning solutions expert and some of your potential users to make sure the software is the right fit.

As you “test drive” an LMS, consider:

  • Does the company provide an adequate amount of product education?
  • Do they offer a “testing” method? Does it align with your needs?
  • Are they open to questions during the trial phase?
Three colleagues sitting around a table, in front of several laptops. Overlapping in the bottom-right corner, a photo of a grinning woman wearing a headset, looking at a laptop screen.

Make usability a top priority

With SmarterU, you get full access to the SmarterU Academy for free! Here, you and your administrative team can learn about our features in detail while experiencing the LMS from a learner’s perspective. Upon request, we also offer free access to a “sandbox” account where you can explore SmarterU without the risk of causing errors in a live account. While you test our solution, a highly-responsive Success Desk team will be on call for any questions you may have along the way.

Choose your LMS and kickstart your training program!

You’ve done a lot of research, asked the right questions, and have come to a final decision. That’s fantastic!

We’re glad that you’ve found the LMS that fits your organization. However, implementing an LMS isn’t the only thing you need to create an effective training program. Now, you need to build courses, add users, and make sure your eLearning approach stays effective over time.

Illustration of two men giving a handshake and handing over a signed contract. In the bottom-right corner of the illustration is a photo of a woman who is cheerfully looking at her digital tablet.

Ongoing support can make all the difference

The SmarterU team will continue to support you after you’ve implemented our LMS. We’re happy to hold regular check-ins and will take the initiative to reach out. Our team can help you measure the impact of your training so you can make data-driven decisions going forward. We will also gladly accept any feedback and may use it to inform future updates!

As part of our holistic approach to online training, we also offer a suite of products and services compatible with SmarterU or any other LMS. We can help you:

  • Delivering daily training focused on building retention with our microlearning platform, OttoLearn
  • Create beautiful and engaging custom courses through our custom course development division, Custom Learning
  • Unleash human potential and increase organizational intelligence by consulting with Neovation

"Thank you all so much for an outstanding year of innovation, partnership, and support. SmarterU’s quality product and dedicated service has taken our company to a new level, and we’re certainly the better for it."

Daniel C.
Verisk Analytics

"I want to thank you for being simply the BEST supplier I've ever worked with."

Paul P.
Manulife

"[Josh] provided expert guidance and creative ideas, without overpromising. Josh is a true champion for Neovation and for SmarterU and was an integral part of my decision to choose SmarterU as our solution."

Sarah Q.
Educe
You have a ton of LMS options out there, and picking the right one can be daunting. Our Learning Solutions Experts understand this — let us help you accelerate your search!
Josh & Philip
Senior Sales Directors

Thanks for looking at SmarterU LMS!

We want to help you to pick an LMS platform that fits with YOUR needs — book a no-obligation Q&A session with us, where we'll dig in to better understand your organization's needs and wishes, and help you determine if SmarterU is the right fit.

Learning solutions experts ready to help!

We’re with you each step of the way as we build a relationship and share in the success of your training program!

Industry-leading LMS support!

We get back to you with practical responses that let you move your day forward — in 30 minutes or less.

Schedule a personalized, no-obligation LMS demo!

When you're ready, start the conversation with one of SmarterU's learning solutions experts! We'll help you find the best way forward with training that empowers your employees and achieves your business goals!

Craig Weiss Group 2021 Platinum Pick Award
Craig Weiss Group Customer Excellence Pledge badge
#19 of the top 20 Learning Management Systems in the world in 2023 according to The Craig Weiss Group
Training Industry 2022 Watchlist Learning Management System award
SmarterU LMS is a top 15 all-purpose learning system according to Talented Learning 2023 list by John Leh