Managing employee training manually can work when a business is small and training requirements are straightforward. A spreadsheet, a few email reminders and a folder of certificates may be enough to keep things moving.
As a workforce grows, however, training administration can quickly become complicated. More employees means more records to maintain, more courses to assign, more deadlines to monitor and more people who need to know what has been completed.
This is often the point where businesses start looking at training management software.
When does manual training administration become a problem?
There is no specific point at which a business suddenly needs a training management system. It tends to become apparent through the amount of time being spent keeping everything organised.
You may find managers are regularly checking spreadsheets to see who has completed training, sending individual reminders or searching through emails for certificates and records. New starters may need training information to be pulled together manually, while changes to roles or responsibilities create another layer of administration.
These processes can become particularly difficult when employees work across different locations, departments or job roles. What was once a simple system can become increasingly difficult to keep accurate and up to date.
The problem is not necessarily that the training itself is complicated. It is that managing the training becomes a task in its own right.
The limitations of spreadsheets and manual records
Spreadsheets can be useful for keeping basic information together, but they rely heavily on someone maintaining them correctly.
A manager may need to update completion records, monitor upcoming deadlines and follow up with employees who have not completed their training. If several people are responsible for different parts of the process, it can also become harder to maintain a consistent approach.
Manual records also make it more difficult to get a clear picture of training across the business.
For example, a manager might want to know which employees have completed mandatory training, whether a particular team is up to date or what training is still outstanding. If that information is spread across different spreadsheets, emails and folders, answering a straightforward question can take longer than it should.
This is where employee training management software can make a practical difference.
What does training management software actually do?
At its simplest, it provides a central place to organise and monitor employee learning.
Rather than relying on separate records, businesses can use a training management platform to assign learning, track progress and maintain training records together in one place. Managers can see what employees have completed and identify outstanding training without having to work through multiple sources of information.
Automation can also reduce some of the routine administration involved in managing training. Learning can be assigned based on factors such as an employee's role, department or location, while managers can use reporting tools to monitor progress.
The benefit is not simply having another piece of software. It is reducing the amount of manual work required to keep training organised.
Training management is about more than courses
When comparing training administration software, it is easy to focus on course delivery. Courses are an important part of employee learning, but they are not the whole picture.
Training can also involve onboarding, practical tasks, workplace checks, assessments, documents, reviews and ongoing development. Depending on the organisation, managers may need to record activities that cannot be covered by an online course alone.
A wider approach to workforce training management can bring these different activities together, giving managers a clearer view of an employee's progress and development.
This can be particularly useful for businesses where learning needs to continue beyond completing an online course.
What should you look for when comparing platforms?
Not every training management system will work in the same way, so it is worth considering how the software will fit into your existing processes.
Ease of use
If managers find the system difficult to navigate, it can simply replace one administrative burden with another. Look for software that is straightforward for both administrators and employees to use.
Automation
Consider which tasks the platform can handle for you. Automated assignments, reminders and recurring training can reduce the amount of routine follow-up required from managers.
Reporting
Training records are much more useful when you can easily see what has been completed and what still needs attention. Check what reporting options are available and whether they provide the information your managers actually need.
Flexibility
Your training requirements may change as your business grows. A platform should be flexible enough to support different teams, roles, locations and types of learning without creating additional administration.
Support
The software itself is only part of the experience. It is also worth considering what support is available when you have questions, need guidance or want to make better use of the platform.
When is it time to make the change?
You don’t need to wait until your existing system becomes difficult to maintain.
If managers are spending increasing amounts of time updating records, chasing employees or checking multiple sources for training information, it may be worth looking at a more connected approach.
The same applies if your business has grown, training requirements have become more varied or you are finding it difficult to get a reliable overview of employee progress.
The purpose of training management software is not to make training more complicated. Instead, it removes many of the pain points that come with manual administration, reducing the workload involved and making information easier to access.
Bringing training management into one place
Expert LMS provides a central platform for managing employee training and the wider activities that support learning and development. Rather than relying on separate systems and manual records, businesses can manage learning, track progress and monitor requirements from one place. Scheduled custom reports and custom metrics provide more detailed insights, helping businesses focus on the information that matters most to them.
A dedicated Support Team is also available to provide guidance and help customers in getting the most from the platform.
If your current approach to training relies heavily on spreadsheets, emails and manual follow-ups, it may be worth considering whether a training management platform could be the right solution for your team.
See Expert LMS in action and discover how a more connected approach to training management could work for your organisation.
