{"id":40473,"date":"2026-01-26T14:24:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T14:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.totara.fortyapp.com\/articles\/how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-lms\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T14:14:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T14:14:15","slug":"how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-lms","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/staging.totara.fortyapp.com\/us\/articles\/how-to-measure-the-success-of-your-lms\/","title":{"rendered":"How to measure the success of your LMS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

When it comes to\u00a0learning\u00a0management\u00a0systems, “success”\u00a0means different things to different organisations. Are you aiming to boost\u00a0learner engagement\u00a0or reach\u00a0a\u00a0100% compliance target?\u00a0Perhaps you’re\u00a0looking beyond the\u00a0LMS itself, striving instead for\u00a0particular business\u00a0metrics such as increased sales or improved customer satisfaction.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Contrary to\u00a0popular belief, “success” is not simply\u00a0launching your\u00a0LMS.\u00a0It’s\u00a0not about the system working as expected, nor is it about\u00a0collecting vast amounts of data.\u00a0LMS success is inextricably\u00a0linked to your organisation’s success. The questions that matter are: How is your\u00a0LMS helping you drive real-world results? What impact does your\u00a0learning\u00a0have on your people,\u00a0outcomes\u00a0and productivity?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To help you evaluate the success of your LMS, we’ll examine some common signs to check if your system is working against you, and using the Kirkpatrick model<\/a>\u00a0of training evaluation,\u00a0we’ll\u00a0show you how to turn\u00a0LMS failures into successes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"LMS<\/a><\/p>\n

Common signs your\u00a0LMS is working against you<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

If any of these ring true, your system might be undermining rather than enabling your\u00a0learning\u00a0objectives:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Completion rates are your primary success indicator<\/span><\/b>
    \nYour reports focus on who finished what and when.\u00a0Meanwhile, questions about knowledge retention or     performance<\/a> improvement\u00a0go unanswered.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. You can’t connect learning to business outcomes<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>
    \nThe\u00a0LMS exists in its own bubble.\u00a0There’s\u00a0no way to\u00a0link training activity to sales figures, customer service\u00a0metrics, operational\u00a0efficiency\u00a0or employee retention.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Data doesn’t travel beyond the platform<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>
    \nYour\u00a0learning\u00a0analytics sit isolated from HR systems, talent management\u00a0platforms, business reporting\u00a0tools\u00a0and performance dashboards. Each department\u00a0works from incomplete information.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Managers have no sight of their teams’ development<\/span><\/b>
    \nLine managers can’t see what their people are studying, can’t reinforce key concepts, aren’t involved in applying new skills on the job, and have no input into development priorities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. You struggle to justify the investment<\/span><\/b>
    \nThe\u00a0LMS costs money and people are using it, but when\u00a0leadership asks about return on investment,\u00a0you’re\u00a0left pointing to completion statistics rather than business impact.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Sound familiar?\u00a0It\u00a0shouldn\u2019t\u00a0be\u00a0like this; your\u00a0LMS needs to function as one tool\u00a0within a\u00a0larger, connected\u00a0learning\u00a0infrastructure.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Using the Kirkpatrick model\u00a0to evaluate your\u00a0LMS<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    To help you structure your thinking around\u00a0LMS success, we will\u00a0take inspiration from the\u00a0<\/span>Kirkpatrick model<\/span>\u00a0of training evaluation (and\u00a0<\/span>Phillips\u2019 additional\u00a0fifth stage<\/span><\/a>). As a quick recap for those of you who are unfamiliar with these\u00a0levels, they are:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Reaction \u2013 what do people think of your\u00a0learning?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Learning\u00a0\u2013 how does your\u00a0learning\u00a0contribute to the acquisition of new knowledge, skills,\u00a0behaviours\u00a0and confidence?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Application \u2013 are your people applying your\u00a0learning\u00a0on the job?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Impact \u2013 is your\u00a0learning\u00a0having the desired impact?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. ROI \u2013 how does the cost of your learning program compare with the results?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      These five stages can be used to assess the success of your own\u00a0LMS, and to help you prove this success when it comes to reporting back to your stakeholders. The better you get at\u00a0measuring the success of your\u00a0LMS, the easier it will\u00a0be to secure further investment\u00a0in your\u00a0learning\u00a0program going forward.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Level\u00a01: What do people think of your\u00a0LMS?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

      The good news is that you have a nice easy start with the first level of measurement. What you want to find out here is \u201cDo people like your LMS?\u201d. Was it delivered on time? Was it on budget? Is the quality good?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      These are simple questions to answer.\u00a0Don\u2019t\u00a0get disheartened if the answer to any of these questions is \u201cno\u201d \u2013 it\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0render\u00a0your entire project a failure.\u00a0Realistically,\u00a0LMS projects\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0or\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0always be delivered on time\u00a0or budget.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      If you wanted to take it a step further, you could conduct a survey to gather the opinions of\u00a0learners, managers,\u00a0administrators\u00a0and stakeholders. This could sit on your\u00a0LMS, or you could send out an email\u00a0asking for\u00a0initial\u00a0feedback.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Level\u00a02: Is your\u00a0learning\u00a0effective?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

      So,\u00a0your\u00a0LMS is in place. But who is\u00a0logging on? Are they enjoying the\u00a0learning\u00a0experience?\u00a0Level\u00a02 is about your users, their interactions with your\u00a0LMS and\u00a0whether\u00a0it becomes part of\u00a0their\u00a0<\/span>ongoing development<\/span><\/a>. Some\u00a0of the data you can\u00a0collect to\u00a0measure success here includes:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"LMS<\/a><\/p>\n