Chances are, you’re not using the exact same technology you were 10 or 20 years ago. New, more advanced tools come into your life as old ones exit. The same goes for your organization. Adopting new solutions allows you to improve organizational processes and remain competitive in your sector. At the same time, however, new tools can add complexity and confusion to your team’s established workflows.
If your organization uses or plans to implement a new learning management system (LMS), understanding how to minimize complexity and maximize efficiency is key to your learning program’s success. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about LMS integrations and how they create a more seamless learning experience for both users and administrators.
Here’s what we’ll explore:
By integrating your LMS with your other essential systems, you ensure that the platform fits smoothly into—rather than distracts from—your organization’s current workflows and processes.
LMS integrations connect your LMS platform to other tools in your organization’s technology stack. These integrations allow data to transfer automatically between your systems, ultimately streamlining your team’s workflows, eliminating information silos, and driving more informed decision-making.
For example, a union providing workplace safety training and industry certifications to members might integrate its LMS with its membership software, compliance platform, and payment processing systems to create a more intuitive and streamlined learning environment.
Many modern LMS platforms come with out-of-the-box integrations with popular solutions that are quick and easy to implement. If a pre-built integration isn’t available for one of your essential tools, you’ll likely need to set up a custom integration, which is a more complicated and time-consuming process that requires specialized technical expertise.
There are many reasons why organizations conduct learning management system integrations. The main benefits include:
Higher learning engagement. LMS integrations eliminate the need for users to jump from one platform to another to participate in your learning program. Instead, users have the convenience of accessing everything they need in one place. Plus, integrating your learning system with your database allows you to provide more tailored learning paths for each user.
Less administrative work. LMS integrations reduce manual data entry and the associated risks of human error by automatically transferring data to other systems in your tech stack. As a result, your team can manage its learning program more efficiently and accurately.
Better collaboration. By integrating your LMS with video conferencing and messaging tools, your organization can provide more collaborative learning experiences. For example, you can set up discussion forums related to course content and virtual mentorship meet-ups covering specific topics or skills.
Improved compliance tracking. An LMS integration with compliance software enables automated compliance and progress tracking. Your organization can use this information to keep learners on course, providing the necessary courses and resources to meet certification requirements.
Enhanced data collection and analytics. With all your important data connected, you can view a complete picture of your learning program at any time and unlock real-time insights. Analyze learner progress and engagement to make data-driven improvements to your program.
Ultimately, LMS integrations improve both the learning experiences your organization provides and the process of creating these high-quality experiences.
Before your organization can enjoy the benefits of LMS integrations, you must first implement them successfully. Some common challenges to watch out for include:
Compatibility. If you’re trying to integrate a modern LMS with an older legacy database, some aspects of the technology may be outdated and unable to meet today’s integration standards. In these cases, you’ll need to pursue a custom integration with the LMS vendor’s APIs to bridge the gaps between the platforms.
Costs. If your LMS doesn’t provide pre-built integrations with certain tools in your technology stack, custom development can be expensive and time-consuming. You may need to hire developers or consultants with the technical expertise to both set up and help you maintain these integrations over time.
Data migration. If you’re moving data from an old LMS to a new learning platform, you must be careful to avoid duplicating records, migrating inaccurate information, or losing important historical details along the way. This process can be even more complicated if data is formatted differently between the systems.
Security. When migrating data, you may be transferring some sensitive information about your staff and learners. Whether the integration is pre-built or custom, you must verify that safeguards are in place to protect data during and after migration.
User resistance. The human brain is hardwired to resist change—after all, it takes an average of 40-50 repetitions to establish a new habit. Both your administrators and learners may be hesitant to embrace the new features, benefits, and processes associated with your LMS integrations simply because they disrupt their current routines or habits.
One of the first steps to mitigating these challenges is partnering with an LMS vendor who is well-prepared to integrate your platform with other essential tools. They should be able to walk you through configuring pre-built integrations and provide extensive documentation if a custom one is necessary.
What software tools do organizations usually integrate with their LMS? Some of the most popular types of LMS integrations are:
Customer relationship management (CRM) integrations. By pairing your LMS and CRM, you can use the information stored in each learner’s profile to provide a more personalized educational experience based on their interests, goals, and needs. For example, a Salesforce LMS integration would allow users to sign into the learning platform directly through Salesforce and sort members based on pre-existing segments.
Video conferencing and webinar integrations. These integrations make it easy to create and schedule webinars, virtual conferences, and other online events within your LMS. Look for pre-built integrations with top tools like Zoom or GoTo Webinar to streamline real-time learning.
Social learning integrations. Build an encouraging community around your learning program to boost engagement. LMS integrations with solutions such as Higher Logic and Credly allow users to post in online discussions related to your courses and share digital credentials on their social media profiles.
Payment processing integrations. Let’s say your association uses an LMS to provide career development opportunities to members and earn additional non-dues revenue. Integrating your LMS with payment processing tools like Stripe allows you to accept and process transactions seamlessly on the platform.
These examples provide only a glimpse into the extensive possibilities of LMS integrations. Assess your own learning program and technology toolkit to pinpoint the right integrations for your organization.
Many associations use an LMS to run learning programs for their members and help them reach their career goals. However, according to this year’s Membership Performance Benchmark Report, their top operational challenge involves using multiple systems and experiencing information silos.
With this in mind, we’ve compiled the top association management software (AMS) solutions that have pre-built integrations with an LMS:
As the world’s only engagement management system (EMS), iMIS combines AMS, CRM, and website management functionality to centralize member engagement all on one platform. This leading membership solution connects with hundreds of association-specific tools, including TopClass LMS, to extend its already powerful capabilities.
For an in-depth look into how iMIS and TopClass LMS work better together, check out this brief video overview:
As the video illustrates, with an iMIS LMS integration, your organization can:
Sync course purchases between the EMS and LMS in real time.
Provide a convenient single sign-on (SSO) process for members.
Automatically log and display each member’s course completions and credits.
The Electrical Association, which supports electrical contractors nationwide, is one of many organizations that takes advantage of the TopClass LMS integration with iMIS. After struggling with an unintuitive and inefficient learning platform, the association now uses TopClass and iMIS to provide immediate course access and a more streamlined experience for learners—ultimately achieving a 108% increase in course sales within two years.
Protech is another popular database and member management tool for associations. A Protech AMS-LMS integration enables the following:
SSO and automatic member profile updates.
Learning activity creation using the Protech catalog.
Automatic purchase and activity completion syncing.
Personify provides management tools for associations of varying sizes and purposes. Integrating Personify’s software with an LMS allows for:
SSO directly onto the learning platform via Personify.
Automatic member segmentation based on characteristics such as location.
Instant purchase and activity tracking.
YourMembership is an AMS built to help small associations manage their members effectively and efficiently. Its AMS-LMS integration capabilities support:
Seamless learning data transfer after an integration process of only a few weeks.
SSO from YourMembership directly into the learning platform.
Automatic member grouping based on location or membership type.
GrowthZone is an AMS that helps associations thrive with built-in marketing automation. An LMS integration provides GrowthZone users with capabilities including:
SSO for accessing the learning platform using GrowthZone login details.
Real-time data syncing, from purchases to learning achievements.
Automated member grouping to simplify learning program administration.
While GrowthZone primarily serves small to mid-sized associations, MemberSuite is designed for more mid- to large-sized needs. Similar to GrowthZone, a MemberSuite AMS-LMS integration enables:
SSO to eliminate the need for double logins.
Real-time data syncing to provide a seamless user experience for members.
Automatic member segmentation to save your team time and effort.
re:Members AMS, formerly known as Impexium, provides associations with all of the basic membership management functionality they need. Integrating re:Members AMS with an LMS allows for:
SSO and easy user access management between systems.
Learning activity creation using the re:Members AMS Catalog.
Automatic activity, purchase, and certification tracking.
While many LMS integrations may be useful to your organization, successfully implementing them requires careful planning and communication.
Follow these steps to set your organization up for success:
Choose an LMS. If you’re seeking a new LMS, look into pre-built integration offerings when conducting your research. The top platforms should readily integrate with popular tools, including iMIS, Salesforce, HubSpot, and Stripe.
Define your objectives. Outline the specific systems you need to integrate with your LMS. Which integrations will provide the most value by implementing first? How will they improve workflows via automation and real-time data syncing?
Map your data and workflow. List out the various types of data you’ll want to transfer between systems. One of the two integrated systems must be the “master” data set, to which your team will make direct changes. In the case of an AMS-LMS integration, this should be your AMS since the platform contains a more comprehensive range of information on your members.
Collaborate with vendors and experts. Work with your LMS vendor and IT team to plan and carry out the integration. Take this opportunity to resolve any internal issues that may complicate the process and ensure that proper data encryption is in place to protect data during transfer.
Test the integration. Once the integration is complete, run pilot tests with small groups of users to check for any issues in using the software. Check for accurate data syncing, smooth workflows, and reliable security measures.
Train your users. Boost engagement with your integrated LMS by training both administrators and learners to use it. Host short online walkthrough sessions on how to navigate the platform and provide a comprehensive guidebook for your staff to reference at any time.
From there, track metrics such as user adoption, course completion, and sales to help assess your return on investment (ROI). Collect feedback from both administrators and users to make improvements as needed.
The success of your LMS integration starts with the LMS you select. TopClass LMS is built to make the integration process as easy as possible for your organization, whether you’re looking to connect with a CRM or payment processing tool.
We provide professional implementation services that cover all the integration and customization your organization needs in a prompt and cost-effective manner. Once you have the right LMS integrations in place, you’ll be ready to jump straight into improving your learning program with personalized learning pathways and streamlined data tracking.
If you’re interested in learning more about LMS platforms and how they can benefit your organization, check out these additional resources:
The Only LMS Implementation Checklist You Need: 9 Easy Steps. Follow these actionable steps to assemble an implementation team and get up and running with your learning platform.
Learning Management Systems for Nonprofits: A One-Stop Guide. Explore how an LMS can enhance your nonprofit’s operations and strengthen your connections with the community.
The Leading Association LMS to Elevate Learning | TopClass. Discover why TopClass LMS is the leading choice among associations and other membership organizations.