June 2004 — eLearning
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Features and Functions Are Merely Trifles in the Selection of a Course Management System
Buying into a Vendor Relationship
All of these questions illustrate the fact that when you buy a CMS you're investing in a lot more. What you're buying is a foundation for an e-learning program, a foundation with far-reaching implications. You're also buying a relationship, for better or worse, with the company from whom you purchase the system.
And as in any close relationship, you need to learn all you can about your prospective partner before plunging in. Find out how strong they are in their market, because healthy companies are more likely to survive the test of time as your e-learning program matures. These healthy companies are also more likely to have the brains and the staff to provide the kind of training and support that will make your program thrive.
Find out about the other relationships in which your prospective partner is engaged. This includes partnerships with compatible technologies you might want to integrate such as student information systems and/or portals. It also includes partnerships with vendors who can easily expand the range of features and functions in your CMS, such as audioconferencing software providers or content publishers.
It's also important to assess prospective vendors as you would a job applicant. What e-learning success stories can they document? Ask for references, do site visits and read reviews of their software. Ask around to find out if customers are switching CMS vendors, and if so, in which direction and why.
These suggestions can't prevent failure or second guessing, but they can significantly increase the odds of success. Whatever decision you make will be wrong to some people, especially the holy warriors who are emotionally or irrationally wed to a particular brand. But with careful planning and keen anticipation of day-to-day challenges, the rigors of selecting and implementing a CMS will rapidly give way to the power of e-learning to transform education, improve access, foster choice and deliver significant financial benefits. In the end, selecting a CMS is more than features and functions. It d'esn't have to be a daunting task; it just has to be an informed one.
