The Ultimate Guide to LMS Integration

A well-integrated learning management system (LMS) is an L&D leader’s best friend. As learning professionals face new pressures to upskill and reskill employees—while at the same time delivering more with fewer resources—quality tooling can make or break your strategy. 

But while the LMS is your weapon of choice, other teams have their own core operating systems. Most users will only spend a small fraction of their time inside a learning platform, no matter how modern the interface or engaging the content. 

Which is precisely why LMS integration matters. You need a learning tool that talks to other key business systems, and encourages learning in the spaces employees use every day. 

That dynamic doesn’t happen by accident. You need to choose the right LMS platform—with the right integrations—and use these connections to their full effect. 

This article dives into the world of LMS integration, the benefits and challenges, and offers some key examples of systems that should connect with your own. 

What is LMS integration?

LMS integration connects your learning management system (LMS) with other tools and platforms within your organization's tech stack. This integration enables the transfer of data between systems. 

The best LMS platforms offer built-in integrations with your Human Capital Management (HCM) systems, content creation tools, video conferencing tools, learning tools, and other software applications. (We’ll see plenty of examples shortly.)

The goal of these integrations is to create a seamless learning experience for employees by integrating different tools into the centralized platform. That way, they aren't jumping from app to app, and data isn't getting lost in the shuffle. 

Why are LMS integrations important? 

LMS integration helps organizations streamline their training process and improve the employee experience. You want to make learning as intuitive, natural, and easy as possible for your teams. And smooth data transfer between their favorite systems and your LMS helps achieve this. 

But the biggest benefit is clearly the open data flowing between your most important company tools. The right integrations can push learner and skills data into the LMS from an HCM/HRIS, which leads to more personalized learning. And vice versa, adding learning data to employee records and performance reviews.

Other integrations like Training Orchestra let you manage all of your blended learning in one place so you don't need to do double data entry.

Further benefits of LMS integration

There are tremendous benefits to LMS integration. One of the most significant advantages is the increased efficiency of using the LMS. 

• Process efficiency. Reduce the burden on internal resources required to develop and deliver training material, thanks to automated workflows.
  
  The most common example of this is entering the same data across different tools. L&D teams can save significant time by avoiding inefficiencies like double data entry and manual cross-checking. 
  
  By reducing the time and effort needed, employees can create and use the training material, while also having time to focus on business-critical tasks and initiatives. That translates into a boost in productivity. 
• Increased learner engagement. When an organization can provide relevant and personalized training content, learners are more likely to remain engaged with the content and motivated to complete it. You can even integrate gamification features to enhance engagement with healthy competition, and improve new knowledge retention.
• Manage training requests effectively. As an L&D expert, you’re familiar with the constant flow of training requests from managers identifying skill gaps in their teams. These reskilling requests can quickly become overwhelming and time-consuming.
  
  With a centralized platform for managing training content and requests, you can streamline requesting, developing, and delivering training programs. You'll meet the upskilling needs of the workforce faster, ensuring employees get the training they need when they need it, and improving overall employee performance.
  
• Faster authoring. Certain LMS integrations also mean you don't have to make all that training material from scratch. Access off-the-shelf training content and resources from vast libraries of pre-built courses. This reduces the time and cost of developing training and will enable employees to access top-tier training from their centralized platform. 

LMS integrations are essential for keeping employees engaged with training, helping you quickly ship company-wide training initiatives, and managing the constant flow of training requests. You can create an upskilled, efficient workforce by leveraging the power of integrations.

Challenges of LMS integration–why the details matter

LMS integration is not without its challenges. The most common (and concerning) of these include:

• Costs. If you aren't working with an LMS system designed for integration into your current tech stack, integration can be especially costly. The cost of integration varies widely, depending on the size of your organization and the complexity of the systems and the data you need to integrate.
• Technical complexity. Compatibility issues are common. Integrating different systems can require custom solutions, which can be time-consuming and expensive if you need to pay for technical expertise.
  
  Compatibility issues increase as apps and platforms evolve, too. When software updates, the integration may also need an update. This can require ongoing maintenance from a dedicated team to ensure your LMS functions correctly.
• Security. You also need to keep data security in mind, as integration allows data transfer between systems, some of which might contain sensitive employee information. Ensure the integration isn't violating any data security regulations and that appropriate measures are in place to protect information.
• User adoption. Employees need training to use the LMS system effectively, including all the integrations with your tech stack. It can take time for employees to adjust to new workflows, especially if the UI isn't intuitive. Slower adoptions can limit the benefits of the LMS, no matter how great the integrations may be. 

Despite these challenges, LMS integration can significantly benefit organizations that want to improve their training workflows and employee skill sets. You can overcome many of these challenges by choosing an LMS with built-in integrations for your tech stack. With plug-and-play solutions, you can realize the full potential of an integrated LMS without the hassles.

Types of LMS integration for every organization

Selecting suitable LMS integrations for your organization can help optimize your elearning and development strategies while reducing your workflow. It can also make training initiatives more effective and give you the power to upskill from within the organization. 

Let's look at some of the most common LMS integrations and examples of apps and platforms that might already be in your tech stack. We support many of these integrations through our comprehensive learning platform. 

Have a question about a specific integration? One of our experts would be happy to chat.

Off-the-shelf content integrations

Enrich your training catalog with high-quality, ready-to-use content. With a few clicks, you can connect your LMS with content created by industry leaders, giving your learners access to a broader range of training resources and more subject-matter expertise. 

Check out: OpenSesame, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera

HCM integrations

Keep people and learning data in sync without manual data entry. When an organization connects its LMS and HR systems, it ensures that employee training records are always up-to-date. You get valuable insights into training progress, and can quickly identify your workforce’s skill sets and skill gaps. 

Integrate with: Workday, Cornerstone OnDemand, SAP SuccessFactors, HiBob

Content creation

Authoring or content creation tools let subject-matter experts create engaging content with clicks, not code. This feature empowers non-technical team members to share their knowledge through compelling and hyper relevant content. It also reduces the time and effort required to make excellent training materials. 

Check out: Google Drive, Genially, Loom, Canva, SCORM

Customer relationship management (CRM) integrations

Customer resource management tools are the operating systems your sales, marketing, and customer success teams use every single day. Integrating these with your learning management system helps you deliver and track core training programs for these teams. 

Integrating the CRM platform with your LMS can improve your sales team's performance and provide better customer service. You can also track the effectiveness of your sales training programs, based on revenue performance.

Check out: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM

Training management 

This integration marries the power of an LMS with a training management system (TMS) to automate the management of blended learning needs. Features like scheduling, tracking, and reporting are efficiently managed across all aspects of employee training programs. 

Check out: Training Orchestra

Video conferencing integrations

Remote employees and guest speakers benefit enormously from this integration. Schedule live training sessions within your LMS using popular video conferencing tools. You can deliver engaging, interactive training sessions and webinars regardless of where your trainers and learners might be. 

Check out: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Meet

Gamification integrations

Gamification integrations can help boost learner engagement by adding game-like elements to the training platform. The integration might include motivating leaderboards, badges, and rewards, which can encourage learners to complete training and achieve goals via healthy competition. 

Check out: Kahoot!, Quizlet 

Social learning integrations

Social learning integrations let learners collaborate and share knowledge, creating a more dynamic and engaging learning experience. You might include discussion forums, social media sharing, and peer feedback to help learners engage with each other and build a community within the organization. 

Check out: Slack, Yammer, Microsoft Teams

Chatbot integrations

Chatbots powered by natural language models can provide instant feedback or extra guidance to learners in the flow of training. They can also help personalize the learning experience and assist employees without taxing your L&D resources. 

Check out: MobileMonkey, BotStar

Mobile learning integrations

Today's workforce isn't tied to a desk, and your learning platform shouldn't be either. Integrate your LMS with mobile elearning apps so your workforce can access training on almost any internet-enabled device. Being able to access online training and materials whenever and wherever needed is especially important for frontline employees.

Check out: Moodle, Canvas

Single sign-on integrations

Single sign-on (SSO) integrations enable users to log into the LMS using their existing credentials without having to remember or use multiple login details. SSO integration greatly simplifies the user experience and authentication process, reducing the risk of security breaches caused by weak passwords. 

Check out: Okta, OneLogin

How to integrate LMS in 5 straight-forward steps

Want to bring the benefits of LMS integration to your organization? Start the process by identifying your goals for the integration, including what functions you want to have, what data you need to share, and what workflows you'd like to automate. 

Then you can: 

• Select your LMS. You'll need to find an LMS that meets your integration requirements. Choose an LMS with an open API that easily integrates with other software applications.
• Choose your integration tools. If your LMS doesn't integrate with your tech stack automatically, you'll need to find an integration tool that does it for you. Something like Microsoft Power Automate may work, or you may need to develop a custom tool.
• Plan the integration. Create a plan for the integration, identifying what resources you need and if any security measures need to be implemented to protect data. Then create a timeline so all stakeholders know when to expect to start using the new system.
• Test the integration. You'll want to make sure everything is working as expected. Test the data exchange, workflows, and security measures to ensure no unexpected snags.
• Train your team. Once everything is integrated, train your team on how to use it. Be sure to focus on any workflows that are now automated so they see the immediate value of the new system. Provide online training materials and support resources for a smooth transition.

If you opt for an LMS with built-in integration functionality and an open API, you can create seamless integrations right out of the box. The platform should offer intuitive tools for bringing in and using your existing tech stack, which makes centralizing your training a smoother transition.

Empower your team with LMS integrations

Integrating an LMS with other company systems provides tremendous benefits, including improved workflows, increased engagement, and a centralized platform for managing training. 

And choosing an LMS with integration built into its DNA, like 360Learning, helps you get all those benefits without any manual coding or technical expertise. 

360Learning is a comprehensive open API learning platform that offers a wide range of built-in integration options, and a user-friendly interface for creating and delivering engaging content. 

You can seamlessly integrate learning content from third-party providers like LinkedIn Learning and Coursera to enrich your training library. You can also integrate with HCM systems like SAP SuccessFactors and Workday to keep your people and learning data in sync without adding work to your already-filled schedule. 

Ready to create seamless learning experiences for your employees, trainers, and stakeholders? Empower your team to learn collaboratively through upskilling from within. 

Get a personalized demo of the 360Learning platform to see how we can help you drive more impactful L&D.