If you are considering implementing a Learning Management System or upgrading to software with greater functionality, you may be interested in the experience of an LMS user. TheRoyal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK, use such a system to manage staff training and to reduce the risk of non-compliance of mandatory training. In this short interview I ask 4 questions which may be relevant to your organisation.
What was the key driver for the initial move to accessplanit LMS?
Increasing demands from regulators for compliance reports, increasing need to have a unified stable system for both class bookings and e-learning and a need to move course booking to self service, none of which our prior system was capable of (for e-learning we had a separate system at the time). Cost saving was not actually a factor at the time, although we have gone on to make quite substantial saving anyway, which was just as well as costs are an issue now.
Are you able to provide us with a ‘live’ example of system development to meet Trust needs?
You created an appraisal system within the LMS for us and then went on to make later modifications we required. You made numerous modifications to reporting that we requested and given us numerous extra system functionality. In all cases you have correctly understood our requirements, stuck to your quotations, and delivered either on time or early. Right now you are developing some minor additional reporting functionality for us to allow us to include former employees in activity reports so that we can accurately report activity as well as compliance.
How important is it for you to work with a supplier who takes a flexible ‘partnership’ approach to providing solutions?
Extremely. Our requirements are not – and never will be – static, therefore we need a system that can change with us. For this to happen the provider needs to understand us as a business and stands ready to move when we do.
What would you describe as the greatest benefit the system has brought to the Trust?
If you asked the Trust Board this question they would probably highlight both the cost savings and our increased compliance in respect of mandatory training which was part of the Trust’s successful application to reach the highest level of the NHS Litigation Authority’s risk management standards (and thus pay the lowest insurance premiums).
I, however, as Head of Learning and Development would say that the single greatest benefit to me and my department has been the time saved – time that we once spent chasing compliance and running reports (all now automated) can now be used for the development of new courses. As such we have (for example) been able to develop our department as a centre of Institute of Leadership and Management, offering qualifications at Levels 2, 3 and 5 – something that we would not have had the time to do without this system.
If you are currently researching learning management systems and want to read more about how Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust utilise our LMS download the case study.
Other articles you might want to read include:
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How Mace Business School Use accessplanit Software
How Citizens Advice Use Training Management Software
How Lagoon Watersports Use accessplanit Software To Capitalise On Seasonal Business
