Rolling out a new Training Management System (TMS) can feel like a leap into the unknown. You’re moving away from spreadsheets, email chains, and disconnected tools into one platform that manages bookings, schedules, communications, finance, compliance, and reporting.
Get it right, and the benefits are huge: reduced admin, happier teams, better learner experiences, and data you can finally trust. Get it wrong, and adoption stalls, errors creep in, and staff become frustrated.
The key to success lies in how you implement the system. Based on best practice and accessplanit’s 20+ years of experience onboarding training providers, here’s a step-by-step guide to rolling out a TMS with confidence.
Every successful project starts with a clear definition of success. Too many software rollouts fail because teams rush into configuration without agreeing what they’re trying to achieve.
Start by asking:
What would success look like six months after software launch? E.g. “Our enrolment process takes minutes instead of hours.”
Which outcomes are critical, and which are “nice to have”?
Practical actions:
Write down your top three goals. These might include reducing course cancellations, boosting trainer utilisation, or improving financial visibility
Translate goals into measurable KPIs e.g. “Cut enrolment admin by 40% within three months.”
Share goals widely so all departments know why the system is being implemented
During onboarding with accessplanit, your Implementation Manager will align your plan to fit your success measures from the very beginning. This ensures the project stays focused on outcomes, not just features.
Implementing new software is the perfect chance to rethink how you work. The mistake many organisations make is replicating outdated processes in a shiny new system.
Instead, map your current workflows end to end:
How do you currently schedule trainers and rooms?
How are bookings confirmed and paid for?
How do learners receive joining instructions and reminders?
How are reports created for managers or regulators?
Once you’ve mapped it, ask:
Where are the bottlenecks?
What’s being duplicated?
Which manual tasks could be automated?
For example, you might realise that booking confirmations are sent manually, which leads to delays and mistakes. In a TMS, these can be automated - freeing up admin time and ensuring learners get consistent communication.
In onboarding with accessplanit, process mapping is a core step. Workflows are configured to reflect how an organisation wants to operate in the future, not just how it worked in the past.
A TMS typically touches almost every part of a training organisation: admin, trainers, finance, management, sales and marketing. Leaving implementation to IT alone is a recipe for poor adoption.
Your project team should include:
Project lead/key contact – to keep the project a priority; managing deadlines, tasks, and communications
Department champions – people from admin, training, finance who will actually use the system day-to-day. They bring practical insight and test usability
IT support – to handle integrations, data migration, and security checks
Engaging end-users early has a huge benefit: when people feel part of the process, they’re far more likely to embrace the system later.
With accessplanit, you will have a dedicated Implementation Manager who is on hand to support your throughout your implementation, ensuring momentum and alignment throughout the project.
Data is the lifeblood of a TMS. Poor-quality data going in means poor-quality insights coming out.
Steps to take before migration:
Audit existing data – identify duplicate learner records, missing contact details, or inconsistent naming conventions
Clean and standardise – agree a single format for dates, addresses, and course codes
Decide what to migrate – do you really need ten years’ worth of inactive learner records? Sometimes, migrating less data makes for a cleaner system
Validate – run test imports to check the data behaves as expected in the new system
With accessplanit, you'll receive guidance on preparing and importing data, avoiding the pitfalls of “rubbish in, rubbish out.”
Even the most powerful TMS will fall flat if users don’t feel confident. Training should be role-based and hands-on.
Consider:
Admins – need deep knowledge of scheduling, workflows, reporting, and finance tools
Trainers – should know how to check schedules, mark attendance, upload course notes, and view delegate details
Other key team members - for example, your senior leadership team may want oversight or to access reporting
Best practice is to combine live training sessions with a sandbox environment where users can practice without risk. Confidence comes from doing, not just watching.
At accessplanit, we have a whole host of resources to ensure your team are confident and knowledgeable, including our Knowledge Base and on-demand platform training. Every platform includes sandbox access, allowing your team to explore and experiment safely before launch.
Trying to launch every feature at once can overwhelm staff. A phased rollout works better.
Start with the essentials:
Course scheduling
Bookings and payments
Basic reporting
Core automated communications (confirmations, reminders, follow-ups)
Once these are embedded, expand into advanced features:
Advanced automation/workflows
Client or learner portals
Finance integrations
Compliance and certification tracking
Early wins build confidence. Your team will see immediate improvements in efficiency, making them more open to adopting advanced features later.
At accessplanit, our timelines are flexible - some of our customers go live in 60 days, while larger or more complex configurations have a longer onboarding cycle.
Before launch, test rigorously:
Run pilot bookings with real data
Check that automated workflows behave correctly
Verify communications (emails, reminders, invoices) are branded and accurate
Review permissions to ensure the right people have the right access
Equally important is communication. Keep your wider team updated throughout implementation:
Share progress milestones
Explain why the system is being introduced, not just what it does
Celebrate small wins, like the first automated enrolment or error-free financial report
Implementation doesn’t end on launch day. A TMS should grow and evolve with your organisation.
Best practice:
Hold regular reviews to measure adoption and revisit goals
Identify under-used features and re-train staff where needed
Expand automation and integrations gradually as confidence grows
Keep a feedback loop open - staff on the ground often spot opportunities to improve workflows
After onboarding at accessplanit, you'll move into an Optimisation phase supported by a dedicated Customer Success Manager, ensuring your TMS keeps delivering value long-term.
Implementing a Training Management System isn't a small task, but it can absolutely transform how you deliver, manage, and grow your training. The key to a successful implementation is structure: define your goals, refine your processes, involve the right people, clean your data, train your teams, and take a phased approach.
Do this, and implementation feels like less of daunting project and more a series of manageable steps. The results are clear to see: less admin, better learner experiences, and a training business that’s ready to scale.
accessplanit’s structured onboarding model is built around these principles, with dedicated support, flexible timelines, and a focus on long-term optimisation. Whether you’re considering a TMS for efficiency, compliance, or growth, following these steps will give you the best chance of success.
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