“How Often Should I Update My LMS?”

“How often should I update my LMS?”

It’s a question Learning and Development (L&D) professionals ask frequently, yet the answers often vary. Some swear by updating their Learning Management System (LMS) at the first sign of a new feature, while others wait until performance issues or security concerns force their hand. The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer—but there are clear guidelines and best practices that can help you make informed decisions about when and how to update your LMS.

Your LMS is more than just a platform for delivering training—it’s a cornerstone of your organization’s learning strategy. It ensures employees stay compliant, builds critical skills, and fosters a culture of continuous growth. But like any technology, an LMS requires regular updates to remain effective, secure, and aligned with your organization’s evolving needs.

In this article, we’ll explore how often you should update your LMS, the signs that it’s time for an upgrade, and the best practices for keeping your platform running smoothly.

Refreshing LMS Elements (Most Frequent)

While updating course content and replacing the platform entirely are important, refreshing the elements within your LMS is something you’ll do most frequently. These elements, such as Assessments, Badges, Certificates, Resources, Learning Paths, and Due Dates, are the building blocks of engagement and motivation for your learners. Keeping them fresh and relevant means your team will have an up-to-date platform that runs smoothly and makes sense for them.

Not all LMS elements require the same level of attention, but each plays a critical role in the overall user experience. Here are the key elements to focus on and how often they should be updated:

Badges and Certifications

Badges and certifications are powerful motivators, but their impact diminishes if they feel outdated or irrelevant. Refresh every 6-12 months to maintain employee interest and relevance.

Best Practices:

✓ Update designs to keep them visually appealing (can usually be done inside the LMS)

✓ Adjust criteria to reflect new skills or competencies

✓ Add new reward tiers to keep employees striving for the next level

Resources (Documents, Links, Guides, Tools, etc.)

Resources like guides, templates, and tools are only valuable if they’re current and useful. Add new materials quarterly or as needed to support current training goals.

Best Practices:

✓ Regularly audit resources to remove outdated or unused materials

✓ Add new content based on employee feedback or emerging industry trends

✓ Organize resources into easily navigable categories for quick access

Learning Paths

Learning paths provide structure and direction for employee development, but they need to evolve as your organization’s goals and priorities change. Review and update learning paths every 6-12 months to ensure they remain aligned with business needs.

Best Practices:

✓ Incorporate new courses or modules to reflect updated skills or knowledge

✓ Simplify pathways to make them more intuitive and user-friendly, including adding or subtracting courses

✓ Use analytics to identify which paths are most effective and which need improvement

Assessments or Quizzing

Assessments are critical for measuring knowledge retention and skill development, but outdated or repetitive questions can lead to disengagement. Update assessments every 6-12 months to keep them relevant and challenging.

Best Practices:

✓ Add new question types (ex: True/False, Multi-Select, Multiple Choice) to make assessments more engaging

✓ Align questions with current training content and organizational goals

✓ Use assessment data to identify gaps in knowledge – which questions are people missing?

Due Dates and Timelines

Training timelines must align with business priorities and compliance deadlines. Review due dates and schedules monthly to ensure they reflect current needs.

Best Practices:

✓ Communicate changes clearly to avoid confusion and ensure compliance

✓ Use automated reminders to keep employees on track

✓ Adjust deadlines to accommodate busy periods or shifting priorities

Refreshing LMS elements is the most frequent type of update you’ll make, but it’s also one of the most impactful. By keeping these fresh and relevant, you create an engaging, motivating learning environment that drives employee success.

In the next section, we’ll explore how to handle moderate updates, like updating course content to ensure it remains accurate, relevant, and aligned with your organization’s goals.

Updating LMS Course Content (Moderate Updates)

While refreshing LMS elements keeps the platform engaging, updating the actual content within your courses is where the real learning happens. Outdated course materials can lead to disengagement, inaccurate information, and missed opportunities for growth. Whether it’s compliance training that no longer reflects current regulations or onboarding programs that don’t align with your company’s latest tools and processes, keeping your content up-to-date ensures your training remains relevant, effective, and impactful.

Updating course content is a moderate-level task—it doesn’t need to happen as frequently as refreshing LMS elements, but it’s still a critical part of maintaining a high-quality training program. Here’s a few examples that show how to approach it:

Compliance Training

Compliance training ensures your organization meets legal and regulatory requirements. Outdated content can lead to fines, lawsuits, or other penalties. Needs to be updated annually or whenever regulations change (ex: OSHA, GDPR, HIPAA).

Best Practices:

✓ Monitor industry news and regulatory updates to stay informed about changes

✓ Work with legal or compliance teams to ensure accuracy

✓ Use real-world examples to make the content more relatable and engaging

Skills-Based Training

Skills-based training helps employees develop the competencies they need to excel in their roles. Outdated content can leave them unprepared for new tools, technologies, or processes. Update every 6-12 months, depending on how quickly your industry evolves.

Best Practices:

✓ Incorporate feedback from employees and trainers to identify gaps.

✓ Use multimedia (e.g., videos, infographics) to make the content more engaging.

✓ Align training with current business goals and priorities.

Onboarding Programs

Onboarding sets the tone for new hires, helping them understand your company’s culture, tools, and processes. Outdated onboarding materials can lead to confusion and a poor first impression. Update quarterly or whenever there are significant changes to company policies, tools, or culture.

Best Practices:

✓ Regularly review and update onboarding materials to reflect current practices

✓ Include interactive elements (e.g., quizzes, videos) to keep new hires engaged

✓ Gather feedback from recent hires to identify areas for improvement

Best Practices for Updating Course Content

Updating course content doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Here are some best practices to make the process smoother and more effective:

1. Gather Feedback from Learners and Trainers
   ✓ Use surveys, focus groups, or one-on-one conversations to identify outdated or ineffective materials.
   ✓ Ask employees what they found most helpful—and what they struggled with.
2. Leverage Analytics
   ✓ Use LMS analytics to track course completion rates, engagement, and knowledge retention.
   ✓ Identify which courses or modules need the most attention based on performance data.
3. Incorporate Modern Learning Techniques
   ✓ Use microlearning to break content into bite-sized, easily digestible chunks.
   ✓ Add interactive elements like quizzes, simulations, or scenario-based exercises.
   ✓ Incorporate multimedia (e.g., videos, podcasts) to cater to different learning styles.
4. Collaborate Across Teams
   ✓ Work with subject matter experts (SMEs) to ensure content accuracy and relevance.
   ✓ Partner with HR, compliance, or department heads to align training with organizational goals.
5. Test and Iterate
   ✓ Pilot updated content with a small group of employees before rolling it out company-wide.
   ✓ Gather feedback and make adjustments as needed.

Replacing Your LMS (Least Frequent Update)

Replacing your LMS is the most significant – and least common – update you’ll make. Unlike refreshing elements or updating course content, which happens regularly, replacing your LMS is a major undertaking that requires careful planning, time, and resources. Once organizations find a training platform vendor that works for them, they tend to not switch until a large change is needed. In fact, the average Knowledge Anywhere LMS customer stays with us for about 8 years!

It’s not a decision to take lightly, but there are times when it’s necessary to ensure your training program remains effective, scalable, and aligned with your organization’s goals. Here’s how to know when it’s time to replace your LMS and how to approach the process strategically.

Signs It’s Time to Replace Your LMS

How do you know when it’s time to move on from your current LMS? Here are some common signs:

1. The Platform No Longer Meets Your Needs
   Your organization has outgrown the LMS, and it no longer supports your size, complexity, or training goals or your current system lacks critical features that you need.
2. Poor User Experience
   Employees and trainers consistently report frustration with the system’s usability, performance, or limitations or the interface feels outdated, clunky, or difficult to navigate.
3. Lack of Vendor Support
   The vendor is no longer providing adequate updates, support, or innovation or the platform is being phased out or discontinued.
4. High Costs with Low ROI
   The cost of maintaining your current LMS outweighs the benefits it provides and migrating to a new system would be more cost-effective in the long run.
5. Changing Business Needs
   Your organization has undergone significant changes, such as rapid growth, new training priorities, or expansion into new markets, and your current LMS can’t keep up or scale.

Replacing your LMS isn’t something you’ll do often – most organizations evaluate their LMS every 3-6 years to determine if it still meets their needs. However, if your organization undergoes significant changes, you may need to consider a replacement sooner and look into ways to migrate over to a new system.

Steps and Best Practices for Replacing Your LMS

Replacing your LMS is a multi-step process that requires careful planning and execution. Here’s how to approach it:

1. Conduct a Needs Assessment

Before diving into the search for a new LMS, take the time to evaluate your organization’s current and future training needs.

✓ Involve key stakeholders (employees, trainers, leadership) to gather input on what’s working and what’s not

✓ Identify must-have features, such as mobile accessibility, integrations, advanced analytics, or gamification

✓ Consider scalability and choose a platform that can grow with your organization and adapt to future needs

2. Research Alternative Platforms

Once you’ve identified your needs, explore different LMS options to find the best fit for your organization

✓ Read reviews and case studies to understand how other organizations have used the platform

✓ Request demos and free trials to test the system’s usability and features

✓ Evaluate the vendor’s reputation, customer support, and commitment to innovation

3. Plan for Data Migration

Migrating data from your old LMS to the new one is one of the most critical steps in the process

✓ Work with your new vendor to smoothly transfer data (user records, course content, completion history)

✓ Test the migrated data thoroughly to ensure it’s accurate and complete

✓ Create backups of your data before starting the migration process

4. Train Your Team

A new LMS is only as effective as the people using it. Providing training and resources will help your team adapt quickly.

✓ Offer hands-on training sessions to familiarize employees and trainers with the new system

✓ Create user guides, FAQs, or video tutorials to support self-paced learning

✓ Designate “super users” within your organization who can provide ongoing support and guidance

5. Communicate the Change

Clear communication is key to ensuring a smooth transition and minimizing resistance to change.

✓ Keep employees informed, including why the change is happening and how it will benefit them

✓ Provide a clear timeline for the transition and what employees can expect

✓ Address concerns and questions proactively to build trust and confidence in the new system

6. Test Thoroughly Before Launch

Before rolling out the new LMS company-wide, test it with a small group of users to identify and address any issues.

✓ Pilot the new LMS with a diverse group of users, including employees, trainers, and administrators

✓ Gather feedback on usability, performance, and any pain points

✓ Make adjustments based on feedback to ensure a positive experience for all users

7. Monitor the Transition

Once the new LMS is live, monitor its performance and gather feedback to ensure it’s meeting your organization’s needs.

✓ Use analytics to track engagement, course completion rates, and user satisfaction

✓ Regularly gather feedback from employees and trainers to identify areas for improvement

✓ Work closely with your vendor to resolve any issues quickly and efficiently

8. Partner with Your New Vendor

A strong partnership with your LMS vendor can make all the difference in ensuring a successful transition and long-term success.

✓ Establish clear communication channels with your vendor for ongoing support

✓ Take advantage of vendor resources, such as training, implementation guides, and customer support

✓ Stay informed about new features and updates to ensure your LMS remains current and effective

Conclusion

Remember, an LMS isn’t a “set it and forget it” solution. It requires ongoing attention and care to remain a valuable asset. Whether you’re making small tweaks or embarking on a major transition, the effort you put into updating your LMS will pay off in the form of a more engaged, skilled, and compliant workforce.

If you’re ready to take the next step in optimizing your training program, Knowledge Anywhere is here to help. With our expertise in LMS solutions and seamless migration services, we can guide you through every stage of the process – from refreshing elements to replacing your platform entirely. Let’s work together to build a training program that grows with your organization and sets your team up for success!