Better together: Microsoft Teams and your LMS

Has your organization chosen Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) as the primary place for communications, file sharing, and collaboration? If so, you’re among the millions of others using the platform every day to get work done. Better together: Microsoft Teams and your LMS. Teams already has its reputation as a one-stop-shop, but we believe that once paired with the right LMS, Teams can be the ultimate hub for your learning and training that administrators and users will love to use.

Keep reading for our top reasons why MS Teams and a LMS are better together, and the key components to look for in a supportive and robust LMS to pair with Teams.

Defining our terms: MS Teams and Learning Management Systems

Microsoft Teams is a popular collaboration app built for hybrid work to help teams stay informed, connected, and organized–all in one place. According to Microsoft, 270 million users are working in the MS Teams platform, and 1 million organizations use it as their default messaging platform. From video calls and chat to file sharing and storage, it’s the program where many learners spend the bulk of their day.

Teams’ native integrations with Office 365 programs like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel have made it the natural choice for many organizations. More importantly, Teams supports the new standard hybrid model of work, connecting employees across cities and time zones to collaborate more efficiently. Employees now prioritize and desire a hybrid work environment, making job choices based on the technological agility of potential employers. For that reason, MS Teams is often seen as an investment to future-proof businesses.  

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are another prominent “investment” in the modern workplace. They’re a form of employee management software that offers onboarding training, role-based skill development, and learning materials for professional development. Learners can easily access courses, training programs, and track their progress using a LMS. 

Here are a few key features and benefits of a LMS:

• Serves as a central source of updated information on policies, products, HR materials and more, ensuring your teams are working off the same information at their fingertips whenever it’s needed

• Offers the ability to create streamlined learning tracks where admins can easily track and quickly assess learner progress through quizzes and even video replies 
• Supports microlearning, offering shorter sessions to increase engagement, improve knowledge retention, and motivate your team better than traditional, half-day training seminars
• A LMS is significantly easier to scale than traditional training programs. You don’t need to print more booklets; you just activate new users, and can quickly develop, test, and deploy new training 

When paired together, MS Teams and your LMS support your teams to be more agile, connected and engaged. Let’s explore a few reasons why. 

Why MS Teams and your LMS are better together 

Smart notifications  

We get a dizzying number of notifications each day from work, and it becomes easy to tune them out over time. When your LMS is integrated with MS Teams, your learners will receive invitations to webinars and due date reminders within Teams. When they don’t need to click away from their workspace to find more information, distractions are reduced–increasing the likelihood that they’ll complete their learning! 

Simplicity for administrators

A MS Teams integration gives admins the ability to add MS Teams URLs automatically as they schedule Workshops. You can also easily track workshop attendance through Teams. Both these functions are key time savers, helping you decrease your time spent managing and creating Workshops. 

‍Promotes integrated learning 

Integrated learning happens when you use a variety of tools and methods to weave learning and training into the places where your team already works. It also allows for training to be a shared and relational part of work. With a MS Teams-LMS integration, you bring new content and learning opportunities where your team is scheduling their days, messaging, and collaborating–offering more opportunities for training each day.

What to look for in a LMS integration 

So, you’re excited about the possibility of saving significant time and simplifying L&D with a LMS integration. But what should you look for in a LMS partner?

Ease of use

For integrated learning to take root, your learners need easy access to training materials. Look for a LMS that is simple to navigate, with a clean and modern design. Look for an interface that clearly shows learner progress and optional courses for discovery. 

Efficiency

Lots of legacy LMS platforms are clunky, layered with outdated technology that makes actions like content creation and reporting harder. Look for an LMS with powerful integrations with your tech stack, reporting on a granular level, smart automations, and advanced search tools to make finding content easy.

Cohesive experience 

As we’ve mentioned, integrations are so important for your LMS! As you onboard new team members, the right LMS should create the simplest onboarding and compliance experience a user has ever had! Automated attendance tracking, automated workflows, and seamless notifications all enhance the ‘wow’ experience. 

Support 

From implementation to daily use, look for a customer support team who will be there to help you navigate and maximize your investment. Look for a simple support request process and other satisfied customers’ testimonials.

Why Choose Continu

At Continu, we understand the power and value of MS Teams, so your learners and admins will enjoy the benefits of simple workshop URLs, attendance tracking, and more. If your organization operates with MS Teams, we’re confident that Continu is the ideal LMS to help you achieve integrated learning with high engagement.

How Continu helps your team:

• Create training courses within the platform and easily update old materials
• Deliver training modules directly to employees 
• Gamify the training experience with rewards, badges, and leaderboards
• Segment your learners into smaller groups with similar learning preferences or other traits 
• Assess employees before and after training sessions 
• Track & measure training progress
• Suggest new courses or modules that may spark curiosity or interest in your team members