Knowing key things like how registration rules are set up, and when scheduled reports are due to be sent, can really help the new Administrator hit the ground running and ensure your learning and development activities are not disrupted by the transition.
They will need to know (if it isn’t them) who the key decision makers are for the Learning Management System (LMS) – is this HR, L&D or another department? Also consider if there are other Administrators responsible for different elements of managing the platform – make sure these people are aware of each other and what they will be doing on the system. Too many Administrators can make the system difficult to manage, so bear that in mind as well.
Ultimately, you want things to continue as normal for your platform users – the last thing a new Administrator needs is an influx of queries or to learn that something that had been working fine for years has suddenly stopped working.
The first port of call for any new LMS Administrator should be our extensive Knowledge Base, where you can find help articles on everything to do with the LMS as well as plenty of step-by-step videos and webinar recordings.
Use this blog post as a checklist for the next time you need to do a handover to a new Administrator.
1. Automated Registration Rules and Emails Reminders
Any Registration Rules you’ve created won’t stop running once you have left the organisation, but do make sure that your reporting scope isn’t reduced when your account is archived, as that may impact which users are picked up by existing Registration Rules.
However, now’s a good time to review if they are still needed.
- If you don’t need them anymore, make sure to cancel them.
- If they need to keep running, make sure that the new Administrator is aware of when the rules run and for what reason.
They’ll also need to know how to amend and cancel the rules, as well as how to create new ones in the future.
If you have a schedule for rolling out your training throughout the year, make sure your new LMS Administrator is aware of the schedule and any upcoming training.
- Are reports required to track completion and assessment scores?
- Does the new Administrator know how to access and amend those reports?
The same goes for Email Reminders – the new Administrator will need to know what emails are scheduled to go out, when, and what criteria will trigger them.
- Do you have email templates you follow when rolling out new learning?
- Do you always set up the same types of email reminder for each activity? For example, confirmation email, reminder n. days before the due date, on the due date and after the due date?
Remember, you can use Template Hub to create templates for Registration Rules and for Email Reminders – this feature saves Administrators valuable time.
2. Organisation Structure
Does the new Administrator understand how users are organised on the LMS? Is the hierarchy based on location, department, or something else? Understanding the organisation hierarchy is key when it comes to rolling out training via registration rules and creating reports.
If the new Administrator is going to be creating new users they will need to know which Organisation Unit to add them to.
It’s also important to ensure the new Administrator has a good understanding of how reporting scopes work, as giving users too narrow or broad a reporting scope can have a big impact on whether they are able to use the LMS efficiently.
3. Reports
Have you created any useful reports that the new LMS Administrator will need to be able to run and make amendments to? If so, make sure that you have shared the report with them.
Consider who needs to see the reports and for what reason. Are they just shared with Line Managers or are they shared at board meetings?
Have you created any Scheduled Report Emails? These will continue to run even if your account has been archived from the LMS, however, other Administrators won’t be able to view what reports have been scheduled. The email signature will also contain your name and contact details. As best practice to avoid confusion, we recommend deleting these and asking the new Administrator recreate them on their own account.
4. Content
Consider if you have any naming or code conventions for content you create. These might be important for reporting purposes, or if you have created questions within a Question Bank which are linked to activities via their activity code.
If you’ve purchased content from us, is your subscription due to expire in the near future? If so, make sure that the new Administrator knows not to register users to the content if it is likely to expire before they can complete it.
This is also a good time to carry out some content housekeeping on your LMS. Can you archive any pathways, events or eCreators that are no longer in use within your organisation? This will help keep Content Manager tidy and easier for the new Administrator to navigate.
5. Data feed (if applicable)
If you have a data feed in place, make sure that the new Administrator is aware of when it runs and what its purpose is. Make sure they know how to contact Support or your Customer Success Manager, in case they experience any issues with the data feed.
6. User auto-archiving
If you have an auto-archiving strategy enabled, make sure the new Administrator is aware of how this works. If they are going to be a Super Administrator, make them aware of where this feature is managed (in Site Settings).
Summary
Having a formal handover ensures that the new Administrator can hit the ground running and that your LMS Users’ experience continues to be a seamless and positive one.
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