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David is the director of a newly ASQA-registered training organisation, PQRS Training. To meet compliance requirements and automate their business processes, David and his team have decided to invest in a system to handle basic functions like student, course and financial management. David has an idea of what his organisation needs, but in his research he comes across a sea of option that all seem relevant to his organisation. Does he need a student management system or would a training management system be better? Both have AVETMISS-reporting capabilities and what is a learning management system and would he require LMS functions in the future?

Are you like David in the above scenario, faced with so many choices that you can’t actually choose? Or are you a more seasoned player, looking to replace an existing system that can’t keep up with the growth and expansion of your business?

No matter what your circumstances, when making an informed decision about a potential management system, it is imperative that you understand the differences between a SMS, LMS or TMS before you divide into the product melee. Many people just assume they’re all one and the same, just under different names – not true! While they may boast multifunctional capabilities that seem similar, each system is unique unto it and sevres a targeted purpose that may or may not be pertinent to your training business needs.

Student Management System (SMS)

An SMS – sometimes referred to as a student information system (SIS), student information management system (SIMS) or student record system (SRS) – essentially manages all the day-to-day operations of a training organisation. Some SMS capabilities might include:

  • Managing enquiries from prospective students
  • Processing student admissions
  • Enrolling new students and storing teaching option choices
  • Handling examinations, assessments, marks/grades and academic progression
  • Maintaining record or absences and attendance
  • Tracking the award of credit or qualifications and graduations

Once upon a time, most small RTOs could scrape by without the help of an SMS, relying instead on custom built spreadsheets and Microsoft Access databases – a cost-efficient (if not time-consuming) approach. However, with the release of AQTF standards in 2010 stipulating that RTOs must have a management system capable of providing AVETMISS-compliant data, the SMS has quickly become the go-to option for organisations in need of simple automated functions like the ones listed above.

Learning Management System (LMS)

An LMS serves as an online portal for classrooms, performing administrative functions for the educators and allowing the students to view their assignments, grades and learning materials. Therefore, this particular system is ideal for organisations offering e-learning courses. (Some LMS products are capable of delivering complete courses)

Key features of an LMS include:
Student registration and administration

  • Training event management (i.e. scheduling, tracking and WBT delivery)
  • Curriculum and certification management
  • Skills and competencies management
  • Reporting
  • Training record management
  • Courseware authoring

When used for corporate/enterprise training, an LMS might include additional features to satisfy specific requirements, such as:

  • Automatic enrolment and reminders for mandatory courses
  • Option for manager access, such as to approve materials or participation in a course
  • Integration with HR systems for tracking employment eligibility, performance goals and similar corporate data
  • Control over access and class grouping according to a number of fields, such as geography or levels of security clearance

The LMS is a comparatively young innovation, but demand is expected to grow. Recent technological trends and business demands favour the production of collaborative, web-based applications that are designed with the user in mind.

Training Management System (TMS)

A TMS is where all the student and administrative data is housed – it enables you to schedule, track and report client training, licensing, certifications etc, This system is particularly useful for businesses that do in-house training or that otherwise need to automate a greater number of tasks than most student management systems are capable of handling.

Some standard features of a TMS might include:

  •   Contact management (e.g. current clients, potential clients, RTO staff etc.)
  •   Course Management
  •   The ability to create and deploy course and non-course-related surveys
  •   Learner Portal
  •   Finance Management
  •   Compliance Reporting

Once you’ve determined which type of system would best suit your organisation, you can start building a list of potential products and service providers. But don’t rush! As you move through the next stages of buying process, set aside ample time for careful consideration to ensure your final decision is the right one.

Need help picking a product? Check out the continuation of our guide on finding the right management system for your training needs here!

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