How to use the analytics of an LMS to boost your training?

LMS online training platforms are now real Information mines. Each connection, each module visualized, each past evaluation generates valuable data.

→ This data should not remain unexploited: Well used, they not only allow you to improve your educational content, but also to personalize the courses, to better support learners and to demonstrate the real effectiveness of your devices. 

In other words, data analysis turns your LMS into a real strategic lever for vocational training.

Decryption

Data from an LMS is often under-exploited. However, they can answer fundamental questions: what training courses are actually being followed? Are learners progressing? Where are they having problems?

The answers to these questions pmake it possible to adjust content, improve the user experience and prove the added value of the actions taken.

Here are the main families of indicators (KPIs) to watch out for:

• Commitment : connection rate, completion rate, interaction with content.
  
  
• Performance : scores, evolution of results, differences in progress according to profiles.
  
  
• Decision making : useful data to guide the actions of HR, managers and training managers.
  
  

Data should not be seen as a simple result, but as a continuous management tool.

Why is LMS data strategic for your business?

Long seen as a simple content distribution platform, most modern LMSs are now capable of generating detailed analyses. This type of analysis helps to make more relevant educational and budgetary decisions.

• Measuring the commitment and effectiveness of training: Monitoring completion rates, time spent on modules or the number of connections makes it possible to assess learners' adherence. A drop in engagement can alert to poorly adapted content, poor ergonomics or a format problem.

• Precisely identify the points of friction: The data collected by your LMS makes it possible to detect the modules on which learners drop out or fail frequently. Concrete ways of improvement, such as simplifying content, adding additional resources or adjusting the teaching format then appear.

• Manage budgets and optimize the allocation of resources: Thanks to the indicators, it becomes easier to prioritize the most effective training courses, to allocate budgets in a more relevant way and to demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) internally.

How can you make concrete use of analytics in your LMS?

Having data is one thing. Knowing how to organize, analyze, and use them to make decisions is another. Here it is a question of integrating a continuous improvement process, based on the observation and interpretation of your KPIs.

• Segmentation by team, profession or location: Comparing data by population (services, regions, functions) makes it possible to identify disparities, to identify groups that are progressing well or those that are experiencing difficulties, and to adapt training courses accordingly.

• Monitoring progress and identifying differences between learners: Thanks to dynamic dashboards, you can visualize progress, delays and sometimes dropouts in real time during training. This makes it possible to intervene quickly, to trigger individualized support - such as coaching, mentoring - or to reconfigure a course and its modules if necessary.

• Predictive analysis to combat dropout: By combining the analysis of past behaviors (completion rate, scores, deadlines), some LMS can anticipate the risk of abandonment and propose targeted actions: automatic follow-up, individualized coaching, recommendation of additional content.

What are the features to focus on in your LMS?

A good LMS doesn't just store data. It should offer intuitive features so you can turn raw data into accurate insights that lead to concrete decisions.

Customized dashboards by user profile: An HR manager will not be interested in the same indicators as a manager or trainer. The ideal is to have personalized views according to roles, with the most relevant KPIs for each.

Automated alerts for maximum responsiveness: Some platforms allow you to program alerts in case of non-connection, repeated failure to perform an evaluation or abandoning a course. These alerts facilitate rapid and targeted interventions, before the situation deteriorates.

Structured exports for decision-making bodies : Data should be able to be shared easily during HR committees or performance reviews. A visual export, clear and synthetic, facilitates communication and supports requests for adjustment or financing.

Exploiting LMS data: concrete cases and strategic KPIs

Data-based analysis turns training into a driver of operational performance. Discover how to make the most of the data from your LMS through concrete sectoral examples and key monitoring indicators.

Retail sector

• Cross-referencing relevant data : Analyze the link between the completion rate of training modules per point of sale and the evolution of the average basket or even the customer loyalty rate.
  
  
• Numerical impact : Determine which training courses generate a rapid return on investment, such as a 15% increase in sales on products highlighted after a specific module devoted to merchandising.
  
  

Logistics sector

• Predictive approach : Set up real-time alerts on the risks of certification failure through the combined analysis of several factors:
  
  
  • Frequency and regularity of connections to the platform
  • Average time spent on interactive modules and simulations
  • Results obtained in intermediate quizzes
    
    

Franchise networks

• Benchmarking between entities : Compare the performance of training courses according to geographical areas in order to identify the necessary local adaptations (for example, adapt the modules produced according to regional specificities).
  
  
• Optimization of budgets : Reallocate investments to the most effective and engaging formats for learners, such as interactive videos that perform better than PDFs.

Bonus: the essential KPIs to analyze your LMS data

Our advice for going further in the analysis

• Segment your indicators based on several criteria such as:
  
  
  • The professions concerned (example: field salespeople versus department managers)
    
    
  • The media used (training followed on mobile compared to desktop)
    
    
  • The frequency of follow-up (weekly, monthly or quarterly depending on the objectives set)
    
    
• Automate your dashboards using solutions like Power BI, Tableau or Google Data Studio in order to save time, precision and ability to react.
  
  

The intelligent exploitation of data from your LMS allows you to adjust your training strategy on an ongoing basis, while transforming it into a real performance driver for your company.

Key figures you need to know

Businesses that take full advantage of their LMS data are seeing a tangible improvement of their training and the commitment of learners.

• 76% of training managers believe that their LMS analytics significantly improve their decision-making (source: Training Industry, 2024).
  
  
• 37% of learners abandon a course if the perceived value is not visible from the first few minutes.
  
  
• 23% increased performance observed in teams that benefited from personalized content through data analysis.
  
  
• Only 32% of businesses report making full use of the analytics capabilities of their LMS