Let me put it straight and to the point, why hire a Learning Management System (LMS) administrator (admin, hereafter)? You think of doing the admin job without him. Or you think the LMS vendor will support you 24/7.  Or you think, still further, that you or one of the managing folks handles it as and when required.

No organization for an LMS administrator!

Without an LMS admin, you barely manage your eLearning activities not more than 10 percent. You can bet on this!

Having a full-fledged LMS admin is like hiring a dedicated vehicle driver so that he can take you out whenever and wherever you want to. Likewise, your LMS admin will handle all the activities related to your Learning and Development (L&D).

So let’s understand the role of an LMS administrator.

Role of LMS Administrator

What does an LMS administrator do? He administrates an LMS! That simple it is. So it helps to know what exactly an LMS does for you.

As you may know, an LMS is a software to train people using eLearning deliverables. That means there are some functions which need to be taken care of every now and then.

An LMS admin usually, but not limited to, do:

• Upkeep your LMS
• Create eLearning programs
• Document everything
• Reports
• Collect and send training feedbacks

And many such tasks, depending on the need.

Now let’s see what an LMS admin does inside the LMS.

Responsibilities of an LMS Admin

The responsibilities of an LMS admin are segregated into three parts.

1. What he does within the LMS
2. What he does to the LMS
3. What he does, connecting to the LMS

What he does within the LMS

Any organization which has an LMS means there will be a handful of work for its admin. Here are some of the tasks the LMS admin carries out:

• Defines roles, departments, etc.
• Creates users
• Creates learning modules such as eLearning, Classrooms, Learning Paths, Programmes, etc.
• Collects and send personal feedback from your folks
• Prepares Badges and Certificates
• Updates Training Calendar
• Edits LMS settings

And these tasks are just some of the important ones. There will be many such tasks for your LMS admin.

What he does to the LMS

Like any other system, your LMS, too, needs maintenance and other good-keeping tasks on regular basis. That is to keep your system running up and smooth.  So you need an LMS administrator who knows inside out of an LMS.

Thorough knowledge of the LMS will help him to troubleshoot things fast and smooth. Therefore,

• Good analytical skills of the LMS admin come in handy to fix things up on the LMS
• Configuring the LMS
• Maintaining the LMS documentation
• Updating the LMS as and when recommended by the LMS vendor for security reasons
• Suggesting the improvements in usage as and when feasible
• Keeping an eye on the latest LMS trends and technology so as to implement them in your system
• Monitoring system performance

And more.

One way the above points sound as the responsibilities of an LMS administrator. So the responsibility lies on the admin to put the LMS to the optimum use to effectively execute your L&D strategies.

Otherwise, chances are that your LMS may turn out to be a white elephant. That’s for sure.

What he does, connecting to the LMS

Concerning the LMS and the L&D, the LMS admin will act as a nodal point. He will be the point of contact for various jobs. Let’s see them:

1. Coordinates with the LMS vendor’s technical team concerning the technical aspects of your LMS
2. Servers as a point of contact for your learners for any issues on the inaccessibility of courses
3. Collaborates with training managers and others at various levels in the organization
4. Gets inputs from the instructional designers in case there is an issue of accessing the courses
5. Collects feedback from learners about the training, the trainers, and the courses

And the points add up to the above list as and when required. That’s all about the responsibilities of an LMS admin.

In case you like to be an LMS admin, you better had these skills listed here.

• Clear communication is everything. Because you have to deal with a good number of stakeholders at various levels.
• System network. Because you are the guy who is the point of contact, you have to be good at systems and networking.
• Analytical skills. You have to identify and troubleshoot the LMS issues. Therefore, this skillset is crucial.
• Course work design. It’s useful if you know the ropes of designing the courses.
• Knowledge of LMS trends and social media.

That’s a few skill-sets that make you an effective LMS admin, worthy of a handsome paycheck.

That’s all.

Therefore, an LMS admin is always a plus point to the organization, adding value to it. But not otherwise.