eNetLearn is a mid-market SaaS LMS with a number of differences that go to make this a very affordable, accessible and flexible learning platform.
It has found a really identifiable niche in the market with users requiring the speed of a SaaS set-up alongside some very powerful customisable capabilities. This makes eNetLearn a great choice for companies or organisations that are new to elearning to start their elearning journey, then to grow and flex with eNetLearn easily and effectively.
So, an eNetLearn LMS can be set up in a day and eCom are there to help as much as you require from the get-go. eNetLearn was developed with ease of use and accessibility designed in from the outset, in partnership with the RNIB and Mencap.
With these clients “on the team” eCom has gone to great lengths to ensure that this LMS meets the highest accessibility and usability standards and, as an LMS, it just flows smoothly from screen to screen in an unassuming manner. But, behind this façade, the attention to detail is exemplary.
Screen layout is precise, navigation is clear and clutter is banished. Overall, the UI and UX is beautifully understated with the principles of accessibility presented to perfect effect.
Indeed, eCom has taken over three years to develop this LMS, and there is a lot more to this LMS than meets the eye. The platform is structured for ease of use in learner management and content management and, surprisingly for a SaaS based LMS at this price point, it has some very nice additional and innovative features – as well as the capacity to be customised.
Let’s just flag up some of the more interesting features that set eNetLearn apart from the more everyday SaaS platforms:
Terminologies – it is easy and quick to change the terminologies used on the platform so, for example, Training becomes Learning.
Registration: fields can be added as required to the registration process which is very useful and learners can upload their own photograph.
Badges and / or certificates can be created and added as part of learning journeys.
The learner’s homepage is displayed over four tiles and presented as the workspace.
The whole platform is fully mobile-responsive but the mobile accessibility is most clearly demonstrated here for the learner with the two-clicks-to-access-content principle perfectly applied.
Multi-tenancy
Multi-tenancy comes as standard (with bespoke URLs as an extra option) and eCom offers totally transparent prices that are not predatory and do not punish success in recruiting more learners. Training companies take note. eCom has clients that use this multi-tenancy solution to good effect with their own commercial customers.
eNetLearn also supports groups within the organisation through managing content access privileges very effectively. Groups come with a nice little newsfeed option, which is neat in providing curated information to defined group members.
A custom form builder comes as standard. This is an innovative and useful addition to the LMS allowing for great flexibility and multiple use cases are emerging from eNetLearn users, including gathering feedback, conducting satisfaction surveys and the declaration of learning evidence, which I particularly like as a feature.
The form builder can be integrated into a learning programme or used as a standalone option. It comes with workflows and templates as well as a WYSIWYG editor, which is neat.
Secure at all levels
Features on the platform can be turned off (or on) easily and quickly. For example, PDFs can be secured and downloads prohibited or allowed, as required.
Security and data privacy are top notch, with very powerful access controls. Learner registration is secure and access permissions locked down based on e-mail address.
Bulk enrolment or secure self-enrolment are supported. Custom roles are used to allow for permissions to be managed with no shortage of flexibility in aligning to organisational hierarchies.
The mixing desk approach to allocating privileges and, thereby, creating custom roles is particularly impressive, providing amazing flexibility and enhanced management of access to learners personally identifiable data – a rapidly growing requirement as GDPR evolves.
Integrations aplenty
eNetLearn is highly integratable with an API generated at set-up, and an out-of-the-box integration with Salesforce CRM provided. eCommerce is very well catered for (with some very nice catalogue features and a wide choice of payment gateways that can be integrated, including Sage and Worldpay as well as Stripe and PayPal).
Single sign on (SSO) is provided, and more bespoke SSO can be managed if needed. There is a deep LTI integration for Zoom using the DNS to manage attendance. Similar integrations are due for Teams and GoToMeeting.
Making content and learner management easy
The principles of design are applied to the learning management role with a tiled window allowing for the easy and effective building of learning pathways, and the allocation of learning, including events and wider blended learning through this one interface.
Sounds easy. Well, if you are using eNetLearn, it is deceptively easy and a terrific time saver when administering learning. Sadly, there are too few LMS solutions that have really cracked this learner and content management capability as well as eCom has with eNetLearn.
Mr Spock (of Star Trek fame) himself would be proud of the logic of this UI and UX design for managing content and learners. Just so you know, eCom also has an LMS, branded eNetEnterprise. Maybe there is a theme going on here.
Administrators are able to look at the learner’s workspace to understand issues and troubleshoot problems. Furthermore, eNetLearn has some nice touches to support users, with the ability to resend login credentials quickly and securely.
Onboard communications are very good, with email workflows quick and easy to set up. ILT and vILT events are very well supported.
Reporting
Reporting is very powerful in eNetLearn and another example of how much thought and consideration has gone into this platform. A widget approach is used to pull in dashboards (that can be bespoke) to inform learners and line managers of progress.
Integration with eNetReports is very useful, giving reporting options that cover both learners and learning content. SCORM is, of course, supported.
Bespoke configurations
eNetLearn has shown itself to be a fully-loaded SaaS solution, ideal for many organisations, but what I found very impressive is the willingness of eCom to customise this LMS – not usually an option in the SaaS world and becoming rarer and rarer with the advent of public cloud.
eCom will undertake bespoke configurations of eNetLearn. This requires a separate hosted server on Microsoft Azure, managed for you by eCom.
eCom hosts in the UK but can offer Azure globally, if required. Examples of configuration include enhanced registration processes and learner tracking. A customised learning campaign configuration was built to help a client with outbound learner recruitment.
All bespoke configuration work is developed in close collaboration with the client by creating use cases and technical specifications (built out in considerable detail).
eCom follows a robust three-stage testing and deployment approach and provides full documentation for the deployed solution along with ongoing support.
Indeed, eCom is proud of the fact that every customer is contacted once a month to ensure that they remain happy with eCom.
Summary
eNetLearn is an LMS to start with (eCom will license down to five learners), to grow with, to flex with and, above all, to engage your learners with. I just love good UI design and eCom have spent time perfecting this LMS’s design for learners and administrators to such good effect.
So, for a SaaS LMS, eNetLearn offers great value for money and comes with a fully loaded feature set including sophisticated multi-tenancy and a library of integrations including Zoom and Salesforce out-of-the-box – which is truly impressive.
Over and above this, there is the option to customise eNetLearn as well. All this is wrapped up with a culture of customer care and support from eCom that is second to none.
Learn more about the eNetLearn LMS on the eCom website.
