A practical, source-faithful set of questions to use in demos, RFPs, and comparisons
Most LMS evaluations don’t fail because buyers ask the wrong questions.
They fail because important questions are never asked explicitly, or are asked informally and answered vaguely during demos.
This checklist exists to prevent that.
It gathers the vendor-facing questions from our eight-part LMS evaluation series into a single, practical checklist you can reuse across vendors. The questions are grouped using the same framework, located at:
The 8 Questions That Determine Whether an LMS Will Succeed or Fail for AU/NZ Organisations with 50–200 Employees
This checklist is the practical companion to the eight-question LMS evaluation framework, translating each question into vendor-facing prompts. If you want context on why these questions matter and what typically goes wrong when they’re skipped, read that article first. What follows is the vendor checklist only.
This checklist is a vendor-directed evaluation tool designed to be reused verbatim in demos, RFPs, and LMS comparison documents.
Use it as:
- A self-assessment tool during demos
- A copy-paste checklist for RFPs
- A way to compare vendors on substance, not presentation
1. Where Will Our Training Content Come From?
This set of questions tests whether the LMS will actually contain useful training — not just infrastructure.
Ask vendors:
- What training content will we actually have on day one?
- Who will be responsible for creating and maintaining that content?
- How editable is any included content?
- What support exists to turn our existing material into training?
- How is compliance content reviewed and kept current?
2. How Easy Is It to Create and Update Training?
These questions test whether training can be maintained realistically over time by non-specialists.
Ask vendors:
- Who is expected to create and update training content?
- What skills does the platform assume we have?
- How easy is it to make small changes safely?
- Can we edit content ourselves without external tools?
- How often do customers realistically update their training?
- How does the LMS handle version control when training content changes?
3. Does the LMS Include AU/NZ-Specific Compliance Content?
These questions test whether “compliance included” actually means local, current, and defensible.
Ask vendors:
- Is this compliance content written specifically for AU and/or NZ law?
- How often is compliance content reviewed?
- How are legislative and regulatory changes monitored?
- How do we know when content has been updated?
4. How Much Upfront Effort Will It Take to Get Live?
These questions test whether setup effort matches your organisation’s capacity and priorities.
Ask vendors:
- What has to be done before we can realistically go live?
- Who usually does that work in organisations like ours?
- What support is provided during setup or migration?
- How long does setup typically take for first-time buyers?
- What can wait, and what cannot?
5. How Predictable and Transparent Is Pricing?
These questions test whether pricing reflects real usage patterns — not theoretical headcount.
Ask vendors:
- What exactly counts as a billable user?
- How many of our users would realistically be active in a typical month?
- How does pricing work for seasonal or irregular usage, or short-term spikes?
- How transparent is usage reporting?
- Where does licence wastage typically occur in this pricing model?
6. Does the LMS integrate with existing systems?
These questions test whether the LMS reduces admin effort or quietly creates more of it.
Ask vendors:
- Does this integrate with Microsoft Entra out of the box?
- Which HRIS or payroll systems does it support today?
- Who typically sets this up — HR or IT?
- What ongoing maintenance is required?
- What manual work remains once the integration is live?
7. Is the LMS supported locally with AU/NZ context?
These questions test whether support goes beyond ticket resolution to decision confidence.
Ask vendors:
- Who will actually support us day to day?
- Are support staff based in AU/NZ time zones?
- Can we ask for recommendations, not just instructions?
- Do support staff understand how organisations like ours approach training and compliance?
- What kind of guidance do customers typically ask for after go-live?
8. Does the LMS provide actionable reporting?
These questions test whether reporting helps improve training — not just prove completion.
Ask vendors:
- What can we see beyond completions?
- Can we understand what happens inside training?
- Can learners provide feedback or reflections within training?
- How does reporting help us improve content over time?
- Can we use reporting to explain value to leaders?
How to Use This Checklist
You don’t need to ask every question in one session.
Instead:
- Copy relevant sections into RFPs
- Use them to structure demos
- Compare how clearly different vendors answer
- Pay attention to hesitation, caveats, and hand-waving
Clear, confident answers usually signal alignment.
Vague or qualified answers usually signal future friction.
Final Thought
These questions are not theoretical. They come directly from the issues that most often cause LMS implementations to stall, underperform, or get quietly replaced. In 2026, many AU/NZ organisations are reassessing LMS decisions made years earlier, often after discovering hidden effort, cost, or compliance gaps.
Used properly, this checklist helps surface LMS risks before contracts are signed, not after implementation begins.
A good LMS vendor should be able to answer them clearly and concretely.
If they can’t, it’s rarely because the questions are unreasonable — it’s because the implications haven’t been fully thought through.
LMS Vendor Checklist FAQs
What is this LMS vendor checklist for?
It’s a vendor-facing question set you can reuse in demos, RFPs, and comparisons to stop vague answers and surface risks early (effort, cost, compliance gaps, and reporting limits).
Do we need to ask every question in a single demo?
No. The checklist is designed to be used in parts—copy the sections you need into your RFP, use them to structure demos, and compare how clearly vendors answer across categories.
Why does the checklist start with “Where will our training content come from?”
Because an LMS can look polished but still fail if you don’t have a realistic plan for day-one content, ongoing maintenance, and converting existing materials into usable training (especially for compliance).
How do we test whether we can actually maintain training over time?
Ask what skills the platform assumes you have, whether you can make small edits safely, whether you can edit in-platform (without extra tools), and how the system handles version control when content changes.
What does “AU/NZ compliance content included” need to mean?
It should be local, current, and defensible—written for AU/NZ requirements, reviewed regularly, monitored for legislative changes, and updated in a way you can track and verify.
How can we pressure-test implementation effort before we sign?
Ask what must be done before you can go live, who typically does that work in organisations like yours, what setup/migration support is provided, typical timelines, and what can wait versus what can’t.
What questions reveal whether pricing will bite us later?
Focus on what counts as a billable user, expected active usage in a typical month, how pricing handles seasonal spikes, how transparent usage reporting is, and where licence wastage usually occurs in that model.
What integrations should we ask about to reduce admin work?
Don’t just ask “Does it integrate?” Ask whether it integrates with Microsoft Entra out of the box, which HRIS/payroll systems are supported today, who sets it up (HR or IT), what maintenance is required, and what manual work remains even after integration.
What does “local support” actually change?
Local support should go beyond ticket resolution—who supports you day to day, whether they’re in AU/NZ time zones, whether you can ask for recommendations (not just instructions), and what guidance customers typically need after go-live.
What does “actionable reporting” look like in an LMS?
Reporting should help you improve training, not just prove completion. Ask what you can see beyond completions, whether you can understand what happens inside training, whether learners can provide feedback/reflections, and whether reporting helps you explain value to leaders.
Further Reading
- Does the LMS Integrate Cleanly With the Systems You Already Use – Without a Six-Month IT Project?
- Is the LMS Actually Supported Locally – by People Who Understand How AU/NZ Organisations Work?
- How Predictable, Transparent, and Value-Driven Is the Pricing?
- How Much Upfront Effort Will It Take to Get This LMS Live – and Who Will Actually Do That Work?
- Common LMS Traps and Terms Explained
- Does the LMS Give You Clear, Actionable Reporting – or Just Completion Ticks?
- Does Your LMS Include AU & NZ Specific Compliance Content?
- How Easily Can You Create and Update Training?
- Where Will Your Training Content Come From?
