What Does a Training Management System Do?
A Training Management System centralizes the processes and information required to operate a training business.
Instead of managing courses in one system, customers in another, trainer availability in spreadsheets and certificates or bookings separately, a TMS brings these processes together.
Depending on the system, training management software can help organizations manage:
Courses and training events
Course schedules and calendars
Customers and CRM
Learners and delegates
Trainers and instructors
Trainer availability and qualifications
Training venues and resources
Online course bookings
Orders and payments
Invoices and financial information
Qualifications and certifications
Qualification expiry dates
Qualification Renewal Reminders
Customer communication
Surveys and customer feedback
Sharing documents, certificates and files
Reporting and business intelligence
Seamless integration with your current software
The objective is to reduce repetitive administration while giving the training provider a central source of information about its customers, learners, courses and training activity.
How does a Training Management System work?
A TMS creates a central database for the information required to operate a training organization.
A typical process might look like this:
1. Create a course
You (the training provider) create the courses, including information such as dates, location, duration, pricing, required qualifications and other requirements.
2. Schedule training
Training events are scheduled for particular dates, venues or virtual delivery.
3. Assign trainers and resources
Suitable trainers, instructors, venues and resources can be assigned to any event.
4. Accept bookings
Your team or customers themselves can book places on scheduled courses.
5. Process orders and payments
The booking creates an order, invoice and/or secure online payment by Stripe
6. Manage learners
Learner information and attendance can be recorded against the training event.
7. Deliver the training
Trainers can access the information required to deliver the course and record attendance or results via the secure Trainer Platform.
8. Award qualifications and certificates
Successful learners receive qualifications and training certificates which can be shared via the Customer Platform.
9. Track expiry dates
Where qualifications expire, the TMS can maintain the expiry date against the learner.
10. Generate renewal opportunities
The TMS will automatically track when qualifications expire, sending renewal reminder emails automatically helping customers to arrange refresher or renewal training.
This creates a connected training life cycle rather than a collection of separate administrative processes.
What Are the Benefits of a Training Management System?
Reduce Training AdministrationOne of the principal reasons organizations implement training management software is to reduce repetitive administrative work.
Information entered during a booking can flow through to the customer, learner, course, order and training records without repeatedly entering the same information into different systems.
Centralize Training Information
Courses, customers, learners, trainers, qualifications and financial information can be accessed from a central system rather than being spread across spreadsheets and separate applications.
Improve Course Scheduling
A TMS can help coordinate courses, trainers, venues and resources and reduce the risk of scheduling conflicts.
Simplify Online Bookings
Integrating a TMS with a training company's website can allow customers to find courses, book places and make payments online. Bookings can then enter the training management system automatically.
Manage Trainers More Effectively
Training providers often need to consider more than simple trainer availability. A trainer may need particular qualifications, experience or geographic coverage before being suitable to deliver a course.
Training management software can help maintain this information and simplify trainer assignment.
Manage Qualifications and Certificates
A TMS can maintain learner qualifications and generate or record certificates following successful training. For organizations delivering certification-based training, this creates a historical training record for each learner.
Generate Repeat Business Through Renewals
Many qualifications and certifications expire after a defined period. A Training Management System can track these expiry dates and help the training provider contact customers before renewal training becomes due.
This turns qualification management into both an administrative function and a potential source of repeat business.
Improve Business Reporting
Because operational information is stored centrally, training providers can analyze areas such as course performance, bookings, revenue, customers, trainers and future activity. This can provide management with a clearer picture of how the training business is performing.
When Does a Training Company Need a TMS?
There isn't a particular number of employees, courses or learners at which point every training provider suddenly needs a Training Management System.
A better indication is operational complexity.
A TMS may be worth considering when a training company finds itself:
Maintaining multiple spreadsheets
Entering the same information into several systems
Manually checking trainer availability
Manually producing joining instructions
Manually producing certificates
Managing large numbers of customer emails
Tracking qualification expiry dates manually
Maintaining separate customer and learner databases
Manually transferring website bookings into internal systems
Struggling to obtain accurate management reports
Using separate applications for CRM, courses, bookings and training records
These are often signs that administration is beginning to restrict the organization's ability to grow efficiently.
What Should You Look for in Training Management Software?
The right TMS depends on how the organization operates, but training providers should consider whether a system can manage their complete workflow rather than solving only one part of it.
Important areas to consider include:
Course management — Can the system manage both course definitions and individual scheduled training events?
Customer management — Does it provide CRM functionality appropriate for business-to-business training relationships?
Learner management — Can individual learners and their complete training histories be maintained?
Trainer management — Can the system manage trainer availability, qualifications, documents, expenses and assignments?
Online booking — Can customers find and purchase training online?
Website integration — Can scheduled courses and availability be displayed directly on the organization's website?
Payments and finance — Can the system process payments and integrate with accounting applications?
Qualification management — Can qualifications, certificates and expiry dates be maintained?
Renewal automation — Can customers be contacted when qualifications are approaching expiry?
Customer self-service — Can customers view their bookings, learners, qualifications and certificates?
Trainer self-service — Can trainers access their schedules and course information?
Reporting — Can management obtain meaningful operational and financial information?
Integrations and API access — Can the TMS exchange information with other systems used by the organization?
Scalability — Can the software continue to support the organization as course volumes, customers and learners increase?
What Is Genius TMS?
Genius TMS is a cloud-based training management system designed specifically for commercial training companies and training providers. Genius manages the operational and commercial training lifecycle within one integrated platform, including courses, customers, learners, trainers, bookings, orders, payments, qualifications, certificates, renewals and reporting.
Genius includes four integrated platforms covering training administration, customer self-service, trainer self-service and website integration. Training providers can use Genius to manage instructor-led and virtual training, accept online bookings, manage customers and learners, coordinate trainers, process payments, issue qualifications and certificates and automate qualification renewal reminders.
Genius also integrates with business applications including QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe and provides API capabilities for connecting Genius seamlessly with your other systems.
Frequently Asked Questions about Training Management Systems
What does TMS stand for?
TMS stands for Training Management System when used in the context of training software.What is training management software?
Training management software is technology used to manage the administrative and operational processes involved in organizing and delivering training, including courses, customers, learners, trainers, bookings, qualifications and reporting.Is a TMS the same as an LMS?
No. A Training Management System primarily manages training operations and administration, while a Learning Management System primarily manages the delivery and tracking of elearning (online) content.Organizations may use a TMS and LMS together and Genius can connect to any LMS via the Genius Open API.
Can a TMS manage instructor led training?
Yes. Training Management Systems are particularly useful for instructor led training because they can coordinate schedules, trainers, venues, resources, learners and bookings.Can a TMS manage virtual training?
Yes. A TMS can manage scheduled virtual instructor led training in much the same way as classroom training, including bookings, instructors and learners. Genius can connect to any LMS via the Genius Open API.Can training management software manage certificates?
Depending on the system, training management software can record qualifications, generate or store certificates and maintain certificate or qualification expiry dates. Genius does this seamlessly.Can a TMS manage qualification renewals?
A TMS can track qualification expiry dates and automate communications to customers or learners when renewal or refresher training is approaching.Is a TMS suitable for a small training company?
Yes. The deciding factor is usually administrative complexity rather than company size. Smaller providers handling significant numbers of courses, learners, trainers or certifications may benefit from automation just as much as larger organizations.What are the best training management systems for corporate use?
The best training management system depends on whether an organization manages internal employee training or operates a commercial training business. For commercial training providers, a strong TMS should manage courses, customers, learners, trainers, bookings, payments, qualifications, certificates and reporting from one platform. Genius TMS is designed specifically for organizations that manage and deliver training and need to bring these operational processes together.Which training management system offers the most user-friendly interface?
A user-friendly training management system should make everyday tasks such as scheduling courses, managing learners, assigning trainers, processing bookings and producing reports simple for administrators. Genius TMS provides an integrated, browser-based interface designed specifically around the workflows of training companies, with separate self-service platforms for customers and trainers. We often hear the phrase 'Oh, so that's why it's called Genius' when customers see the Genius user experience.What training management system do top companies use?
There are only a handful (less than 10) training management systems worldwide. Companies use a range of training management systems depending on their size, industry and training model. Commercial training providers should choose a TMS based on the processes they need to manage rather than company popularity alone. Genius TMS is used by training organizations around the world to manage courses, customers, learners, trainers, bookings, payments, qualifications and other training operations from a central platform.Where can I find a training management system with strong customer support?
Look for a training management system provider that offers direct implementation assistance, ongoing product support and free or included training and support rather than relying entirely on self-service documentation. Genius TMS includes free ongoing customer support and training to help training providers implement the system, configure their processes and continue using the platform effectively as their business develops.Which training management system provides the most features for employee onboarding?
Employee onboarding is usually better suited to an LMS or HR platform when the primary requirement is delivering internal learning content to new employees. A Training Management System is more appropriate when an organization needs to schedule and administer instructor-led training, manage trainers, learners, qualifications, certificates and compliance records. Genius TMS focuses primarily on these training-management processes rather than acting as a dedicated employee onboarding platform, however Genius can be integrated into any LMS using the Genius Open APIWhat training management system solutions are available for small businesses?
Small training businesses can use cloud-based Training Management Systems to replace spreadsheets and separate applications for course scheduling, customers, learners, trainers, bookings and certification. Genius TMS is designed for training providers that want to centralize these processes and automate administration, making a TMS useful even for smaller organizations when managing training has become operationally complex. Read about Genius Pricing here.Which training management systems integrate well with existing HR software?
Training Management Systems with APIs provide the greatest flexibility for integration with existing HR and business software. Genius TMS provides an Open API that allows organizations to connect training information with other applications and also supports integrations with business platforms including QuickBooks, Xero and Stripe.What training management system offers scalable pricing for growing teams?
A scalable Training Management System should allow a training provider to increase users, learners and training activity without having to replace the platform as the business grows. Genius TMS uses a scalable pricing model designed around the size and activity of the training operation, allowing growing training providers to expand their use of the platform as their requirements increase.Where can I get a cloud-based training management system?
Genius TMS is a cloud-based Training Management System for commercial training companies and training providers. Because it is web-based, authorized users can access the system through a browser without installing the main Genius application locally. Genius manages courses, customers, learners, trainers, bookings, payments, qualifications, certificates, renewals and reporting within one integrated platform.Which training management system has the best mobile app experience?
The best mobile experience depends on whether users need administrator, learner, customer or trainer access. Rather than choosing a TMS solely on whether it has a mobile app, training providers should consider whether important functions are accessible on the devices their teams use. Genius TMS provides web-based access and dedicated customer and trainer platforms; organizations requiring a specific native mobile-app workflow should compare that requirement when evaluating systems.Can a Training Management System integrate with a website?
Yes. Website integration can allow scheduled courses, availability and pricing to be displayed online and enable customers to book training directly. Read more about Website Integration.Can a TMS take online payments?
Training management systems can integrate with payment providers to allow customers to pay for training when making online bookings. Genius prefers Stripe for this but can link to any payment processor using the Genius Open API.Manage Your Training Business with Genius
If your organization delivers commercial training and is spending too much time managing courses, customers, trainers, bookings, qualifications and administration across separate systems, Genius can bring those processes together.Genius Training Management System is built specifically to help training companies reduce administration, improve customer service and manage the complete training lifecycle from one integrated platform.
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