Tips for Researching Social Learning Systems (cont.)

4. Weigh The Criteria - Assign a weighting to each criterion that the solution will be measured against:

• How will you know if the system selected is a good fit? Take the time up front to establish the criterion that will be used to narrow down your search. Additionally, using a rating scale will help you quickly identify potential providers.

5. Identify Potential Providers - Research and rate providers without bias:

• How do you find solution providers? Finding potential providers can easily be achieved by spending time researching solutions on the internet and asking other Learning and Development experts what they use. The tough part comes when trying to sift through the hundreds of providers out there. Share your criteria list with those providers that you think look like a good fit and let them do the work for you. Once you have their responses - you can score them against your weighting list. Pick the two or three highest scores and ask the providers for demonstrations.

6. View Demonstrations - Evaluate each demonstration with a scorecard:

• What do you look for in a demonstration? Use your criteria list and create a scorecard that you can refer to as you watch a demonstration. The scorecard might include the 'look and feel' of the interface, ease of use, navigation, speed, and reporting capabilities.

Now that you have completed the Discovery Phase, you should have enough information and budgetary range to report back to share your findings. Once the team decides to move forward, the next phase is selecting the solution. As you may have already discovered in your research, there are experts in this field who can assist you in the selection of the most appropriate solution for your organization, and can also help you move forward with the implementation phase.

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