Companies that operate through franchises know that effective and consistent training is essential for organizational success.
This article explores how learning management systems (LMSs) are pivotal in streamlining franchise training and ensuring a more standardized and cohesive learning experience for franchises.
We’ll also cover nine online training solutions catering to franchises, look at their key features and functionalities, and see what verified users have to say about them.
Disclaimer: The information below is accurate as of July 31, 2024. Please note that the solutions(competitors’/softwares’ features) we review may change over time. If you have updates or new features to share, let us know. This helps us keep our content accurate and up-to-date.
What is an LMS for franchises?
A learning management system (LMS) for franchises is a centralized online learning platform that consistently delivers, manages, and tracks training programs across multiple franchise locations.
Like partner enablement software systems, franchise LMSs provide a scalable solution for compliance training, standardized onboarding, new product knowledge, and continuing learning and development.
Professional LMSs will also consider regional training needs such as language, time zones, and even cultural differences.
These features help ensure successful and uniform franchise training anywhere across the globe.
They can also help maintain brand consistency, ongoing employee training and development, and positive customer experiences within the entire franchise network.
9 best learning management systems for franchise training
Here’s a list of the top nine LMSs for franchise training in terms of their features, capabilities, use cases, and customer reviews.
| Software | Best for | Top feature |
| Docebo | Scalable and personalized L&D for employees, customers and partners | AI-powered personalized learning experiences at scale |
| 360Learning | International franchise training | Automatic subtitles |
| EdApp | Onboarding new franchise employees | Ready-made franchise courses |
| Moodle | Companies that require a custom LMS | High degree of customization potential |
| Kallidus Learn | Custom training experiences | Personalized learning pathways |
| Litmos | Sales training and enablement | Video assessments |
| Open LMS | Branded learning experiences | Branding capabilities |
| TalentLMS | Regulatory compliance | Certification management |
| LearningZen | Keeping franchise learners up-to-date | Automated product and service updates |
Let’s go over each of these in more detail.
1. Docebo
Docebo is a robust LMS with comprehensive franchise and channel partner training capabilities.
It includes AI-powered learning experiences and training material recommendations to familiarize learners with the company’s products and services.
These features also help employees have the right skills and knowledge to act as extensions of the business.
Docebo can also deliver robust certification programs that can establish market credibility and ensure consistent brand representation.
With Docebo Learning Impact and Learn Data, organizations can centralize training and business data, track learner progress and performance, and measure key performance indicators highlighting franchise performance.
Additionally, Docebo includes a comprehensive course library of over 30,000 off-the-shelf courses, an AI-powered microlearning content authoring tool, and over 400 third-party integrations with tools ranging from CRM to HR, marketing, sales enablement, video conferencing, and more.
G2 Rating
Top Features
- AI-powered learning plan creation capabilities that match learning content with employee interests, skills, and career goals, hyper-personalizing learning experience.
- Robust certification management that ensures franchisers are always up-to-date on your latest regulations, products, and company services.
- Mobile learning with branding and white-label capabilities available on Android and iOS.
- Comprehensive reporting and analytics functionality can track learner progress and training program effectiveness.
What users like
- “Docebo is a platform that encompasses a lot of features into one. Between a course content repository, to a social learning platform, to SCORM compatible LMS, Docebo has it all.” – Ellie S.
- “The number of available features and usability is associated with a strong focus on innovation that keeps the platform at the top of the LMS ranking.” – Edoardo G.
- “Docebo is a highly configurable platform that suits many different LMS use cases (especially because of how the platform can integrate with so many other systems).” – Annarose P.
- “Overall based on many different previously used LMSs, it’s like night and day. Docebo is so much easier to use than anything.” – Michele G.
Best suited for
Docebo is best suited for mid to large scaling enterprises that want to offer robust training courses and onboarding to an international franchise network.
Its multimodal training methodology, mobile learning, certification, and AI-powered course content recommendations make it ideal for companies with these requirements.
2. 360Learning
360Learning is a cloud-based LMS for employee onboarding, compliance training, and sales enablement. Businesses can also use this platform for their franchise training needs as well.
That’s because 360Learning focuses on learner collaboration and multilingual training management.
The tool supports over 30 languages, has a mobile-friendly design, and includes an off-the-shelf content library.
It also has a SCROM-compatible course player, instructor-led training, certification management, and reporting to round out its capabilities.
G2 Rating
Top Features
- Multilingual support that helps with reaching an international franchise network.
- Off-the-shelf content library that helps with hitting the ground faster in terms of training content.
- Mobile-friendly design that helps with learning accessibility and flexibility.
- SCROM player that can deliver interactive content to learners.
- Automatic subtitles on both desktop and mobile.
What users like
- “The set-up process has been easy and smooth thanks to the 360 Team we are working with.” – Cathy B.
- “You do not have to be a certified online or e-learning expert to create content and build courses.” – Nadia D.
- “I highly appreciate 360Learning for its extensive customization capabilities, enabling the creation of unique portals with distinct branding, domains, messaging, and language options.” – Verified user in computer software
What users don’t like
- “The reporting tool is not very flexible, the reports are unclear, too bad there is no reporting summary available in PDF format.” – Karen P.
- “The authoring tool feels somewhat limited, relying heavily on third-party providers for full functionality.” – Verified user in computer software
- “The fact that some parts of the tool are not customizable such as the possibility to leave reactions on each lesson.” – Antoine M.
Best suited for
360Learning is best suited for providing training to international franchises through multilingual support and automated subtitles.
3. EdApp
EdApp is a learning platform that can create, deploy, and manage training materials.
It includes a SCORM-compliant, drag-and-drop course content authoring tool with interactive templates and gamification elements.
EdApp also includes a course library with ready-made franchise courses that companies can tweak, edit, and brand to suit their needs better.
The LMS acts as a knowledge repository for the company’s policies, procedures, and best practices in multiple formats that channel partners and franchises can access on demand and download to their devices whenever needed.
G2 Rating
Top Features
- Content library with ready-made franchise courses to help companies begin their training as soon as possible.
- Mobile learning capabilities for better learner accessibility and flexibility.
- SCORM-compliant content authoring tool with drag-and-drop functionality.
- Interactive elements like quizzes and assessments for knowledge checks.
- Briefcase feature that acts as a knowledge repository for easy and on-demand document access.
What users like
- “There is a great starting library of learning, as well as the AI creation tool.” – Amanda S.
- “The courses are simple for employees to access, and I have a 100% completion rate.” – Verified user in hospital & health care
- “What I like about EdApp is that I can find information on most any industry of my interest. It is broken up into small parts, which makes it easy to digest information learned.” – Verified user in hospital & health care
What users don’t like
- “Not very many options to modify templates easily. Graphics and text incorporation could be better.” – Rehan A.
- “That there is only English as course language in the free version.” – Barbara S.
Best suited for
EdApp is best suited for quickly training and onboarding new franchise employees thanks to its ready-made franchise content library.
4. Moodle
Moodle is an open-source learning platform with high flexibility and customization.
It includes multiple types of content distribution capabilities and interactive elements such as quizzes, assignments, video conferencing, and forums.
Moodle also has a mobile app with offline learning features and integrates with plenty of third-party apps and open-source plug-ins.
Since it’s an open-source platform, Moodle is limited in terms of customer support, with companies relying mostly on their internal resources and community of users for implementing, updating, and maintaining the platform.
G2 Rating
Top Features
- The tool’s open-source API for free user access.
- High level of customization capabilities that help improve the user experience.
- Interactive elements like quizzes and assessments are essential for periodic knowledge checks.
- Multilingual support that helps reach a wide audience of learners.
- Mobile learning capabilities with online and offline access to course modules.
What users like
- “With API access, it is not difficult to pull resources in from other sources (or share resources from Moodle).” – Bill M.
- “The coding in Moodle allows us to even change the names of buttons, items, etc. This went beyond adding our logo or even brand colors.” – Andrew L.
- “I find Moodle’s feature of creating and managing online courses while keeping track of learner progress to be incredibly convenient and efficient.” – Verified user in education
What users don’t like
- “With flexibility comes complexity. Moodle serves a worldwide community. It takes an investment in time to really understand the multitude of settings (most of which we haven’t even needed to change or use), but they are there and when we are troubleshooting things – there is a bit of research.” – Andrew L.
- “Not too simple self-setup and integrations might require some external services to support your team if the approach gets a little complicated.” – Vicente G.
- “The new interface that was recently adopted in 2023. It is quite complex and not as simple as the previous look.” – Avishek P.
Best suited for
Moodle is a cost-effective and highly customizable LMS suited for organizations with dedicated in-house IT teams able to manage it.
5. Kallidus
Kallidus is a cloud-based LMS with an e-learning course builder that lets instructional designers upload existing files from external platforms.
The learning solution also includes branding capabilities and personalized learning pathways to increase learner engagement.
To further address franchise-related needs, Kallidus includes configurable roles, permissions, and user groups, customizable dashboards and reports, as well as multi-language and multi-device support.
G2 Rating
Top Features
- Personalized learning paths that provide custom learning experiences based on specific training needs.
- Course authoring tool that supports external knowledge sources.
- Branding capabilities that help with brand exposure among learners.
- Mobile-friendly design with offline learning access.
- Multi-language support for reaching an international audience of learners.
What users like
- “The system is very easy to use, both from an administrator and learner perspective.” – Jayne L.
- “I can easily track their progress and can do this per team as a head of multiple functions.” – Alexandra C.
- “The reporting and analytics tools are at industry standard. We can track progress, engagement, and assessment results, facilitating data-driven decision-making and continuous program improvement.” – Verified user in financial services
What users don’t like
- “Offboarding and onboarding users could be more user friendly.” – Adrian L.
- “Kallidus offers several integration options, but it could benefit from more pre-built integrations with popular HR like BambooHR, streamlining the setup process.” – Verified user in financial services
- “The scrolling banner style catalog is not the most effective and can make it difficult for learners to easily see exactly what’s available.” – Matthew B.
Best suited for
Kallidus is best suited for customizing the team members’ training experience by creating personalized learning pathways based on each franchiser’s specific needs.
6. Litmos
Litmos is a cloud-based LMS with a comprehensive library of off-the-shelf training courses on region-specific compliance, management, soft skills, and more.
It has a built-in content authoring tool that supports interactive and gamification elements.
Litmos also offers robust reporting, social learning capabilities, video assessments, and instructor-led training.
G2 Rating
Top Features
- Off-the-shelf content library on sales enablement, customer handling, prospecting, compliance, etc.
- Mobile learning with offline capabilities for learning on the go.
- Learner progress tracking and reporting to determine training program effectiveness.
- Self-enrollment capabilities so franchisers can register themselves for courses.
- Video assessments that help learners practice their sales pitches and customer interactions.
What users like
- “The built-in content author tool is a value add, as we can make a variety of training content without having to purchase/integrate more software.” – Kristi K.
- “Litmos is very user-friendly. The system is intuitive and easy to navigate.” – Deb G.
- “I utilize the reporting analytics the most on Litmos. It is very helpful when having to do quarterly reports to send to the executives at my company.” – Katie O.
What users don’t like
- “The purchased content library can be overwhelming for some people, and it is not easy to drive users to one course over another.” – Kristi K.
- “We are not able to assign multiple due dates to Litmos-created courses. This has impacted our monthly new hire assignments.” – Verified user in financial services
- “To have an easier HTML content creator so it gives me the ability to create banners, logos, etc. without having to call upon other internal teams like marketing, especially in the setup phase for speed of launch.” – Mark B.
Best suited for
Litmos is best suited for sales training and enablement through features like video assessments and a dedicated course library.
7. Open LMS
Open LMS is an open-source learning management system with content authoring, webinar hosting, and gamification elements.
It also has analytics capabilities that help track training progress and measure learner performance.
Open LMS can host in-person and asynchronous learning and has a mobile app with offline learning capabilities.
However, as with any open-source system, it requires extensive programming knowledge to set up and maintain properly.
G2 Rating
Top Features
- Branding feature that allows organizations to add their logo, theme, colors, and more.
- Built-in authoring tool for designing online training courses.
- Mobile learning with offline access for better learning accessibility.
- Webinar hosting and asynchronous learning capabilities for more training flexibility.
- Analytics feature that keeps track of learner progress and training program performance.
What users like
- “The learners and educators can use it on every device from phone to desktop with no having to set up an app.” – Erinn C.
- “It is great to create content and edit our courses.” – Gerald G.
What users don’t like
- “Page organization – from course list navigation to courses interaction – is hard to find what are you looking for.” – Sandra V.
- “You can’t use all of the available plugins that are made available by the Moodle community, only plugins that are approved by Blackboard. That list is very limited.” – Verified user in education management
Best suited for
Open LMS is best suited for providing branded learning experiences since organizations can customize the platform with their logo, themes, and color scheme.
8. TalentLMS
TalentLMS is an online training platform for course creation and management.
It includes robust certification management and interactive training modules like quizzes and assessments.
Instructional designers can personalize training based on custom learning paths and languages. TalentLMS also provides gamification features like leaderboards, points, badges, and mobile learning support.
It also includes real-time reporting and multiple third-party integrations.
G2 Rating
Top Features
- Certification management that helps with regulatory compliance.
- Branding and white-labeling capabilities for better brand exposure and loyalty.
- Customized learning paths for better knowledge retention and immersion.
- Interactive and gamification elements that help with learner engagement.
- E-commerce capabilities that let organizations sell their courses online.
What users like
- “Easy to manage, and very user-friendly for all employees to follow courses on their own.” – Danica Ann A.
- “Easy to create courses or upload all types of multimedia content.” – Bruno M.
- “All available courses, progress, completions, seat time, and certificates are displayed in an intuitive dashboard.” – Wallace W.
What users don’t like
- “Content feels a bit text-based, would love to have some features based on how the AI content creator creates content.” – Donovan L.
- “The UI design, while functional, might feel a bit dated for some users accustomed to more modern aesthetics. It could benefit from a more contemporary look to enhance user engagement and navigation intuitiveness.” – Aakash R.
- “The payment gateways are hard to navigate. The notification and discussion groups are clunky.” – Naima R.
Best suited for
TalentLMS is best for regulatory compliance thanks to its robust certification management system.
9. LearningZen
LearningZen is a learning platform designed for franchises, the amusement and attractions industry, and safety and compliance.
It includes several useful features, such as a built-in course builder that supports multiple content types like images, video, audio, quizzes, and assessments.
LearningZen includes gamification elements, reporting and analytics capabilities, and a mobile-friendly design.
A standout feature is the tool’s automatic updates that keep all learners in the loop on any product or service changes.
G2 Rating
Top Features
- Automatic company product and service updates that keep learners current.
- Built-in course authoring tool that supports multiple types of content.
- Gamification and interactive elements that help with learner engagement.
- Analytics capabilities that track and measure learner progress.
- Mobile app available on Google Play and App Store.
What users like
- “We use this software to help keep our franchise consistent by training all new employees.” – Shawn M.
- “Courses are created and available as per requirement. I also like the course builder, proper monitoring, and tracking with notification and reminders.” – Ishwar K.
What users don’t like
- “Some tags are not needed and either can be used for something else or not there at all” – Joshua V.
- “Sometimes we’re experiencing slow speeds while browsing.” – Amitesh S.
Best suited for
LearningZen is best suited for keeping all learners in the loop on product and service changes thanks to its automated updates feature.
Benefits of using learning management systems for franchise training
If you’re building a training LMS business case to convince your executive team, remember that these platforms can revolutionize the way you deliver training across different franchise locations.
Here are some of the benefits:
Centralized learning management process
Corporate learning management systems act as central hubs for administering and overseeing all training programs and initiatives.
This ensures that all content and resources are uniformly available and distributed among all franchises, no matter their geographical location.
Such a high level of centralization streamlines the management process and strengthens training effectiveness by ensuring every partner and franchisee receives the most up-to-date information available.
Customized learning paths based on the partner’s needs
To provide uniform learning experiences, organizations also need to account for each individual franchise partner’s needs and specific requirements.
By tailoring learning pathways in terms of content, course modules, and learning methodologies, companies can address the unique needs of each franchise and reach uniformity in terms of results.
This approach enhances learner engagement and helps each partner focus on areas critical to their specific operational context.
Consistent franchise training
Professional LMSs ensure that every franchise undergoes the same set of core training modules needed to understand the brand’s values, processes, and customer service standards.
This helps provide a cohesive brand experience and operational efficiency across all locations.
Reduced training costs
Traditional training methods, particularly those that involve travel, often incur additional costs that can make a significant dent in a company’s bottom line.
These costs can include accommodation, physical training spaces, printed materials, travel expenses, and more.
LMSs can mitigate these costs by conducting most training remotely and making digital resources readily available to all learners on demand.
For example, KCF Technologies saved over $1.5 million in employee, partner, and customer training costs over three years by partnering with Docebo.
Streamlined progress monitoring
Most online training platforms offer robust analytics and reporting features for tracking learner progress across their entire training journey.
Admins can keep an eye on completion rates, quiz results, net promoter score (NPS), and other key metrics that help identify areas of improvement and help with decision-making.
Real-time progress tracking can help ensure franchisees are on track regarding their training milestones and provide ample time for support if and where it’s needed.
How to choose the best LMS for your franchise business
When choosing the best LMS for your franchise business, you need to take into consideration the following aspects.
Assess franchisor needs
You need to start by conducting a strategic evaluation tailored to the unique needs of your franchisors.
Factor in elements such as the scale of the franchise network, the specific training requirements (i.e. languages, specific sales enablement content, time zones, regional compliance regulations, etc.), and your desired outcomes.
Consider LMS features specifically for franchise training
Prioritize LMS features that have the biggest impact on your franchise training and align with their needs.
Look for LMS software solutions that include features like customizable learning paths, centralized administration, AI-powered capabilities, compliance tracking, multi-location and multi-lingual support, robust integrations, branding, webinars, and video conferencing, among others.
Check LMS usability attributes specifically for franchise training
Focus also on the usability attributes of the learning platform as it will remove a lot of hassle down the road.
Ensure the platform is user-friendly and allows for easy navigation even for those with minimal tech proficiency levels.
Platforms with clear and intuitive UIs, coupled with good customer support and sufficient training resources for the onboarding process will contribute greatly to a seamless learning experience.
Prioritize platforms that allow for franchise business scalability
It’s of the utmost importance that the LMS platform you choose will be able to grow alongside your business and franchise network.
The LMS solution should be able to accommodate an expanding user base, operational procedures, and evolving training needs.
This ensures the platform remains a suitable solution as your partnerships continue to grow and expand.
So, make sure the learning tool doesn’t only meet your immediate training needs but also aligns with the long-term success of your franchises.
Now over to you
To summarize, learning management systems are an excellent tool for effective and consistent training across a franchise network.
They can streamline e-learning across diverse locations, offering uniformity, scalability, and better overall learning experiences.
You just need to pick the right one.
Start by booking a demo with Docebo and see how well it aligns with the requirements of your franchise model.
