Benefits Should Exceed the Costs

If you are asking the question, what are the costs of aviation training systems, you are approaching end of the selection and purchasing process for obtaining a new training management system. Making this decision is quite important, but like with any process, we must examine the costs and the benefits of making critical technology decisions, especially within heavily regulated environments such as commercial airline, helicopter, and military aviation training centers and flight schools. Before even asking about pricing, make sure that you understand what it is you’re training organization will be paying for and benefiting from so that the costs make sense and can be justified by those signing the checks. Having been in this business for two decades, AQT has devised many ways to address the may cost, and implementation-related questions that arise when choosing the right training system. Like with most things at AQT, we see believe in seeing things from start to finish because that’s one of things that impacts process improvement. When we work with potential customers, we always ask about the current needs, requirements and problems training managers and administrators are facing so that we can create a customized demo that fully addresses their questions and concerns. Without doing this first, giving them pricing is pointless and futile because we haven’t determined if we are going to be able to solve our future customers’ problems.

An LMS is Not a TMS

Another source of confusion for those attempting conduct cost comparisons on systems is the increasingly common mistake of thinking an LMS is a TMS when it is definitely not. Typically, an LMS (Learning Management System) is going to cost less because you get what you pay for. If an LMS provided all of the end-to-end functionality needed to reliably and accurately manage a training program, then it might be better classified as a TMS (Training Management System). Buyer beware! Often times, LMS companies try to sell themselves as being able to allow your training program to meet all of the regulatory compliance standards that accompany a solid TMS. AQT’s ATMS system is an enterprise training management system with a built-in LMS in which to flexibly deliver any type of training content allowing companies to own their training program and manage the entire training life cycle, and is not limited to just elearning.

Pricing Models Should be Flexible

Today, buying training software has become less complex, even an enterprise training software such as our ATMS (Advanced Training Management System). The reason is that companies are now being offered more flexible payment options such as SaaS or Software-as-a-Service. This is a convenient way to get started on implementing a systems and test its capabilities without buying the entire system all at once. Leading software companies may also be wise to offer hybrid solutions where your organization will actually purchase the training system, but be relieved of the challenges of installing onsite by having the software provider host your system on completely dedicated servers. This is fast, cheaper and smarter way to lift the burden off your perhaps already complex and difficult IT department, especially in terms of system security, access, and help desk support. Instead, the software provider handles these important functions. These, along with many other solutions, can add up to many cost-savings often forgotten when a training organization decides to invest in a new training system. So, instead of diving headfirst into the numbers, be sure to obtain the full scope of what you are paying for, and the costs of ownership after the training system is purchase. You may be happily surprised at the cost savings that make owning a system more convenient and affordable, especially within government regulated industries.