90-Day LMS Implementation Playbook for Small Teams

A Practical 90-Day LMS Implementation Playbook for Small Teams

90-day LMS implementation projects succeed when teams focus on prioritized outcomes, fast feedback, and measurable milestones. In this playbook we give a compact, week-by-week implementation playbook for a small team LMS rollout that balances speed with quality. The plan is tactical, low-cost, and written from experience leading dozens of small team LMS projects where competing priorities and limited resources are the norm.

Week-by-week 90-day LMS implementation sprint (discovery → launch)

Below is a pragmatic, weekly breakdown. Each week has a single focus, with deliverables you can measure. Use this as the core of your project plan LMS and adapt scope to the team size.

1. Week 1 — Discovery & alignment: Stakeholder interviews, success metrics, tech audit, and trimmed scope. Deliverable: prioritized training backlog and acceptance criteria.
2. Week 2 — Platform setup: Provision users, set roles, basic branding, single-sign-on test. Deliverable: sandbox LMS with admin users.
3. Week 3 — Content triage: Create a minimal viable content list (core onboarding, 1 product how-to, compliance essentials). Deliverable: 3 pilot modules ready for upload.
4. Week 4 — Configure learning paths: Build curriculum structure, completion rules, and assessments. Deliverable: 2 learning paths and assessment templates.
5. Week 5 — Integrations & reporting: Connect HR/SSO/email, enable analytics, schedule exports. Deliverable: working integrations and baseline reports.
6. Week 6 — Internal pilot prep: Recruit pilot cohort, prepare communication, finalize feedback forms. Deliverable: pilot launch checklist.
7. Week 7 — Pilot execution: Run pilot, collect quantitative and qualitative feedback. Deliverable: pilot report with action items.
8. Week 8 — Iterate content & UX: Fix broken flows, reduce friction, re-sequence modules. Deliverable: updated modules and help docs.
9. Week 9 — Compliance & QA: Accessibility checks, assessment validation, privacy review. Deliverable: compliance sign-off.
10. Week 10 — Pre-launch readiness: Enroll cohorts, schedule launch comms, train admins. Deliverable: launch plan and admin playbook.
11. Week 11 — Launch week: Execute communications, monitor issues, triage support. Deliverable: live LMS for target users.
12. Week 12 — Stabilize & optimize: Collect first-week metrics, prioritize fixes, begin recurring reviews. Deliverable: stabilization backlog and 30/60/90 roadmap.

What does a focused discovery require?

Discovery should take no more than five workdays for a small rollout: validate success metrics, identify immediate regulatory requirements, and map one or two critical learner journeys. Keep interviews short and decision-focused.

Who does what: roles for a two-to-five person team

Small teams must double up on responsibilities while keeping accountability clear. Below are recommended role assignments and time commitments for a small team LMS rollout.

• Project lead (0.3–0.6 FTE): Owns schedule, stakeholder communication, and acceptance testing.
• Content owner (0.3–0.6 FTE): Creates or curates minimal viable content and manages revisions.
• Tech lead/admin (0.2–0.4 FTE): Platform configuration, integrations, and reporting setup.
• Support/trainer (0.1–0.3 FTE): Runs pilots, manages learner queries, and builds help resources.
• Optional: Executive sponsor (ad hoc): Removes roadblocks, approves budget, and promotes adoption.

In our experience, two-person teams can launch a constrained program in 90 days if they keep scope narrow and use weekly checkpoints. A pattern we've noticed is that teams that adopt a single owner for metrics and a single owner for content reduce rewrite cycles by over 40%.

How do you balance duties with competing projects?

Use time-boxed sprints and a short weekly standup (template below). Prioritize deliverables that produce visible outcomes in 2–4 weeks to secure executive support and uninterrupted time.

Weekly standup agenda (15 minutes)

• 1 min: Sprint goal reminder
• 2 min: Yesterday's progress
• 5 min: Blockers & decisions needed
• 5 min: This week's priorities
• 2 min: Quick wins & shout-outs

Minimal viable content and budget-light tools

Focus content on 'must-have' outcomes. The minimal viable content list should remove optional modules and keep only items that enable a functional learner journey.

• Core onboarding (10–15 minutes): company values, access, and key contacts.
• Role-specific quick start (10 minutes): top 3 tasks for the role.
• Compliance checklist (5–10 minutes): must-complete items with assessment.
• Support & FAQ (page or short video): where to go for help.

Budget-light tool recommendations: choose a simple LMS or SaaS that prioritizes essentials—user management, SCORM/xAPI support, SSO, and basic reporting. Consider low-cost options and leverage existing cloud tools for content (recorded videos, PDFs, Google Slides exported as video). Use free survey tools for rapid feedback.

Quick configuration tips: Automate enrollments with CSV or HR connector, create templates for assessments, and use learning paths to group minimal modules into a coherent experience.

Pilot execution, feedback, and micro-templates

Pilot fast and iterate. A focused pilot of 20–50 learners over 7–10 days delivers meaningful signals for a small rollout. Collect both quantitative completion metrics and qualitative feedback to inform week 8 iterations.

We’ve seen organizations reduce admin time by over 60% using integrated systems like Upscend, freeing up trainers to focus on content rather than manual enrollments. Use this kind of efficiency gain as a model: instrument the pilot so you can measure time saved and adoption lift.

Pilot feedback form (short)

• Rate task completion ease (1–5): ____
• What blocked you? (free text)
• Which module was most useful? (choose)
• Suggested improvement (one sentence)

Collect feedback daily during pilot and synthesize into actionable fixes: UI, content length, bandwidth issues, or unclear assessment criteria. Implement fixes in a rolling manner—don’t wait to batch every change.

What should you measure in a pilot?

Track completion rate, time-on-module, assessment pass rates, help requests per user, and qualitative NPS-style feedback. Use these metrics to validate your step by step 90 day LMS implementation checklist before broader rollout.

Launch communications, printable 90-day calendar, and sample copy

Launch success depends on clear, short communications. Below is a compact, printable 90-day calendar and example Slack/email copy for small teams. Color-code weekly tasks by priority labels: [Blue]=Admin, [Green]=Content, [Yellow]=Pilot, [Red]=Launch.

Week	Primary Task
W1	[Blue] Discovery & scope
W2	[Blue] Platform setup
W3	[Green] Minimal content
W4	[Green] Learning paths
W5	[Blue] Integrations
W6	[Yellow] Pilot prep
W7	[Yellow] Pilot
W8	[Green] Iterate content
W9	[Blue] QA & compliance
W10	[Blue] Pre-launch
W11	[Red] Launch
W12	[Red] Stabilize

Launch email sequence (short)

• Day -7: Teaser & value (1 paragraph)
• Day -1: Access instructions + quick start
• Day 0: Welcome + first task (due in 7 days)
• Day 7: Reminder + quick win content
• Day 14: Feedback request

Example Slack copy (30–50 words): "Launch notice: The new LMS goes live Monday. Start with the 10-minute onboarding module and complete the role quick-start by Friday. Questions? Reply here — admin will monitor live for Q&A." Keep messages action-oriented and timeboxed to drive completions.

Post-launch stabilization and the metrics dashboard

The first 30 days after launch are about stabilization. Turn pilot metrics into a real-time dashboard and assign one owner for weekly reviews. The dashboard should be simple and focused on adoption and effectiveness.

Metric	Target (initial)
Enrollment to first module	80% within 7 days
Completion rate	60% within 30 days
Assessment pass rate	70% average
Help requests per 100 users	<10
Admin time saved (automation)	20–60%

Post-launch checklist (30/60/90):

1. 30-day: Fix top 5 user friction points and close critical bugs.
2. 60-day: Expand content based on adoption and roles.
3. 90-day: Re-evaluate goals, run ROI review, and plan next feature set.

"Focus on measurable outcomes: completion, time-to-productivity, and support volume."

Common pitfalls: scope creep, overbuilt content, and delayed decision-making. Mitigate by enforcing the minimal viable content list and keeping a two-week feedback loop with learners. For competing priorities, protect two 3-hour blocks per week for the project lead and tech lead during weeks 1–6.

Conclusion — Next steps and one clear CTA

This 90-day LMS implementation playbook is designed for pragmatic rollouts by small teams. Follow the week-by-week sprint, keep content minimal and measurable, run a tight pilot, and use the stabilization period to prove ROI. We’ve outlined templates and a printable calendar so you can start immediately without extra overhead.

Take one action this week: pick your pilot cohort and schedule the Week 1 discovery session. If you want a copyable checklist and editable templates, download the project plan and fill in your prioritized backlog to turn this playbook into a live project plan LMS your team can execute.