Genius TMS

Genius TMS is a cloud-based training management system for commercial training companies and training providers, developed by Genius LLC. The homepage says it lets a provider "Manage courses, customers, learners, trainers, bookings, qualifications, certificates, payments and finance from one integrated training management system," and pitches it at companies "that organize, sell and deliver instructor-led, virtual or blended training." The company lists phone lines in the USA and the UK and says its support covers all time zones.

Genius is explicit about what it is not. Its own explanation is that "Unlike a traditional Learning Management System (LMS), which primarily focuses on delivering online learning content, a Training Management System (TMS) helps manage the training business itself." It covers the life cycle "from the initial customer inquiry and course booking through to training delivery, certification and qualification renewal," and for online content it connects to an LMS through its API; the FAQ says "Genius can connect to any LMS via the Genius Open API."

The industries it names are health and safety, construction and trade, first aid and CPR, healthcare, professional certification, continuing education, compliance, technical and industrial, computer and IT, and engineering training, plus corporate training providers.

Four platforms in one

Genius is built as four connected platforms. The core Genius TMS runs the business. The Trainer Platform lets trainers manage their own diary, registers and course information. The Customer Platform gives customers self-service access, and Website Integration accepts bookings and payments through the provider's own website. The homepage says data flows between all four without re-entry, that the provider controls who has access to each, and that the customer platform, trainer platform and website integration "are optional and not required if you prefer to use Genius stand alone."

Courses and trainers

Courses are built in the Genius course builder, and the site says "The use of Ai in templates and the replication of existing courses means you will have your full program of courses setup in minutes." The TMS page walks through the workflow: a course is created with dates, location, duration, pricing, required qualifications and other requirements; events are scheduled for dates, venues or virtual delivery; trainers, venues and resources are assigned; bookings come in from staff or customers; and each booking creates an order, an invoice or a secure online payment through Stripe. The feature menu also lists resources, expenses, feedback surveys, task and to-do management, and reporting and export.

Trainer management handles employed and freelance trainers from one system. Genius helps find suitable trainers by availability, qualifications, location and course requirements. Administrators can check availability and avoid clashes, verify that a trainer holds the qualifications a course needs, match trainers by venue, location and region, assign trainers directly or invite them to accept a course, and manage trainer expenses against individual events. Through the Trainer Platform, trainers see their schedules, registers and course information and record attendance or results.

CRM, sales and communication

The built-in CRM manages enquiries, deals, the sales pipeline and quotes. Genius describes "Ai powered Sales tools" that take a prospect from first enquiry through quotes, sales, invoicing and satisfaction surveys, AI-powered email templates and schedules for automated communication with customers and learners, and analysis of booking history, trends and "Ai powered sales statistics." The site says providers can "Manage unlimited customers and learners at no additional charge." Learner records hold training, attendance registers, exams, qualifications and certificates, so each learner has a training history.

Bookings, orders and payments

Orders can come from the provider's website, the customer platform or the TMS itself, and are all managed in Genius. Genius is integrated with Stripe for secure online card payments. For invoicing, a provider can use Genius's own invoice system or the integrated accounts connection; the homepage says the invoicing system "is integrated with Xero and QuickBooks accounts software as standard." Genius also lists Google among the systems it connects to, with "thousands more using the Genius Open API."

Qualifications, certificates and renewals

This is where Genius puts much of its emphasis. Qualifications can be awarded on attendance or on an exam pass, with automated templates making the award quick. Genius auto-generates downloadable and printable customized certificates, and qualifications and certificates can be shared through the Customer Platform. Where a qualification expires, Genius keeps the expiry date against the learner.

The renewal reminder service is the commercial payoff. The homepage says "Genius automatically sends up to 4 reminder emails before qualifications expire," that the emails can go to the learner and their company, and that the service has "No additional charge as it's fully included in your Genius subscription." The TMS page frames renewals as repeat business: the system tracks expiry and helps customers arrange refresher training before it becomes due.

Pricing, trial and support

The site's pricing menu names three plans by user count: Lite for 1-2 users, Premium for 2+ users, and Enterprise for 25+ users. The homepage offers a free 14-day trial with "No credit card needed" and "Full support during trial," or a demo.

Training and support are described as unlimited: "Our team provide unlimited product training and support via email, zoom, teams calls and screen sharing," including during the trial. The menu also lists regular free updates and a switching service for providers moving to Genius, and the company describes itself as a multiple award winner.

Who it suits

Genius fits commercial training companies that sell scheduled courses to businesses and individuals and live on certifications: first aid, health and safety, construction, healthcare and similar providers where a certificate expires and the next booking depends on reminding the customer. The trainer matching, the per-event expense tracking and the optional trainer and customer platforms suit a provider with a pool of freelance trainers and corporate clients. The unlimited customers and learners and plans priced by number of users make costs follow the size of the admin team rather than the learner count, so a small provider can start on Lite with one or two admin users and move up as the office grows.

The company's FAQ is candid that internal employee onboarding is usually better served by an LMS or HR platform, and Genius does not deliver e-learning itself, so a provider with online courses will connect an LMS through the API.