6 Unexpected Benefits Of Purchasing Off-The-Shelf Training From An eLearning Content Provider

6 Unexpected Benefits Of Purchasing Off-The-Shelf Training From An eLearning Content Provider
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Summary: Is custom built truly best? Or is it more prudent to purchase an off-the-shelf training solution from an eLearning content provider? Let’s look at some unexpected benefits of opting for outsourcing.

6 Benefits Of Purchasing Training From An eLearning Content Provider

Custom-tailored training solutions align with your objectives and outcomes. They also feature personal touches, such as brand integration and resources that align with employee preferences. However, purchasing off-the-shelf training still has its perks. Before you commit to expensive development projects and prep your team for long hours, you might consider eLearning outsourcing. Here are just a few benefits that pre-built training solutions can bring to your organization. Especially when you hire an experienced eLearning content provider who knows your niche.

1. Quick Turnaround

No need to wait for your team to familiarize themselves with the new authoring tool or research the subject matter. The eLearning content provider has done all the work for you. Thus, you can get your new course up and running in a fraction of the time. Employees address compliance issues and performance gaps right away. Rather than letting negative behaviors go unchecked until you design your newest course. Quick turnaround reduces risks and lets you move on to the next training development project on your list.

2. Reduce Content Creation And Tool Costs

Those authoring tools I mentioned earlier don’t just require time to master, they’re also a significant monetary investment. There’s also the issue of content creation costs. Off-the-shelf training is already pre-packaged. The vendor had to foot the bill for development software and designers. They’ve also brought SMEs on board who know their stuff, and how to articulate it to your employees. If the subject matter does change over time, such as when new compliance regulations come into effect, you simply purchase another solution. In some cases, the eLearning content provider may even provide regular updates or revisions if the topic is in flux.

3. Insider Εxpertise

Your employees need accurate, up-to-date information. You may have in-house experts who are willing to help with content creation. However, they must accept this responsibility alongside their other tasks. Which means lower productivity and/or more payroll expenses. If you choose to hire an outside SME, that can be even more costly. Pre-built training solutions are backed by experts who know the field. The vendor has chosen them because they offer something unique: an insider’s perspective. You can rest assured that your employees have current information to mitigate risks and improve performance. Plus, you can always enlist an internal fact-checker if you doubt the validity of the information or want to be doubly sure. It’s still more cost-effective than having your resident gurus develop the entire course on their own.

4. Improve Εmployee Εngagement

The fact that off-the-shelf training is developed by experts lends more credibility to the content. These pros also know how to deliver the information concisely, and in a way, that’s easy to digest. Thereby, eLearning outsourcing can improve employee engagement and participation. It’s more relevant to their needs and doesn’t contain a lot of fillers. Look at it this way…the eLearning content provider developed the activity/course to support a specific objective or outcome. They don’t want to cover too much ground for financial reasons. Instead, they’d rather focus on quality and simply create another course for tie-in topics. Which also improves their bottom line. Their primary goal is to maintain high customer satisfaction and increase profit margins. If your employees are engaged, you’re more likely to bring in repeat business. It’s not in their best interests to churn out as much content as possible just to bulk up their course catalog.

5. Improve Knowledge Retention

High employee engagement rates translate into better knowledge retention. They’re connecting with the content, which is accurate and aligns with their needs. As a result, staffers can remember what they learn and apply it on the job. Instead of forgetting the takeaways minutes after they complete the course. You can also use the pre-built training solutions as reinforcement tools to improve long-term memory retention. For example, use them to enrich your JIT training library.

6. Decrease L&D Payroll

Instructional designers, SMEs, graphic designers, and programmers are just a few people you may need to hire for online training. Even if you have these people on your payroll already, eLearning outsourcing may help you stretch resources. They can focus on other aspects of L&D and let off-the-shelf training solutions fill in the gaps. Particularly if the topic falls outside their area of expertise or requires too much homework on their part. Of course, you need to run some figures before making the final decision. Is it more cost-effective to purchase pre-built or tackle the task in-house?

Bonus tip: If pre-built solutions aren’t the best option for your organization, outsourcing custom content development is a great alternative. The only downside is that it does usually cost more and involves a longer timeline. However, you do get to incorporate your branding and personalize content to meet employees’ expectations. Check with the service provider to see if they offer bespoke eLearning in lieu of (or in addition to) off-the-shelf training.

Conclusion

There is still a significant amount of organization, preparation, and research involved when you purchase off-the-shelf training. It just takes a different form. In this case, you must vet vendors and peruse their options. Request samples of their work or sign up for courses they offer. You need to see things from the employees’ perspective to make a wise investment. How is the quality of their content? Is it easy to navigate? Is the information spot-on or fragmented? You can even ask a select group of staffers to test it out and provide feedback.

Which eLearning content provider is a good fit for your next online training course? Use our free online directory to find a qualified outsourcing partner in your industry. Evaluate their company bio and specialization areas to team up with the best provider in your price range.