5 things you must know before buying off-the-shelf eLearning

5 things you must know before buying off-the-shelf eLearning

We interviewed Learning & Development Managers and former Managing Directors of eLearning companies to get you the top 5 things that they (and we) believe you must know before buying off-the-shelf eLearning.

We all know there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution, and there are many factors to consider before deciding whether off-the-shelf e-Learning is the right choice for you and your organisation. The below 5 things are a top priority when finding a new provider:

1.      Does the course cover regulatory requirements?

Ask the eLearning provider if the course content meets regulatory standards?

It doesn’t matter which sector you are in, ultimately you can be held accountable if the training doesn’t meet certain standards. In the FCA regulated sector, for example, inadequate training could have dramatic financial consequences for a business, so it’s imperative to ensure that your providers content covers exactly what is needed. A good provider will use their off-the-shelf courses as the basic baseline, ask the provider if they can edit the course for you to include specific information relevant to your training requirements. Study Academy redesigned over 10 courses for FCA regulated client HomeServe PLC and built a bespoke platform for DivideBuy to ensure they were covering all areas of compliance. Don’t settle for less!

2.      What do their clients say?

Any off-the-shelf eLearning provider worth their salt will not hesitate to show you testimonials from their clients, but you should take it one step further and also ask to be introduced to them – this enables you to ask direct and relevant questions and to also identify if there were any challenges along the way (if there were any challenges, ask how where they overcome?).

3.      Will the cost enable you to see a return on investment?

Let’s be honest, the price will, nine times out of 10, sway decision making. Initially, we recommend looking at the costs currently involved with your eLearning, whether it is outsourced, whether you develop it in house or even if you purchase off-the-shelf eLearning to use on your LMS. Also include time spent doing development etc if you employ someone in-house to do any of this work. You can then look at the proposed costs of courses you’re looking to purchase and evaluate the savings. Measuring the ROI of eLearning runs deeper than that, though, as you’ll want complete confidence that the ultimate metric is achievable, completion rates. Ensure that the courses are engaging enough to ensure that the end user completes the training. You can ask providers about pass rates and completion rates. Top tip, if a provider ever tells you that they have a 100% pass rate on their courses, be wary, this usually means the content is poor and it doesn’t challenge the learner.

4.      What level of customer support can I expect?

Whether you’re purchasing off-the-shelf eLearning to use on your own LMS or you are looking to enrol users onto a providers LMS, the provider should offer support. Ultimately, everyone will need support at some point, whether a compatibility issue occurs during the integration phase, or a user has difficulty accessing their learner dashboard. Although it is important to choose reliable eLearning products, it’s just as important to select an eLearning provider that can quickly and effectively resolve any issues or concerns.

We recommend questioning the provider about what support they provide. Study Academy ensures the client clearly understands how they can be contacted to rectify any issues or to ask any questions. All general support for clients is free of charge and any updates to courses are also conducted free of charge when any regulation updates come into effect.

A good indication that an eLearning provider cares is that they don’t vanish off the face of the earth once you have signed up or purchased. It should feel like you are in a partnership with your provider. Again, demand more!

5.      Is the course content frequently kept up to date?

This is certainly a ‘must have’ if you pay for your eLearning on a monthly or annual subscription basis. Some eLearning providers, focus solely on growing their eLearning course library and neglect updating and maintaining their current library. A lot of Study Academy’s clients are from the regulated sector, so this is a huge priority. Regulations change on a regular basis, your eLearning provider must keep up with those changes.  Ask the provider how often they update their courses.

It is great that you have made the decision that eLearning is what your organisation needs. Whoever you choose to look after your training needs, keep these 5 things in mind. We hope this helps you find a provider that can support you with your off-the-shelf eLearning needs.

Regards

John Loveday | CEO & Co-Founder Study Academy

P.S You can request a FREE 'Critical Thinking' course to use on your LMS by emailing us on info@studyacademy.co.uk with the subject: Free SCORM course.