Planning to outsource your eLearning design and development? Read this blog for a handy checklist that will help you choose the right eLearning vendor.
If you have decided to buy your eLearning course or outsource it to a custom eLearning solutions provider, the next step is to choose a reliable eLearning vendor. You have to choose carefully because there are many companies out there claiming to provide high-quality eLearning services. Finding the right eLearning vendor is possible only if you know what you are looking for. The best way to do this is to focus on the key aspects that are integral to eLearning design and development and check the eLearning vendor’s expertise in these areas. Along with this, make sure to ask the relevant questions from a potential eLearning vendor. If you’re wondering what these key aspects and questions are, keep reading. In this blog, I’ve curated a comprehensive checklist to help you choose the right eLearning vendor for your training initiatives.
→ Download Now: eLearning Outsourcing — Best Practices to Make the Smart Choice
Table of Contents
How to Select the Right eLearning Vendor?
- How long have you been in business?
- What are the qualifications and experiences of your team?
- Can you explain your project management process?
- Can you explain your eLearning development process?
- Do you have references?
- Can you provide samples?
- Will you be able to provide a ‘proof of concept’?
- What is your level of technical expertise?
- What is the ‘cost to quality’ ratio?
What factors should you consider when choosing an eLearning vendor?
Key factors include the vendor's team composition, experience, past work, development process, core competency in eLearning, and the cost-to-quality ratio. Asking pertinent questions and reviewing samples can also help in making an informed decision.
How to Select the Right eLearning Vendor?
Experts stress the need to ask potential eLearning vendors questions during your interactions with them. It helps you garner more information about them than going through their website or reading about them. Keeping this in mind, we’ve crafted a detailed checklist that will help compare various eLearning vendors in a thorough way and finally make the right choice.
So here’s a list of 9 important questions to ask your eLearning vendor while outsourcing your eLearning design and development.
How long have you been in business?
This will indicate the experience of the eLearning vendor in the eLearning business and will help you make a quick comparison. The longer they’ve been in the eLearning business, the better! You can follow this up by asking how many projects they have delivered. A big number indicates a smooth eLearning development process with iterations based on past experience and the ability to handle unexpected situations.
A Practical Guide to Outsourcing eLearning Design & Development
Tips and Best Practices for an Effective Outsourcing Journey
- eLearning Elements that can be Outsourced
- Tasks Before Outsourcing
- Tips for Selecting the Right eLearning Vendor
- Ways to Support Your Vendor
What are the qualifications and experiences of your team?
Before choosing an eLearning outsourcing partner, it is important to check whether the vendor has a qualified team in place. Check if the team members have the necessary qualifications that are required for your eLearning program and have at least 3 to 4 years of experience in designing and developing eLearning courses.
You can check for their expertise in instructional design strategies, using eLearning authoring tools, creating multimedia content, video editing, etc.
Can you explain your project management process?
Understanding the eLearning project management process of the vendor will help you gauge their project approach which should ideally be clear and easy to understand. It will also come in handy for you to assess whether they adhere to a discussed plan, warn you of any hitches, and deliver the eLearning project on time and within the agreed budget.
Can you explain your eLearning development process?
When choosing between vendors, you should understand the development process they follow because there are certain key development steps in the eLearning process. These are:
Check if the vendor follows these steps, this can be done by checking the process followed in past projects. Also, find out if their development process is flexible enough to accommodate the iterative nature of eLearning development.
Do you have references?
Ask for 3 or 4 references similar to your profile from the potential eLearning vendor. Contact these references and assess the eLearning outsourcing vendor. Asking them about details of projects handled by the vendor, technology or software used to develop the eLearning project, adherence to deadlines, willingness to incorporate feedback, and the budget.
By contacting these references, you can get an insight into the responsiveness of the eLearning partner and how challenges and setbacks in the project are handled, along with the type of customer service offered.
Can you provide samples?
Ask the eLearning vendor to provide a few final course samples of their work. This will enable you to get a fair idea of their expertise in designing and developing eLearning courses. This will also help you assess whether the eLearning solutions provider can meet your needs and expectations.
A Practical Guide to Outsourcing eLearning Design & Development
Tips and Best Practices for an Effective Outsourcing Journey
- eLearning Elements that can be Outsourced
- Tasks Before Outsourcing
- Tips for Selecting the Right eLearning Vendor
- Ways to Support Your Vendor
Will you be able to provide a ‘proof of concept’?
Asking the vendor to provide you a ‘proof of concept’, either a prototype or a rough storyboard with a ‘no obligation clause’ helps you identify the right eLearning vendor. The vendor’s willingness to provide a sample will indicate their confidence and commitment toward customers.
What is your level of technical expertise?
To ask intelligent questions on this aspect, do some research on general eLearning authoring tools and relevant software. Once you’ve done this, find out whether the vendor has:
- Licensed software and authoring tools and the expertise to use them
- Expertise in developing SCORM/AICC-compliant courses
- Access to a paid image bank
With AI coming into the picture, make sure that along with expertise in the abovementioned areas, you also ask the vendor about their technical proficiency in using AI tools and technology. Watch this video to explore how Generative AI can enhance your eLearning design.
What is the ‘cost to quality’ ratio?
While selecting the eLearning outsourcing vendor, consider the ‘cost to quality’ ratio. This means considering not only the cost of designing and developing your eLearning programs but also determining what you will get out of your investment. When you are clear about the scope – what you want from the project – it is easy to compare vendors in terms of cost and what they will deliver for it. You can also do a comparison by asking about the actual costs of samples provided by the vendors. Most often, the cost would be in terms of charges per learning hour. This will boil down the parameters and make it easy for you to compare.
Parting Thoughts!
When you decide to outsource your eLearning requirement, it is important that you have a detailed checklist before selecting a vendor. I’m sure that the questions shared in this blog will come in handy when are looking for the right eLearning vendor. Moreover, you can also consult this checklist in the future when you plan to scale up your training initiatives and your eLearning requirement changes. If you wish to delve deeper into the process of finding the right eLearning outsourcing vendor and other best practices, then check out our eBook given below. Download now!
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on October 12, 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
