5 Smart Reasons to Outsource your eLearning Development
Discover the top 5 reasons why outsourcing eLearning development is the smarter choice. Save time, reduce costs, and get access to expertise.
A popular food and beverage manufacturer just wrapped up an incredibly successful fiscal year. Riding high on those profits, they’re ready to take the next big step—scaling up production and expanding their product distribution across the region. Exciting, right? But, as with any expansion, there’s a challenge. Increased production means hiring new staff for their manufacturing facilities. And those employees need to get up to speed quickly. They need to understand the production processes, quality control measures, the product lineup, and the latest industry standards.
The firm already has a talented in-house eLearning design team. The problem? The sheer scale of this training is overwhelming. They don’t have the resources or bandwidth to handle it all.
So, what’s the solution? Outsourcing eLearning development. Let's learn more about it.
→ Download eBook: Selecting the Right Vendor for eLearning Development Outsourcing
Table of Content
- What is eLearning Outsourcing?
- Why Should You Outsource Your eLearning Development?
- How Do You Choose the Right eLearning Vendor?
What is eLearning Outsourcing?
eLearning outsourcing involves entrusting external providers or vendors with tasks related to designing and developing eLearning courses. Companies choose to outsource eLearning to tap into expert knowledge, lower expenses, speed up project timelines, and utilize advanced tools and technologies that may not be available in-house.
Why Should You Outsource Your eLearning Development?
Why eLearning Outsourcing is a Game-Changer
- Reduces Development Costs
- Brings Depth of Specialized Expertise
- Reduces Project Risks
- Enables Convenience of Work Across Time Zones
- Ensures Top-Notch Quality through Expertise and Tools
And more!
1. Reduces Development Costs
59% of businesses outsource to cut costs.
(Source: Key Statistics on Outsourcing | LinkedIn)
eLearning Outsourcing is a cost-effective alternative to maintaining an expensive in-house development team. Partnering with an eLearning company means you not only gain access to their skilled professionals, but you also benefit from their established resources, tools, and infrastructure. This eliminates the need to continuously invest in acquiring and upgrading technology, which can quickly become a financial burden. Additionally, outsourcing allows you to create more courses at a lower cost, as eLearning outsourcing vendors often work on multiple projects across varied timelines, offering economies of scale.
For organizations looking to maximize their budgets, this is a smart solution to control expenses without compromising on the quality of the eLearning courses.
2. Brings Depth of Specialized Expertise
When you outsource to a vendor specializing in eLearning, you tap into their wealth of knowledge and experience that would otherwise be difficult to replicate in-house. These vendors often work with numerous clients from diverse industries, allowing them to refine their expertise in creating high-quality eLearning solutions. By accessing their case studies and learning from their collaborations with other organizations, you can leverage their experience to enhance your own projects. Vendors with a strong portfolio often have insights and innovative ideas to improve the functionality of your courseware. Moreover, if they have previously worked on projects similar to yours, they can provide invaluable advice and guidance that aligns with your specific needs.
For organizations aiming to deliver impactful, targeted learning solutions, this level of expertise is an undeniable advantage.
Thinking about outsourcing your eLearning content development? Watch this video to walk through the 6 key factors to ensure a smooth and successful process.
3. Reduces Project Risks
eLearning development involves several intricate steps, from planning and prototyping to final delivery. By outsourcing to a specialized eLearning vendor, you delegate these responsibilities to experts who manage every aspect of the project efficiently. Vendors handle the creation of documentation like storyboards, project plans, and delivery strategies for prototypes (Alpha and Beta versions), ensuring a well-organized development process. They collaborate closely with you throughout the project to minimize errors and delays. For larger projects, you can even distribute tasks among multiple vendors to further reduce risks and manage workloads effectively. eLearning outsourcing not only ensures the project is handled by experienced professionals but also mitigates potential risks associated with in-house development, such as missed deadlines or lack of expertise.
A Practical Guide to Outsourcing E-Learning 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
4. Enables Convenience of Work Across Time Zones
Outsourcing allows you to collaborate with vendors operating in different time zones, which can be a significant advantage for reducing project timelines. For instance, you can provide feedback on a project at the end of your workday, and by the time you return to work the next morning, the vendor may have already implemented the necessary changes. This continuous workflow minimizes downtime and ensures the project progresses smoothly without unnecessary delays. Working across time zones maximizes productivity and offers greater flexibility in handling revisions, updates, and approvals, making it an ideal solution for businesses that value speed and efficiency.
5. Ensures Top-Notch Quality through Expertise and Tools
78% of businesses all over the world feel positive about their outsourcing partners.
(Source: Key Statistics on Outsourcing | LinkedIn)
eLearning companies are equipped with advanced tools and technologies, including trending AI tools for eLearning design and development. These tools often require a level of proficiency that in-house teams might lack due to limited exposure or training. Additionally, vendors bring a deep understanding of instructional design principles, learning theories, and global training requirements, ensuring your training materials meet the highest standards. Their ability to stay ahead of industry trends and adopt the latest innovations ensures that your eLearning content remains relevant, engaging, and impactful. By outsourcing, you gain access to a higher caliber of work than what might typically be achievable within your organization’s internal resources.
6. Speeds Up Turnaround Time for eLearning Projects
eLearning outsourcing significantly accelerates the development process for projects. Vendors have dedicated teams that can handle multiple aspects of development simultaneously, ensuring faster turnaround times. Unlike in-house teams that may be juggling multiple priorities, eLearning outsourcing ensures your project gets the focused attention it requires. This speed is particularly beneficial for organizations with tight deadlines or those looking to roll out training programs quickly. By streamlining the various stages of development—eLearning storyboarding, design, content creation, and review—vendors help you deliver eLearning solutions in a fraction of the time it would take internally.
7. Offers Scalability and Flexibility for Global Training
Outsourcing opens the door to easily scaling your training programs to meet global requirements. Vendors experienced in handling large-scale projects can adapt to your needs, whether that involves creating consistent training materials for a dispersed workforce or offering eLearning translations. Their expertise in designing flexible solutions ensures your training programs can evolve alongside your organization’s growth. Outsourcing also allows you to handle fluctuating demands, as vendors can quickly ramp up or scale down resources based on your project volume, making it an ideal choice for organizations with dynamic training needs.
Struggling to make your eLearning content accessible across multiple languages? In this video, we’ll share tips and best practices to effectively outsource eLearning translations, ensuring quality and efficiency every step of the way.
8. Supports Strategic Decision-Making
Choosing to outsource eLearning development is not just a cost-saving measure but a strategic decision that allows organizations to focus on their core competencies. By leaving the complexities of course development to experts, you can allocate your internal resources toward high-priority business goals. eLearning outsourcing allows you to enhance the quality of your eLearning courses without overstretching your internal teams, ensuring a more efficient and effective approach to workforce development.
How Do You Choose the Right eLearning Vendor?
Now that you have discovered the smart reasons to outsource your eLearning development, it's time to delve into the next crucial step: selecting the right eLearning vendor. Evaluating and choosing the perfect partner for your e-learning initiatives is essential for achieving the desired outcomes. To guide you through this process, here’s an insightful infographic that highlights effective ways to evaluate and decide on an eLearning vendor.
Wrapping up!
With the right approach, any firm can turn challenges into opportunities. By outsourcing their eLearning needs, this food and beverage manufacturer was able to deliver high-quality, scalable training without overburdening their in-house team. The result? A well-trained workforce ready to meet the demands of expansion—quickly and efficiently. So don't risk your eLearning development with a DIY approach. Choose eLearning outsourcing to access expert instructional designers, cutting-edge technology, and streamlined processes. Achieve high-quality courses faster, reduce costs, and ensure impactful learning experiences. Take the leap—partner with experienced eLearning companies and watch your organization's employee training and development programs thrive!
Discover how eLearning outsourcing can transform your training programs with engaging, high-quality eLearning courses that empower your team and boost performance. Download our eBook now!