7 Things to Consider while Choosing an eLearning Vendor
● Need to update or create new corporate training solutions? ● Looking for a vendor partner that can understand and meet your needs? eLearning in New York is commonly used across corporates and educational institutes. Thus the demand for such courses is ever-increasing. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind while looking for an eLearning service provider. Know your Requirements Before reaching out to eLearning vendors, list your requirement clearly. Be ready to answer some common questions like:
● What is the total number of eLearning hours that you need to develop? ● What level of eLearning course are you looking at developing? (For details on different levels of eLearning, refer: https://www.stylusolutions.com/us/custom-e-learning-developm ent.html) ● Do you have the source content ready? ● What is the TAT you are looking at? ● List the major elements that you think are a MUST HAVE in your courses, for example, scenarios, gamification, simulations, etc.
Get a clear idea about the goals that your business aims to achieve in the long run and what role will the e-learning courses play in achieving these goals. Unless you have the requirements clearly listed, eLearning vendors will not be able to assist you with the development. Once you have the requirements clear, you need to start shortlisting vendors who can understand your requirements and provide valuable suggestions. Connect with vendors who are proactive and can add value. Interview Multiple eLearning Vendors It is essential to look into past projects as samples that your shortlisted eLearning providers have worked on. Take references from past projects that the vendors have created to frame a better picture of their quality of work, the complexity of the projects, and the initiatives taken to finish the project. You need to look into the company, its experience with the e-learning industry, and so on. Look for companies that also have subject matter experts on board to ensure that the course is factually correct. Lastly, also take a look into the reviews provided by their former clients, this can help you visualize their professionalism. Discuss Costs and Hidden Costs While selecting the level of eLearning courses, keep in mind the budget you have. The higher the level you select, the higher will be the cost. If your budget is minimal, select vendors who are creative enough to visualize your content and make it interesting without using higher-level features, such as gamification and simulations. If you have a higher budget and need high-end quality courses, ensure that the eLearning service provider has the technical expertise required to develop such custom courses with custom coding. While each vendor may have a different cost for each level of eLearning, the features they may offer for each level may also vary. Since there is no one
standard definition of the eLearning levels, ask for what the eLearning vendors have to offer for each level before deciding on your vendor partner. Also check with them if there is a limit to the number of each feature, for example, only 1 scenario in one hour of learning. What are the variable/hidden costs? For example, is there any additional cost for feedback implementation or is it included within the cost quoted? Discuss Timelines Developing corporate e learning solutions is a time-consuming process and cannot be accomplished within a week or two. If your shortlisted vendors guarantee a shorter timeline, you may want to check what part of the process they are skipping and its implications on quality. On average one hour of Level 2 e-learning should take approximately 3-4 weeks to develop.
Based on your
timelines check if the eLearning vendors have the capability to scale their teams to meet your timelines. Ask for Samples and Processes Once you identify the features required, ask vendors to share relevant samples to view the quality of output offered at the quoted cost. The type of visualization, quality of animations, voice quality, and customized elements included, are some of the factors to be considered while analyzing the quality. Also, request the vendors to share their development process to ensure you are involved in the approval of the storyboarding, voice scripting and development phase of development. Check for the number of review rounds included at different stages of development within the cost. Post-delivery Support
Whether you are looking at developing courses for e learning in New York, London, Dubai, or anywhere else in the world, post-delivery support is important. Most courses receive feedback once they are published and completed by learners. Check with your vendor if they will provide post-delivery support, the type of edits that will be included in the support period, what is the duration of this period, and what will be the cost for post-delivery support, etc. Communications and Ethics Finally, one of the most important things to consider while selecting eLearning vendors is the clarity of communication and commitment towards the work. Ensure that there is a single point of contact assigned for the project to take ownership and that you are comfortable communicating with the person via calls, e-mails and video calls. Select a vendor who provides timely updates and is quick to respond to your queries and emails. It is also important to partner with vendors who follow fair trade practices and are ethically sound. This will not only ensure timely delivery but will also ensure that the team will take responsibility and ownership of work. And of course, it is always nice to have a team that is friendly, cooperative and flexible to accommodate your needs.
