How to Choose the Perfect eLearning Vendor

Learning effectiveness

The most important factor to evaluate is gauging the learning effectiveness. The capability of the vendor’s ability to deliver an online learning solution that is effective must be assessed. If the vendor is not able to deliver learning that is effective and delivers the desired results, then the other assessment areas do not matter.

Communication

Communication reflects the vendor’s seriousness towards meeting the requirement of the client. This is an important consideration  to avoid delay and slippages on the deadline. The vendor should keep you updated at every stage of the development process. Communication is also critical at the beginning of the project to ensure the necessary outcomes will be met, as a result of the training.

Cost

Cost is an important factor to consider when choosing an external vendor, but cheaper is not always better.  The quality of the product must be considered too. Before finalizing the vendor, the following questions need to be answered.  

• Does the vendor charge  on a fixed price or hourly cost basis?
• Does the vendor charge for content and graphic update?
• For eLearning videos, does the vendor  use per-minute-of-video pricing model?
• Does the vendor provide the raw files or charge extra for that?

Keep in mind that a customized eLearning program may cost more initially, but will deliver better results than an off-the-shelf product that does not meet the specific needs of your company.

Existing clients

The vendor should be able to showcase recommendations from existing and previous clients. Talking with some of their customers will assist with gauging how effective the final learning solution was for their organization. The idea is to see how well the vendor was able to pinpoint the training needs and offer a solution. Selecting a vendor that offers a breadth of options is desirable. Present requirements may require a particular skill, but later on, new skills may be required. The chosen  vendor should have the resources to provide a new solution.

Industry knowledge

The vendor should have  industry knowledge or access to subject matter experts (SME) in the field. Experience in the industry or using an SME will provide assurance that the content will be applicable to the needs of the learners.

Culture fit

This is an important factor, when considering a vendor. . The  vendor should have a  culture that syncs with the culture of your organization. When you outsource  work to an external vendor,  their employees are being hired to develop your training program. They may not be physically present at the work location, but they will be interacting with your employees on a regular basis. If there is no culture fit,  it will be difficult to work with them on a long-term basis. Selecting a vendor requires the same care as choosing a  new employee.

At Designing Digitally, Inc., we create unique customized eLearning services for our corporate clients. We assess the learning goals and create the solution achieve the goals. This is why our learning solutions always deliver the expected return on investment.      

Get in touch with us and let us help you design custom eLearning that will produce actual results.