What is eLearning Outsourcing?
eLearning outsourcing refers to the practice of delegating the design, development, implementation, and management of eLearning initiatives to external providers or vendors. Organizations opt for eLearning outsourcing to leverage specialized expertise, reduce costs, accelerate development timelines, and access advanced technology and resources not available in-house.
What Do the Numbers Say?
Why Outsource eLearning?
Creating effective custom eLearning experiences involves both science and creativity. When organizations outsource eLearning design and development, they're not just handing off tasks—they're strategically tapping into specialized skills and knowledge to streamline operations and improve learning outcomes. Outsourcing allows companies to focus on their core competencies while ensuring the delivery of high-quality, effective eLearning solutions. This marks a significant shift towards maximizing resources for creating better eLearning experiences and business efficiency.
eLearning is a seamless blend of effective and engaging learning.
It’s time for you to decide. What do you want eLearning to be? Just learning, something engaging, or both? We choose BOTH!
And through outsourcing it to us, you can get access to both!
At CommLab India, we offer a comprehensive one-stop solution for all your custom eLearning design and development needs. Our integrated approach ensures you get both compelling content and interactive learning solutions under one roof. No more hassle of managing multiple vendors for different aspects of eLearning design and development! With us, you gain access to a dedicated team committed to delivering impactful custom eLearning solutions.
What do you need? State-of-the-art design, development support, and much more…
How do you get it? By outsourcing eLearning design and development.
Looking for the best companies for outsourcing custom eLearning design and development —CommLab India tops the list!
CommLab India offers it all as it tops the list of best companies for outsourcing custom eLearning design and development.
Here are some impressive benefits of outsourcing eLearning design and development
Expertise
An outsourcing partner will be well-versed in the latest tools, technology, and trends and have set processes for seamless execution. They boast a diverse talent pool of experts ensuring both effectiveness and efficiency in creating custom eLearning courses with best practices in instructional design, ensuring content is engaging, pedagogically sound, and aligned with organizational learning objectives. Outsourcing partners curate, design, and develop innovative custom eLearning solutions with varying interactivity levels, coupled with strong project management skills. Whether it's Virtual Instructor-led Training (VILT) or translations, a skilled outsourcing partner covers all your needs comprehensively.
What Does eLearning Outsourcing Involve?
The journey of outsourcing eLearning involves various aspects such as identifying the right time and the elements to outsource, choosing the right vendor, ensuring a healthy relationship with the vendor, and more.
Quick Turnaround
As development is an eLearning outsourcing vendor’s core business, you can be assured of a high-quality eLearning course in a short period. Your outsourcing partner can provide round-the-clock services with a time-zone benefit to meet your requirements. Every minute saved will translate into cost savings.
Flexibility to Scale Up or Down
Outsourcing eLearning design and development is ideal for organizations with small teams. Asking internal resources to handle extra work can reduce efficiency and lower quality because they may struggle to meet deadlines. Outsourcing allows you to adjust resources as needed, avoiding issues with deadlines or work quality.
What are the Benefits of Outsourcing eLearning?
We know you have other concerns holding you back from outsourcing your eLearning development. If it’s budget and cost, we’ve got solutions for that.
What’s Holding You Back from Outsourcing eLearning Development?
Outsourcing eLearning development has become a viable option for businesses all over the globe. However, even with the many benefits of outsourcing, companies are still not making the move. Some businesses still have concerns that are preventing them from eLearning outsourcing. The good news is that we can tackle those concerns with eLearning development solutions designed to make your life easier.
| Problems with Outsourcing | How to Tackle Them |
|---|---|
| How to have a perfect project management system in place? | Have a single point of contact, share all requirements upfront, have regular communication and rigorous quality checks |
| How to ensure effective communication? | Maintain verbal communication and emails and plan for regular status updates |
| How to deal with Confidentiality issues? | Have legal non-disclosure agreements |
| How to counteract lengthy drawn-out processes? | Ensure the vendor follows agile project management process and agree on regular milestones and deadlines |
| How to ensure quality? |
Ensure efficient quality assurance (QA) processes |
Here’s an insightful infographic highlighting the most common outsourcing objections and how to overcome them.
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When is the Right Time to Outsource eLearning?
That’s about how to tackle the arguments with outsourcing, but do you know when the time is appropriate for you to outsource eLearning development?
The right time for outsourcing the design and development of corporate eLearning solutions is NOW!
You are not sure where or how to begin
Are you new to eLearning? Does your in-house Learning and Development (L&D) team lack the required skills or talents? Are you finding it difficult to manage every aspect of eLearning design and development?
Then, Outsource!
You are in a time crunch
You may have a talented in-house team for eLearning development who is too busy to meet your timelines.
Outsource for faster turnaround times.
Your human resources are maxed out
Have you exhausted your resources, manpower, time, and costs without getting the right output? Are you finding it difficult to put your employees’ time and talents to good use?
Outsource eLearning design and development for effective resource allocation.
You are unable to match expectations with reality
Your in-house team may not be able to turn your training goals, objectives, and outcomes into reality.
Outsource to realize your vision!
So, you know when to outsource eLearning development! But what can you outsource?
What Can You Outsource in eLearning Design and Development?
Parts of eLearning Development that can be Outsourced
Here are the different parts of custom eLearning design and development you can outsource:
- End-to-end eLearning Development
- Rapid eLearning Development
- Instructional Design
- Multimedia Components
- Course Development
- Translation
- Digital Assets
End-to-end eLearning Development
Have content ready to create a digital learning solution, but lack in-house ID and authoring tool skills, outsource eLearning content development?
eLearning outsourcing partners streamline the entire process, from initial storyboard creation to final deployment.
Rapid eLearning Development
Have a library of raw material (Storyboards, PowerPoint presentations, ILT material, Word documents, videos)?
eLearning outsourcing makes use of rapid eLearning authoring tools and requires minimum SME time, instructional design, and resources for the development of courses.
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
Instructional Design
Hassles with learning design capabilities and an understanding of adult learning principles?
Outsourcing helps you frame performance-based learning objectives, decide on the right instructional design strategy, and frame eLearning assessments.
Multimedia Components
Developing, customizing, or programming complex animations, interactivities, graphics, or videos can be a challenging task.
Outsourcing helps you save the costs of hiring people or purchasing tools for these jobs.
Course Development
Need expertise with eLearning authoring tools?
Your outsourcing vendor will have the required expertise to provide quality output on time.
Digital Assets
Difficulties in developing engaging and compelling digital assets for online training, microlearning, and performance support?
A competent eLearning outsourcing vendor will provide you with multiple digital assets to support the immediate performance of your learners.
Translation
Need translators with expertise in various languages and domains?
A proficient outsourcing vendor ensures your courses are translated by a network of skilled native translators. CommLab India offers a wide array of over 35 international languages and dialects and utilizes cutting-edge technology to ensure your courses are accurately translated and culturally relevant.
Wondering how to get started? Here’s your four-step success guide!
How do You Build a Business Case for eLearning Outsourcing?
Are you looking to outsource eLearning to upskill your workforce but find it difficult to convince your senior management of the benefits of outsourcing? Make an effective business case for outsourcing eLearning with these points in your arsenal:
Scalability
Scalability in eLearning outsourcing empowers organizations to rapidly expand their training initiatives as needed, without constraints on timelines or resource availability. This flexibility is crucial for upskilling and reskilling employees efficiently, adapting quickly to market changes, and meeting evolving business demands. eLearning solutions are inherently rapid and agile, allowing for quick deployment of updated content and modules. This agility ensures that training programs remain current and effective, providing employees with the skills and knowledge required to excel in their roles.
Smooth Execution
A reliable eLearning vendor ensures smooth execution through clear communication, robust processes, and efficient project management. Regular communication channels are established to keep stakeholders informed and aligned throughout the project lifecycle. Well-defined processes, such as the Successive Approximation Model (SAM), provide structured stages for development, allowing for iterative feedback loops at each stage.
Enhanced Productivity
Outsourcing eLearning design and development provides you with a competitive edge. With quick access to effective learning, employees have shown better productivity. An expert eLearning vendor designs learning materials that facilitate learning and improve results, making learning engaging and enjoyable like immersive learning solutions like VR/AR and engaging gamification techniques. These innovations accelerate learning and improve retention and motivation, empowering organizations to focus on overall efficiency and business growth.
Improved Quality Within Costs
Outsourcing helps meet the training needs of an ever-changing corporate scenario and also contains costs. Though custom eLearning outsourcing might entail high costs initially, it decreases over time with the reusability of assets. You can equip yourselves with the latest technologies, trends, and best practices through outsourcing.
Looking for ways to maximize budget when outsourcing custom eLearning? Here’s a video highlighting some tips to help you get started.
How Can You Create a Budget for eLearning Outsourcing?
One thing that might make you rethink your decision to outsource is the budget. But don’t worry we have a few tips on how to create an outsourcing eLearning budget.
1. Have Clear Training Goals
Training goals dictate almost every aspect of a custom eLearning program. The cost of outsourcing eLearning design and development depends on elements such as the course duration, level of interactivity, and eLearning translation. You need to ask yourself if you need:
- A plain user interface or a customized one?
- Short modules (Microlearning) or lengthy courses?
- Basic or complex interactivities or simulations?
- A simple quiz or more engaging training activities?
- Branching scenarios?
- Translations?
Once you have this clarity, it becomes easier to decide how much you want to spend on what.
2. Understand the eLearning Development Process
Once you know the process It becomes easier to assess how much time and money you will need to spend on the development.
- If the process requires your review and feedback only after the development, it may cost comparatively more.
- If your vendor uses an iterative process of review (like SAM), you are sure to cut down costs.
3. Consider the Choice of eLearning Authoring Tools
- Costs for your choice of software and tool licenses affect the cost.
- Expenses for hosting platforms and any specialized technology need to be included in the budget.
- Any AI-enabled tools for content creation and personalization also add to the cost.
4. Leverage Your In-House Resources
Make maximum use of your in-house resources, ensuring that your vendor uses the resources and eLearning authoring tools you already have. Doing so will help you save costs and also allow you to update the course when there are changes to be implemented.
Having your own Learning Management System (LMS) also comes with some benefits, however, you can always outsource its support and administration.
Watch this video to learn why outsourcing LMS administration is a smart choice.
Choosing the Right Vendor to Outsource eLearning?
Choosing the right vendor is half the job done. But with many options available in the market, how do you go about it?
- Shortlist a few Vendors from the list of top eLearning companies’ vendors vetted by:
- eLearning Industry
- ATD
- Brandon Hall
- Training Industry
Also, check for their experience, thought leadership, and customer education initiatives.
- Evaluate their websites and select the top 3 vendors and assess their understanding of the subject matter. Ensure the eLearning outsourcing vendor’s core business is eLearning development. Review the company’s team members. You can ask for resumes of the team members you will be working with.
- Ask for a Prototype and carefully evaluate their instructional design and project management skills and how well it is aligned with your expectations.
Choosing an eLearning Outsourcing Partner? Ask These Essential Questions!
- Is the company led by a team of learning and corporate training experts?
- Do they have at least 5 years of experience in the eLearning domain?
- Do they understand the psychology of learning?
- Will they be able to meet your training standards and needs?
- Do they have experience in handling global clientele?
- Do they have expertise in instructional design?
- Are they proficient in using authoring tools?
- Do they leverage AI tools?
- Do they possess well-documented project management capabilities?
- Do they effectively communicate and collaborate throughout the project lifecycle?
- Are they willing to provide customized demos and samples?
- Can they provide an unbeatable cost-time-quality proposition?
- Do they have quality assurance checklists in place?
- Are they willing to provide references from existing clients?
- Do they provide additional services (e.g. translations, LMS)?
- Do they provide post-development support and maintenance services?
- Will they scale their services to accommodate your future needs and growth?
Want to make the most of your eLearning outsourcing partnership? Here are some ways to support your outsourcing partner.
What is the Groundwork to be done before eLearning Outsourcing?
Set Measurable Learning Objectives
Make your intended outcomes very clear to help your eLearning outsourcing vendor create digital learning programs efficiently. Your instructional objectives should contain 3 components:
- Performance
- Condition
- Criteria
Learning objectives help decide the instructional method and scope of the content for eLearning development.
Check the Availability of Content
Segregate and filter custom eLearning content based on the set learning objectives. Try not to include content that is not aligned with the set learning objectives. You will then be able to identify and adequately fill any gaps present in the content.
Get SMEs On-board
Plan for curriculums and discuss with the subject matter expert (SME) the time needed from them for reviewing and validating eLearning projects. Ensure SMEs keep all propriety information handy for your eLearning outsourcing partner.
How Can You Support Your eLearning Outsourcing Partner?
Have an Approved Project Plan
Have an approved project plan with important project milestones. This helps the project to be completed within timelines.
Establish a Communication Pattern
Establish a communication pattern right (weekly status calls) at the beginning of the project. Understand how your vendor manages outsourced tasks.
Have a Single Point of Contact
Have a project manager from your side to manage the development of custom eLearning. A single point of contact from both sides helps ease the flow of information and monitor the progress.
Use Your Existing Resources
Provide your vendor with your existing resources so they can repurpose them. Standardizing and reusing templates and style guides is one way to do it.
Educate Your Subject Matter Experts
If there are multiple SMEs/reviewers, use online review tools to make the review process simple and manageable. SMEs are instrumental in bridging the learning gaps and defining learning objectives. You can educate SMEs about the processes used by your vendor to make outsourcing effective.
Provide Your Vendor with the Learner Profile
Giving your eLearning outsourcing vendor a clear picture of your learners – their learning needs, demographics, and challenges at work – will help the outsourcing vendor design learning that meets the learners’ needs.
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
How to Make eLearning Outsourcing a Success?
Nurturing the relationship with your eLearning outsourcing partner offers you many benefits, not the least of which is that the vendor is already familiar with your processes and standards. This saves a lot of time and increases the quality of the output.
Make Time for Closure Meetings
Closure meetings help you identify what went right and what went wrong in the project. You can continue the things that went right and correct those that went wrong in future projects. Use feedback forms to ensure you communicate your observations and criticisms to the vendor.
Understand and Manage Risks
Understanding what went wrong (pain points) helps you focus on problem areas. The insights gained from the closure meetings help improve the efficiency of future projects.
Enter into a Master Service Agreement (MSA)
An MSA makes the negotiation process for future projects easier and quicker for both you and your eLearning vendor and also ensures better rates.
eLearning Outsourcing in Action
Here are a couple of case studies for you to understand how CommLab India provides professional custom eLearning design and development outsourcing solutions for its clients.
Outsourcing Video Development for Product Training
About the Client: Global leader of precision instruments for laboratory, industrial, and food retailing applications
Target Audience: Sales reps, service technicians, and distributors
Requirement: Develop engaging online training on the product portfolio of highly complex products
Solution: We developed explainer videos to facilitate a better and accurate understanding of products.
Videos had live photographs and 2D animations to depict product assembly and functions.
Gamified assessments were used instead of the usual eLearning assessment formats for better learner engagement.
Outsourcing ILT and eLearning Development for Software Training
About the Client: Leading US biopharmaceutical company that works on innovative medicines for patients with life-threatening diseases.
Target Audience: Employees across the organization, based on their usage of the RDMS
Requirement: Develop a blend of classroom, eLearning, and performance support on a new regulatory document management system (RDMS)
Solution: We developed role-based eLearning simulations to help employees master tasks in the software – based on their role.
For employees not comfortable with eLearning, we developed ILT material; users had the flexibility of taking either that or eLearning courses.
We developed quick reference guides (PDFs) that showed the execution of each task with concise instructions and screenshots – to be accessed at the point of need.
More to Outsourcing — Staff Augmentation Services
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Companies globally are projected to spend around $81.87 billion on staff augmentation by 2025. |
Want to enhance your custom eLearning design and development without fully outsourcing? Staff augmentation is all you need! It’s like adding turbo boosters to your existing workforce, ensuring you meet project demands effectively while retaining control and flexibility.
Staff augmentation allows organizations to source appropriate talent, offer flexible engagement models, expand existing in-house teams, fill staffing gaps, provide necessary technical expertise, and ensure alignment with business objectives. This approach enables businesses to adapt to evolving market conditions by deploying project-specific workforce solutions.
Choose from a wide range of L&D roles, including:
- Authoring tool experts
- Learning architects
- Quality assurance experts
- LMS experts
- Project managers
- And more!
Get the Right L&D Resources, Right Away with Staff Augmentation Services !
Moreover, staff augmentation serves as a solution to problems such as employee attrition and burnout by offering support during periods of high work demand and changes, leading to improved employee retention. It also aids in tackling the issue of " quiet quitting " by reducing the pressure of heavy workloads and fostering a more conducive work atmosphere.
Ultimately, staff augmentation empowers organizations to maintain agility in their eLearning strategies, optimize resource allocation, and achieve operational efficiency while leveraging external expertise to drive innovation and meet evolving learning needs effectively.
