Bespoke or off the shelf e-learning – which is better?

The challenge of meeting increasing needs for learning

The challenge in delivering on an L&D strategy is how to meet the ever-increasing demand for knowledge and skills. This demand is influenced by greater mobility, expectations for growth and the focus on talent retention, as well as the need to keep pace with changes and rapid advances in many fields, particularly technology. Learning solutions must be provided within the context of budget and resource constraints, pressure on time and the need for tangible results and impact.

Once you have identified and prioritised what learning needs you are going to focus on, determining how best to meet them is the next decision. E-learning is likely to be one of the solutions you consider. It provides a flexible, just-in-time solution that is engaging and effective when well-designed and implemented.

Choosing bespoke or off the shelf solutions

There are some useful questions which can support you in this decision.

If you answer “yes” to some or all these questions, then bespoke is likely to be your best option:

• Are the knowledge and skills to be developed core or unique to your organisation, or key to your competitive advantage? For example, understanding organisation processes.
• Is it important for the training to reflect your organisation’s brand, culture, and values? For example, induction training.
• Is your context specific and important to understand for effective application and transfer of learning?
• Do you have the budget, resources and time available?

On the other hand, a “yes” response to these questions may indicate that an off the shelf option could work well:

• Are the skills and knowledge generic across different environments? For example, basic management skills.
• Do you want to access subject knowledge or best practice that you don’t have? For example, in the legal or compliance fields.
• Is it important to have access to regular content updates?
• Do you need to implement the solution quickly with minimum effort?

Aleido offers both bespoke and off the shelf solutions

Aleido has a wide range of off the shelf modules and specialises in the design and development of bespoke e-learning solutions across any topic or industry. We can also provide support in the design of learning journeys and identification of suitable blended learning solutions, including group delivery either face to face or online.

Browse our catalogue of off the shelf courses here or, to discuss a bespoke solution for your organisation, you can reach us here.