How do you manage the risks and opportunities of outsourcing e-learning development and delivery?

Para pensar en externalizar la estrategia de E-learning, primero es necesario tener la visión amplia del proyecto y este a su vez nos permita conocer a profundidad las necesidades de formación y/o aprendizaje así como la naturaleza de la información que se manejara. Ya que si bien, buena parte de la formación no requiere datos sensibles de la organización (BD, resultados de procesos, entre otros) en caso de requerir de acceso a sistema o BD, debemos entrar a un segundo nivel de análisis para valorar que tan oportuno o conveniente es tercerizar este.

Before deciding to outsource any aspect of your e-learning project, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of your learning needs, goals, and budget. What specific skills, knowledge, and behaviors do you want your learners to acquire? How will you measure and evaluate their progress and performance? How much time and money can you allocate to the project? These questions help define the scope and specifications of your e-learning project and determine which parts can be outsourced and which require internal expertise. Additionally, ensuring timely delivery is essential. Evaluating the best approach includes considering the reliability of the outsourcing partner and their ability to meet deadlines.

Before you outsource conduct the most essential task of all: Needs Analysis. With all of my clients I ask these 10 questions: Will training help? (What’s causing our problem, and how we can solve it?) See Cathy Moore - Will Training Help? Process Diagram Why do we want to create training? Who are my learners? List and describe all employee groups targeted by this training initiative. What do we want the learners to accomplish? Why isn’t the current training effective? What are my learners’ knowledge gaps? What challenges will we face? How will the training help my business? When do we need it? Now, Next quarter, Next year How much time and money can we invest? What kind of training will help?

focusing on co-creation and hybrid outsourcing models. Instead of fully handing over projects, companies can engage in a collaborative partnership where internal teams and external experts work together throughout the development process.

In my opinion, effectively managing the risks and opportunities of outsourcing e-learning development involves several key steps. Start by assessing your needs to ensure that outsourcing aligns with your project goals and requirements. Choose reputable partners with proven track records and expertise in e-learning. Effective communication is crucial; establish clear expectations and maintain regular contact to ensure alignment and address issues promptly. Finally, manage quality and risk by setting up robust review processes, monitoring progress, and having contingency plans in place. By following these steps, you can leverage the benefits of outsourcing while mitigating potential risks.

After identifying your e-learning needs, you can begin searching for potential outsourcing partners who can meet them. Consider different types of providers, such as content developers, instructional designers, LMS providers, or e-learning consultants. Depending on your project, you may need one or more of these services, or a combination. When choosing your partners, look for evidence of their expertise, quality, reliability, and alignment with your vision and values. Check their references, reviews, and samples of previous work. Trusted partners are crucial. Evaluate their clients and case studies, and contact their clients before making a decision to ensure they are reliable and capable of meeting your needs.

La selección del proveedor/socio para desarrollar procesos de aprendizaje, no es una decisión que debemos tomar a la ligera. En primer lugar y basados en la claridad y conocimiento de nuestra necesidad como demandante iniciaremos el proceso de validar los ofertantes que pueden adecuarse a nuestra necesidad y muy importante nuestro presupuesto de inversión para la misma. ... Que valoraría de entrada a un posible socio: 1. portafolio, 2. el talento humano que incorpora, 3. capacidad de adaptación a mi industria (si fuera el caso), 3. plataforma que utiliza y los términos de uso en el tiempo.

Base on my experiences, ways to selecting the right partner are: - Do your research: Look for vendors with a proven track record in e-learning development specific to your industry or target audience. This ensures they understand and having a learning styles relevant to your learners. - Request proposals and refer: Evaluate proposals based on their understanding of your needs, methodology, pricing, and timeline. Contact references to get insights into the vendor's communication style, project management skills, and ability to meet deadlines. Here's where references can be invaluable – they provide real-world experiences of working with the vendor. - Consider cultural fit: This fosters a smoother collaboration and avoids misunderstandings.

As an E-Learning vendor, here's what I think is essential to being a good partner: We show up, exceed expectations, deliver on time and on budget, and we are fun to work with every step of the way. Yes, we analyze your current training to map out planned, scalable, learning content. We extend your training department to speed up video and/or course production. And we design, develop, and implement new online learning experiences. The difference is the people. I've been around instruction my whole life and I've worked with people from all over the globe. Communication, kindness, and a never ending quest to learn new things makes me and everyone on my agency team great at what they do. People matter!

La gestión de estos proyectos de e-learning implica el dise?o de canales de comunicación que garanticen de manera oportuna el flujo de la información. Cuando desarrollamos un modelo que implica la externalización de servicios es necesario establecer los parámetros de control para valorar el cumplimiento y en paralelo canales que permitan incorporar de forma ágil los cambios que se requieran producto de la evolución del proyecto de aprendizaje electrónico. ... Los canales que dise?emos deben considerar los diferentes públicos que interactúan en el proyecto, tanto desde la perspectiva interna como los externos o público objetivo, ya que todos ellos generan información clave en sus entornos específicos.

Establishing a Clear Communication Plan: Define project goals and deliverables: Clearly outline your learning objectives, target audience, desired course format (e.g., video lectures, interactive activities), and expected delivery timeline. Set up regular communication channels: Establish preferred methods for communication (e.g., video conferencing, project management software) and the frequency of updates (e.g., weekly meetings). Designate a point of contact: Assign a point person on both your team and the vendor's side to ensure clear and streamlined communication.

Estabelecer canais de comunica??o claros e frequentes com seus parceiros de terceiriza??o é essencial para garantir o sucesso do projeto de e-learning. Utilize ferramentas de gest?o de projetos e comunica??o, como Slack ou Microsoft Teams, para manter todos informados e alinhados. Realize reuni?es regulares para discutir o progresso, resolver problemas e ajustar o cronograma conforme necessário. Mantenha seus stakeholders constantemente informados, compartilhando o status e ajuste o cronograma/curso conforme necessário para atender às expectativas. Uma comunica??o eficaz n?o só evita mal-entendidos e atrasos, mas também fortalece a colabora??o e o engajamento de todos os envolvidos, aumentando a probabilidade de sucesso do projeto.

Externalizar dimensiones o fases del proyecto de e-learning, no nos exime de la responsabilidad en el mismo, incluso es posible que esta decisión nos impulse a redise?ar las estrategias para monitorear y validar la pertinencia y calidad de los contenidos generados. ... Es también importante considerar los escenarios que puedan presentarse, como por ejemplo, en el en caso que el proveedor no logre los estándares requeridos y así evitar retrasos en la entrega del proyecto de aprendizaje electrónico.

Monitorar e gerenciar a qualidade e os riscos do trabalho terceirizado pode ser crucial, quando você vai trabalhar com um novo player. Nesse caso, estabele?a um processo rigoroso de garantia de qualidade que inclua testes, revis?es e valida??es contínuas do conteúdo, design e entrega do e-learning. Se for possível e você tiver bra?o, utilize ferramentas de revis?o colaborativa e envolva especialistas para garantir que o material atenda aos padr?es esperados. Identifique e mitigue riscos potenciais, como seguran?a de dados, propriedade intelectual, sensibilidade cultural e conformidade legal. O ideal seria contar um plano de contingência para lidar com problemas ou mudan?as inesperadas, para responder rapidamente a desafios e mudan?as.

While handing over tasks can save time, it’s essential to stay closely involved to ensure the final product truly reflects your standards, this is particularly critical with e-learning content as quality failures can negatively impact learning. Implementing a thorough review process at each stage— from content creation to delivery—helps catch issues early and maintain consistency. Think of outsourcing as an extension of your team, where your active participation in quality checks and feedback is crucial to turning a good project into great learning outcomes for your users.

Para garantir a eficácia do e-learning terceirizado, estabele?a um sistema robusto de avalia??o contínua. Utilize ferramentas de análise para monitorar o desempenho dos alunos, taxas de conclus?o e feedback qualitativo. Isso permitirá identificar rapidamente quaisquer lacunas ou áreas de melhoria. Além disso, implemente sess?es regulares de revis?o com seus parceiros de terceiriza??o para discutir os resultados e ajustar estratégias conforme necessário. Promova uma cultura de melhoria contínua, incentivando a inova??o e a adapta??o de novas metodologias de ensino. A utiliza??o de dados coletados ajudará a refinar os processos e a personalizar ainda mais o conteúdo, tornando-o mais relevante e eficaz para os alunos.

A terceiriza??o pode trazer muitos benefícios, com a competência técnica e a experiência, potencializando o acesso a tecnologias e metodologias inovadoras, que podem elevar significativamente o resultado do projeto. Além disso, isso pode reduzir custos e otimizar prazos, permitindo que seu projeto avance de forma mais eficiente e econ?mica. Mesmo que aparentemente possa parecer um formato mais "caro". Aten??o! é fundamental avaliar cuidadosamente a empresa antes de iniciar uma parceria. Consulte o histórico e o portfólio do potencial parceiro, e converse com seus clientes atuais e anteriores para ter boa vis?o de sua reputa??o e capacidade. Essa diligência garante que ao invés de entregar o seu projeto, você tenha que se livrar dele :/

In my experience collaborating with external partners to deliver an e-learning project has a learning curve for both sides. For example, both sides have to learn how to effectively navigate project deadlines, preferences in communication, and working styles. Clear expectations from the beginning of the project, as well as communicating your standards for the end product, certainly help. However, managing the collaboration with external partners requires fine tuning throughout the project duration, and takes effort and time; time, that needs to be accounted for when we plan our project.

Additionally, to effectively leverage e-learning initiatives, consider these below practices: Develop a detailed project scope statement: This document outlines the project's boundaries, including functionalities, features, and exclusions. This helps manage expectations and avoid scope creep (adding new features outside the initial agreement). Conduct regular reviews and feedback sessions: Schedule regular checkpoints throughout the development process to review progress, address any concerns, and ensure the project stays on track. Be transparent about your budget and timeline: Clear communication about your budget and timeline constraints allows the vendor to propose realistic solutions and avoid potential delays or cost overruns.