The document provides tips for selecting an eLearning outsourcing vendor and making the partnership successful. It recommends reviewing the vendor's website, samples, development processes, and team profiles. It also suggests understanding costs, quality, credentials, scalability, and communication structure. Key factors include defining clear objectives and quality standards, following proven processes, focusing on the long term, and treating the vendor as a strategic partner.

1. eLearning
Outsourcing

2. SIGNIFICANT
COST
ADVANTAGES
FOCUS ON
STRATEGIC SCALABILITY
GOALS
WHY
OUTSOURCE?
INCREASED BETTER
RELIABILITY QUALITY
REDUCED
PROJECT
RISK

3. • Reduces fixed costs and leverages the
SIGNIFICANT scalability of the service providers
COST
• Estimated savings between 20-40% by
ADVANTAGES
outsourcing to India*
*Source: Bersin Associates – Offshore eLearning: What Works

4. • Helps your team to be scalable – on
demand
• Frees you from worrying about hiring,
SCALABILITY retention, firing etc.
• Hugely important for smaller companies
• Also helps in starting projects quickly,
ramping up the team much faster, and
(sometimes) putting the project on hold
without much additional costs

5. • Brought about due to the continuous
improvement as the vendor’s team
handles more projects of different kinds
BETTER
for diverse clients
QUALITY
• Helps anticipate problems in advance,
troubleshoot better when needed, and
also propose value added inputs based
on previous experiences

6. • Defining your project while getting the
RFPs ready reduces the risk to a large
extent as everything is captured in one
REDUCED
PROJECT document
RISK • The development process is better
managed by the vendor including proper
documentation and pre-defined delivery /
sign off process ensuring success of the
project

7. • With eLearning as its core business, all
processes and systems of the vendor are
INCREASED specifically defined and well geared up to
RELIABILITY deliver eLearning products / projects
• There is almost no chance of those
resources being diverted to some other
‘more important’ tasks

8. • Outsourcing helps bring greater focus to
the core or strategic tasks of your training
FOCUS ON function – without sacrificing quality or
STRATEGIC service
GOALS
• You can plan for the future of the
organization; evaluate success of training
programs; implement organizational
cultural change plans etc.
Read More

9. CONTINUANCE CAPABILITY
HOW
TO
SELECT A
VENDOR?
COSTS CREDIBILITY

10. Review their website
CAPABILITY

11. Review their website
• Not just from the design but also from the content
point of view
• This will give you some idea on their views and
knowledge on eLearning
CAPABILITY

12. Review their website
Check work samples
CAPABILITY

13. Review their website
Check work samples
• Check as many samples as possible
• Samples can provide insights into their
expertise in learning design & development
CAPABILITY

14. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
CAPABILITY

15. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
• It is better to have employees (as against
vendor’s contractors) working on your projects
CAPABILITY • For a small business you may even want to
check profiles of the owners / promoters of the
business

16. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
Understand their development processes
CAPABILITY

17. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
Understand their development processes
CAPABILITY
• An eLearning development process should be
mature & flexible enough to accommodate the
iterative nature of eLearning content development

18. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
Understand their development processes
CAPABILITY
Ask how many projects have they delivered

19. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
Understand their development processes
CAPABILITY
Ask how many projects have they delivered
• A team that has delivered large number of projects
usually has richer experience to contribute to your
project and can even handle unexpected situations

20. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
Understand their development processes
CAPABILITY
Ask how many projects have they delivered
Understand their working style

21. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
Understand their development processes
CAPABILITY
Ask how many projects have they delivered
Understand their working style
• Know how they communicate and collaborate with
clients on live projects, their office timing, team
availability during emergencies, etc.

22. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
Understand their development processes
CAPABILITY
Ask how many projects have they delivered
Understand their working style
Ask about their LMS & standards competencies

23. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
Understand their development processes
CAPABILITY
Ask how many projects have they delivered
Understand their working style
Ask about their LMS & standards competencies
• Check the different LMS systems have they
integrated courses with and how they test and
certify compliance

24. Review their website
Check work samples
Ask for profiles of development team members
Understand their development processes
CAPABILITY
Ask how many projects have they delivered
Understand their working style
Ask about their LMS & standards competencies
Enquire about what all they would NOT DO

25. Check how long have they been in business
CREDIBILITY

26. Check how long have they been in business
• Do a financial review to be absolutely sure that the
company is profitable and hence stable
• In today’s economic scenario, anyone who has
CREDIBILITY survived 4-5 years should be reasonably stable

27. Check how long have they been in business
Speak with some of their long-term customers
CREDIBILITY

28. Check how long have they been in business
Speak with some of their long-term customers
CREDIBILITY
• This should tell you a lot about how well the
vendor manages its customers in the long run
• It will also tell you if they have been able to
deliver value over that period of time

29. Check how long have they been in business
Speak with some of their long-term customers
CREDIBILITY
Enquire for ‘proof of concept’ project

30. Check how long have they been in business
Speak with some of their long-term customers
CREDIBILITY
Enquire for ‘proof of concept’ project
• This helps in eliminating the wrong vendors who
might be looking alright otherwise

31. Check how long have they been in business
Speak with some of their long-term customers
CREDIBILITY
Enquire for ‘proof of concept’ project
Check for awards or any other recognition

32. Check how long have they been in business
Speak with some of their long-term customers
CREDIBILITY
Enquire for ‘proof of concept’ project
Check for awards or any other recognition
• Winning some recognition always adds to the
credibility

33. Look for the cost to quality ratio
COSTS

34. Look for the cost to quality ratio
•‘Cheaper the better’ is not always the best
philosophy
COSTS
COSTS

35. Look for the cost to quality ratio
COSTS Ask for actual costs of the past samples
COSTS

36. Look for the cost to quality ratio
COSTS Ask for actual costs of the past samples
COSTS
• Most often you would be told of costs in units of
‘dollar per learning hour’
• Bring down the parameters to be able to compare
apples with apples

37. Look for the cost to quality ratio
COSTS Ask for actual costs of the past samples
COSTS
Ask for a quote from competing vendors

38. Look for the cost to quality ratio
COSTS Ask for actual costs of the past samples
COSTS
Ask for a quote from competing vendors
• Provide scope of work and point to a reference
output and ask the competing vendors to quote
on that basis

39. Check if the vendor can grow
CONTINUANCE

40. Check if the vendor can grow
CONTINUANCE • In terms of volume of work if you wish to increase
business with them

41. Check if the vendor can grow
CONTINUANCE
Ask how they keep up with latest trends

42. Check if the vendor can grow
CONTINUANCE
Ask how they keep up with latest trends
• Look out for some signs of continuous
improvement or innovation setup within the
company
Read More

43. DEFINE
THINK LONG CLEAR
TERM OBJECTIVES
HOW TO
MAKE IT
WORK
DEFINE
AND
FOLLOW
MEASURE
PROCESS
QUALITY
GET THE
COMMUNICA
-TION RIGHT

44. Use well defined Statements of Work
DEFINE
CLEAR
OBJECTIVES

45. Use well defined Statements of Work
Define the ‘level’ of output by using reference
DEFINE of previous projects (your or vendor’s)
CLEAR
OBJECTIVES

46. Use well defined Statements of Work
Define the ‘level’ of output by using reference
DEFINE of previous projects (your or vendor’s)
CLEAR
OBJECTIVES Study and understand the Project Scope
Documents and Design Documents

47. Use well defined Statements of Work
Define the ‘level’ of output by using reference
DEFINE of previous projects (your or vendor’s)
CLEAR
OBJECTIVES Study and understand the Project Scope
Documents and Design Documents
Include any specific goals your senior
management has from the program

48. Allow the vendor to conform to the set
processes and models
FOLLOW
PROCESS

49. Allow the vendor to conform to the set
processes and models
Emulate the set processes and models yourself
FOLLOW
PROCESS

50. Allow the vendor to conform to the set
processes and models
Emulate the set processes and models yourself
FOLLOW
PROCESS Understand your role in the project process

51. Allow the vendor to conform to the set
processes and models
Emulate the set processes and models yourself
FOLLOW
PROCESS Understand your role in the project process
Follow each step of the process

52. Allow the vendor to conform to the set
processes and models
Emulate the set processes and models yourself
FOLLOW
PROCESS Understand your role in the project process
Follow each step of the process
Graduate to the next stage only after
completing the previous one

53. Setup proper communication channels and
keep them open
GET THE
COMMUNICATION
RIGHT

54. Setup proper communication channels and
keep them open
Create an environment of confidence & trust
GET THE
COMMUNICATION
RIGHT

55. Setup proper communication channels and
keep them open
Create an environment of confidence & trust
GET THE Brainstorm on new ideas that emerge during
COMMUNICATION the process
RIGHT

56. Setup proper communication channels and
keep them open
Create an environment of confidence & trust
GET THE Brainstorm on new ideas that emerge during
COMMUNICATION the process
RIGHT
Provide constructive feedback whenever
there’s an opportunity

57. Setup proper communication channels and
keep them open
Create an environment of confidence & trust
GET THE Brainstorm on new ideas that emerge during
COMMUNICATION the process
RIGHT
Provide constructive feedback whenever
there’s an opportunity
Iron out any persistent issues in the processes
or otherwise

58. Understand your team’s and management’s
collective expectation about quality
DEFINE
&
MEASURE
QUALITY

59. Understand your team’s and management’s
collective expectation about quality
DEFINE Ensure that your vendor knows and
& understands it clearly too
MEASURE
QUALITY

60. Understand your team’s and management’s
collective expectation about quality
DEFINE Ensure that your vendor knows and
& understands it clearly too
MEASURE
QUALITY Define the quality assessment criteria for a
program

61. Understand your team’s and management’s
collective expectation about quality
DEFINE Ensure that your vendor knows and
& understands it clearly too
MEASURE
QUALITY Define the quality assessment criteria for a
program
Approve checklists that the vendor will be
using for testing

62. Think of your vendor as a possible long term
partner from the very beginning
THINK
LONG TERM

63. Think of your vendor as a possible long term
partner from the very beginning
Invest in building their understanding of your
organization
THINK
LONG TERM

64. Think of your vendor as a possible long term
partner from the very beginning
Invest in building their understanding of your
organization
THINK Clear define the short term and long term
LONG TERM goals from the vendor

65. Think of your vendor as a possible long term
partner from the very beginning
Invest in building their understanding of your
organization
THINK Clear define the short term and long term
LONG TERM goals from the vendor
Think business performance improvement &
strategic capability building beyond cost savings

66. Think of your vendor as a possible long term
partner from the very beginning
Invest in building their understanding of your
organization
THINK Clear define the short term and long term
LONG TERM goals from the vendor
Think business performance improvement &
strategic capability building beyond cost savings
Don’t splurge but be ready to pay for
experience and expertise
Read More

67. Upside Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd
www.upsidelearning.com
Email : info@upsidelearning.com