3 Reasons to Choose a Custom Learning Solution (Other Than Budget)

---

There are many decisions learning leaders must make. One of the tougher decisions is determining when to acquire a pre-built learning solution or invest in developing a custom solution.

There are a number of considerations in a choice like this, but one of the biggest factors is always budget. In general, you will spend more time and money on a custom approach, and in some cases, the value is worth the increased investment.

Many reasons will ultimately make choosing a custom approach worth the increased investment. Three such reasons are learning goals, unique content, and compatibility with existing technologies. Let’s look at each.

Learning Goals

Training related to your organization’s unique products and services will always need to be custom. This might include product learning for people in sales, product support, and customer-related positions. There may also be a need for learning solutions that are aligned with new products and promotions.

For example, a convenience store chain may be introducing a new menu item to its customers through heavy advertising and promotion. For it to be successful, a custom learning solution may be needed to show store associates how to setup promotional displays, make the new item and describe it to customers. The solution may include a custom eLearning course, videos, step-by-step guides and managers instructions.

Content

Custom learning solutions are often better suited for helping new employees learn about an organization’s mission, vision, and values. They can also help emphasize what differentiates a company from its competitors and what supports its position in the marketplace.

If an organization has non-standard processes, systems, and applications, they will need to support them with custom learning solutions including on-the-job, instructor-led, and technology-delivered components.

There are also learning needs where organizations want to feature their unique brands especially when they face customers, influencers, or other external stakeholders.

With a custom learning solution, you also own the assets you create giving you the flexibility to employ them in different delivery modes. For instance, a video scenario could be part of instructor-led training (ILT) and a custom eLearning course while also being available as a stand-alone, on-demand, mobile performance support tool.

Compatibility

Beyond content and learning goals, custom learning solutions can also ensure compatibility with your technology infrastructure. When you create a learning solution for your learning platforms in a format that your learners are used to, it will be more efficient to setup, deliver and access.

For instance, if your learners get information and learning materials from Slack, your private Intranet and your LMS, you can make sure that you have learning touchpoints to match each platform to create an efficient and seamless learning experience.

This compatibility can save time for both the learning design team and the learners offsetting the additional budget for creating a custom solution.

Summary

Custom learning solutions generally require a larger budget and more time, so they aren’t the answer to every training need. There are times when you should use an off-the-shelf solution or create a blended learning experience combining custom and off-the-shelf content.

However, when it comes to your organization’s content ownership policies, overall learning goals, and technology compatibility, custom learning solutions can make the most sense.

Learn more about d'Vinci custom content development services.