Have you considered custom learning solutions for your compliance training needs? We provide the pros and cons and suggest other possible solutions.
Compliance e-learning is no longer seen as a sheep dip solution. Companies want to use every training intervention as an opportunity to engage with employees. They want the content to reflect the real world in which their staff operate and the real risks and dilemmas they face. Sometimes, this isn't possible with off-the-shelf (OTS) courses.
Depending on your aims and individual circumstances, you can ask a provider like Skillcast to come up with custom elearning solutions for your business, opt for OTS course, or a combination of the two.
E-learning solutions: pros and cons
- Off-the-shelf digital training content
- Custom e-learning content
- Hybrid e-learning training solutions
- How to choose your e-learning training solution
- Key questions to ask your potential custom solution provider
Key takeaways
- OTS solutions provide everything you need and are cheaper and less risky, but they aren’t tailored to your specific needs, and your employees may not engage with the content.
- Custom e-learning content is truly personalised and relevant, aligns with your goals and is memorable, but usually more expensive, takes longer to set up and riskier.
- Hybrid solutions offer the best of both worlds, allowing you to tailor OTS modules.
- Choosing an e-learning training solution depends on factors like budget, timescale and learning objectives.
- Key questions to ask a potential custom solution provider include “Do they have the relevant subject matter expertise?” and “Have they worked on similar projects with other clients?”.
Off-the-shelf digital training content
Some e-learning courses can be bought ready to use with little need for customisation. Perhaps they only need your company logo added and not much else.
Advantages of off-the-shelf digital training content
- If an OTS course provides everything you need, why not? It will be cheaper and less risky since you can see the end product
- Courses can be rolled out immediately with little or no setup time
- Usually able to customise with company branding
Disadvantages of off-the-shelf digital training content
- Will not be tailored to the specific needs of your business
- Your employees may fail to connect to content that isn't specific to your operations
Custom e-learning content
Custom e-learning courses are either heavily tailored or built from scratch. This process can take as little as a few days of preparation or as much as several months before they are ready for rollout.
Advantages of custom e-learning training content
- Ability to tailor every aspect of the course means you can create truly personalised and relevant content for staff, which they may find more engaging
- Can be aligned to the unique training objectives and needs of your business
- It's a richer and more memorable experience, providing an opportunity to focus on details that really matter to your company or business area - engaging employees (learners) and improving learning outcomes.
- Usually easy to adapt, update, and revise when necessary
- Ideal if you have a specialised approach to a topic, want to share internal knowledge or best practice firm-wide, or want to tackle myths or preconceptions that are common in your organisation - i.e. situations where OTS just won't cut it
Disadvantages of custom e-learning training content
- Usually involves higher upfront costs
- Takes longer to set up and get running
- Requires you to invest time to find internal experts and an external partner to create the most effective solution for your needs
- Inherently more risky, because you don't know what you could end up with
Hybrid e-learning training solutions
Want a solution that offers more personalised and relevant content for your staff, but don’t want to invest in a completely custom solution? Well, there is a middle ground.
Some e-learning providers allow you to tailor OTS modules, giving you a head start. You can add your brand logo and colours so it blends in with the rest of your compliance training, and there may also be more scope to incorporate your content.
For instance, you might add a custom module, tailor the content to reflect relevant regulations, or adapt scenarios to fit your company's working practices.
How to choose your e-learning training solution
There's no right or wrong option. It all depends on your aims, individual circumstances and - to a lesser extent - personal choice. In reality, most organisations use a combination of OTS and custom types for different things.
Factors to consider
- Budget
- Timescale - how soon do you need it?
- Learning objectives
- Topic - generic or firm-specific
- Availability of internal subject matter experts
If you do invest in an off-the-shelf training course, it’s important to choose one that allows you to tailor certain elements - for instance, matching it to the look, feel and tone of your company. It's also useful to be able to add in examples, making the content more relevant to your staff.
Key questions to ask your potential custom solution provider
If you decide to opt for a truly custom solution, there are some important questions (besides costs) to bear in mind when finding the right partner:
- How long does it take to deliver a custom solution?
- What does the process involve?
- Do they have the relevant subject matter expertise?
- Have they worked on similar projects with other clients? If so, ask to see examples.
- What is their track record - what do their clients say about them?
- Are features like diagnostic reporting built in as standard?
Sketch out your ideas and consider your own intentions and needs.
Also, shop around. Reach out to likely partners and arrange a demo. It's an important decision, so take the time to find the best fit.
If you have any questions about the services Skillcast offers (bespoke or OTS), please get in touch.
Custom e-learning solutions: FAQs
What types of custom e-learning content can you create?
Anything from microlearning, gamified lessons and interactive modules to simulations, videos and blended learning programmes.
How long does it take to develop a course?
It depends on the complexity, but generally, projects can take 4–10 weeks (design to delivery).
What tools or platforms do custom e-learning solutions use?
Popular authoring tools include Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate and Lectora. Custom solution providers can integrate with your learning management system (LMS), and some offer one, like Skillcast.
Looking for more compliance insights?
Our Essentials Library contains e-learning content designed to help organisations meet fundamental compliance requirements. If you’re looking for focused training, our training packages offer a complete solution for your compliance programme.
Our e-learning courses are designed to engage employees with our microlearning library, which was created to support knowledge retention.
Our Compliance Portal also features a range of tools to digitise and automate your compliance learning. These include our:
- Learning Management System (LMS)
- Policy Hub
- Compliance Register
- Compliance Surveys
- Compliance Declarations
- AI Digital Assistant (Aida)
If you’d like to access leading insights and compliance tips, you can browse our free resources by topic to find guides, modules, compliance bites and more.
Written by: Simon Truckle
As Director of Learning Solutions at Skillcast, I am responsible for ensuring that our partners achieve the best return on their e-learning investment. I help our clients navigate every stage of the learning development process, from risk assessment through to audit, while personalising the approach to the needs of their organisation. Before Skillcast I was Head of eLearning at both Barclays Wealth and Gerard Asset Management, responsible for delivering hundreds of courses to thousands of employees.
