Cost Benefits

Spend Less and Still Make eLearning More Effective?

Bristol (UK), March 2011 - Can eLearning be cost effective in your organisation? What are the costs, and where are the returns when using eLearning? Tim Buff examines the real costs of eLearning on the CM Group Learning blog and explores how you can make sure your own eLearning programme yields the cost benefits you want whilst increasing the educational effectiveness of your training.




The current economic climate means many have to be cautious with spending, tightening their belts and looking for new ways to cut costs without reducing standards. Training budgets are often one of the first areas to be reviewed. However, staff training and development remains mission critical to most businesses. Labour resources are often an organisation's biggest cost, so it's essential to maximise the benefit gained from those valuable resources and training is an essential part of that.


But instructor-led training is recognised as being expensive, and that's where eLearning comes in. eLearning certainly has a very real price-point advantage wherever larger numbers are being trained, and with recent technical developments, the quality, speed, and relevance of eLearning programmes have improved considerably.


But how do you identify all the costs up front and ensure that you control them?


Tim Buff reviews the key areas to focus on and highlights some of the hidden costs that you need to be aware of before you embark on an eLearning strategy.