Offshore E-Learning Development: A Buyer's Guide
By Chetan Mahajan

Are all e-learning projects equally easy to execute offshore?

You've heard the pitch to get you to place your e-learning development activities offshore: low costs, large teams, professional project management, certifications and awards. Yet, according to a wide cross-section of e-learning buyers, offshoring is not the answer to every project.

Before deciding to move a project offshore, be sure to consider such factors as the size and scale of the project, technical expertise required, and design expectations.

Have a good sense of project size and scope

Consider the following scenario. You need to create 60 minutes of e-learning within five weeks. There is no defined content, but you have identified the subject matter expert. Also, there's an Indian e-learning development company quoting half the price of the three nearest competitors.

Before deciding to take this project offshore be sure to answer the following question: Does the developer understand the expectations of your organization? This includes the LMS specifications, branding guidelines, along with understanding the organizational structure and culture, the individuals involved and their preferences (because these will impact reviews), and your organization's current definitions of e-learning.

In other words, how much learning will the developers need to do, and how much of the project will involve a repetition of what they already know? If it’s a 'more of the same' project and you have worked together in the past, it should be a fairly safe bet (assuming your earlier experiences were good ones). However, if it is a first-time effort and the external developer really is 'external', you probably want to think twice.

Decide on reusability and template options

If the project is large one, and there is enough time for the external developer to learn about your expectations and systems, the chances of success are higher. This is the reason why training projects to support large ERP implementations are often successful? There is the time to try out design iterations, create templates, and develop a methodology that ensures the project's success.          

It is typically more sound to have an external developer do large scale, mass production projects. Once the initial thinking is complete and the templates developed, it is a low risk activity to populate the templates, in which there is little scope for error. However, the content is always a key factor. In ERP implementations, for example, the content essentially comprises screenshots with some text overlays. If the same project required original writing on a particular technical topic, however, then you need to look carefully at the developer's ability to do such writing.

Beware the salesperson

Every developer has a few good projects and case studies that a skilled salesperson will make sound impressive. When dealing with offshore developers, it’s important to dig deeper, particularly if you are new to the game. The salesperson's job is to make you comfortable with the concept of his or her company. However, once the order has been placed, the salesperson moves on to the next deal.

You need to get, firsthand, a sense of how the project will actually work. During the sales process, ask to speak to the project manager or senior project team. If the project is large enough, travel to the production office and meet the team. Ask to see sample deliverables from other projects, as well as documentation, storyboards, and so forth. Nearly every company has two or three happy clients, so don't just accept references that the developer offers. Pick references that you want to talk to, and base your choice on the nature of work done, the industry, or any other factor you find important. If you are unable to speak to most of the references you choose then you need to dig deeper.

Know the design limitations and possibilities

Offshore developers have design capabilities and experience, but they are almost always a couple of levels removed from you and your environment. It is best to provide offshore developers with as much direction as possible—unless you have an open brief on design yourself.            

Offshore developers are great at coming up with design options and possibilities, but often are not forceful in recommending a particular design. This derives in part from being an external source. In other words, they may not have the authority to state what they believe would work best for your organization. This can be especially important if prototype development is part of the selection process. Try to discuss with the actual designers at the outset of the project.

It is, however, important to recognize that the people creating the designs are often highly qualified professionals, who really understand design principles. If you can engage and include them early in the process, it gives them a basis for clearer thinking that, in turn, leads to a more focused design.

Recognize that you may be a small fish in a big pond

If you have a 30-minute training project as a one-off exercise, don't talk to the big players in the industry. The chances are you will not get the level of service you would like. Spend a little more if required, but go with a company to which you think your business will be important.

Understand the level of technical expertise required

In the film, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Barbossa explains the pirates' code and the right to parlay to Elizabeth: "The code is more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules." The same is true for AICC and even SCORM standards.

While everyone in the industry will profess expertise in these areas, make sure that your chosen developer really understands your LMS provider's version of these. On occasion, clients have asked for small, functional prototypes to test on their particular LMS as part of the selection process. This is a good idea, especially if your LMS has a degree of customization or non-standard elements.

Don’t put every offshore developer in the same bucket

One of the bigger mistakes people make when considering offshoring is the tendency to judge developers on the basis on geography. For example, making all 'Indian developers' part of the same club. That is akin to saying that all German car manufacturers are great, or that all Korean car manufacturers are not.

The e-learning development industry, although small, is still an industry and should be seen as such. There are many players, and some are better than others. Does the physical location of such developers make a difference? Yes. Does company 'A' and company 'B' in the same country function in an identical manner? No.      

A visit to a production center is generally a useful investment to help understand not only the operations, but also the economics of how offshore development firms work. As with local developers, each offshore company has different levels of professionalism and performance. To presume that all companies from India are identical and will provide a similar experience and outcome is a dangerous generalization.