In 2025, the question of the right strategy for creating e-learning content is once again important. Companies are faced with the challenge of providing high-quality, engaging and innovative learning content – often under time pressure and with limited resources. But what is the best way to meet these requirements? Does it make sense to rely on in-house production or is it worth outsourcing to external experts?
Choosing the right strategy
In order to develop the right strategy for your e-learning content, an initial analysis is necessary.
How large is your target group? Small, specialized target groups often benefit from individually produced, internal content. Large, heterogeneous target groups, on the other hand, require scalable, professionally produced content.
How long will the content be relevant? Content with a short half-life, such as product training, should be flexible and quickly adaptable. For long-lasting content such as compliance training, on the other hand, it may be worth using external expertise.
What internal resources are available to you? Do you have a team with experience in didactics and media production? Then in-house production is a good option. If you lack these skills, external professionals can provide valuable support.
The guide to the right decision
Based on your target group and your resources, you can decide which approach is most suitable. If you have internal employees with L&D expertise and media skills, you can create a didactic and media framework concept directly within the company itself. If you have employees with basic professional experience in L&D, they can develop a framework concept and create a prototype. If your employees have no specific L&D experience, you could have the framework concept created externally and support the development of the e-learning content through enabling programs. If no in-house staff are available, outsourcing the entire production to external service providers may be the most efficient solution.
Similar considerations apply to external target groups. Companies with access to employees with L&D expertise could have key content produced by professionals in addition to creating a framework concept. For less experienced teams, it makes sense to develop a framework concept and prototypes for standard content and seek external support for content with a longer half-life. Without internal resources, complete outsourcing is the most sensible option to ensure time and quality.
In the following infographic you can see whether in-house production or outsourcing is the right way to go.
In-house production of e-learning content - make or buy?
Many companies opt for in-house production because they want to retain full control over the content. This approach seems particularly obvious when content needs to be very specifically tailored to internal processes or company values.
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Advantages
1. flexibility: you can customize content and change it at short notice.
2. cost savings: in the long term, self-produced content can be cheaper, especially if qualified employees and tools are already available.
3. exclusivity: content remains in-house and can be tailored precisely to the needs of the company.
Challenges
1. time expenditure: The production of high-quality content is time-consuming and requires know-how.
2. technological requirements: The use of modern technologies such as AR or VR requires appropriate tools and expertise.
3. quality assurance: Without external expertise, there is a risk that content will not meet current standards.
New hybrid solution - best practice
Hybrid solutions have become increasingly important in recent years – and for good reason. External service providers not only bring years of experience to the table, but also access to innovative technologies and creative approaches. Internal employees know the DNA of the company, the products and can act quickly and cost-effectively. The hybrid solution allows you to combine both approaches.
1. create a sustainable, didactic and media concept before you get started. In the concept, you define the target groups and the formats of the learning media.
Tip: Bring in an external professional for this. The investment is worth it!
2. have an external partner create a prototype for each learning medium. Your team can then use this as a template.
Tip: Make sure that the service provider uses the same tools as you and provides you with the source files.
3. organize a review workshop once a year to update the content and incorporate suggestions for improvement.
Tip: Bring the external professional on board again to incorporate innovations and creative approaches from outside. Have the workshop and the prior evaluation carried out by your employees in order to reduce external costs.
Conclusion
The decision between in-house production and outsourcing is individual and should take into account your business objectives, resources and the scope of the planned content. For many companies, hybrid approaches offer the greatest flexibility and efficiency.
Do you want to get started with e-learning in 2025? Contact us for a no-obligation consultation and find out how we can help you take your e-learning content to the next level.
