UK
companies considering implementing an e-learning strategy should be encouraged
by research carried out in the US and Canada, which clearly illustrates that
e-learning is meeting, and in many instances exceeding, expectations as far as
return on investment (ROI) is concerned.
The
research was carried out by Taylor Nelson Sofres on behalf of e-learning
provider SkillSoft. “E-learning is still in its infancy in the UK, so, at this
stage, it is difficult to effectively measure ROI,” said Kevin Young, managing
director of SkillSoft’s UK division.
“However,
these findings from the US and Canada should give UK organisations added
confidence about the business benefits that e-learning has to offer.”
Eighty-five
per cent of directors and senior managers interviewed from public and private
organisations said e-learning had shown a positive impact on employee
efficiency and 83 per cent reported a reduction in training costs.
Just
over 50 per cent said it had made a positive impact on revenue and sales, 81
per cent on a reduction in the cost of critical business processes and 62 per
cent on employee retention.
The
two main drivers for implementing e-learning are common across the UK, US and
Canada, reports SkillSoft – improved cost-effectiveness and a more effective
approach to learning.
However,
reasons for not implementing e-learning varied – “not being part of existing
strategy” was the most quoted reason from UK companies, with US directors
citing budget constraints and Canada a “lack of IT infrastructure”.
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IT
was identified as representing the biggest skills gap faced by all three
countries, with soft skills second.
