Why a Bespoke Learning Management System is a Cost Effective Alternative to Moodle

There are good reasons why it can make sense to develop a bespoke learning management system if you're a training provider that's got a Moodle based blended learning or e-learning solution. A well designed bespoke solution can be surprisingly cost effective; you get a solution that's a better fit with your existing business, it will make you more efficient and at the same time it can open up new commercial opportunities.

Here are six reasons why a bespoke learning management system could be right for you:

1. It costs less than you think. SkillsLogic build bespoke software from pre-existing components - that means we can build the core of a bespoke learning management system surprisingly quickly. Off-the-shelf solutions can also be expensive, particularly if you're paying on a per user basis and you've got large numbers of learners. And even an open source solution like Moodle isn't really free - there are hosting and hidden support costs that can make it as expensive as a commercial product.


2. Off the shelf systems like Moodle often come with more functionality and complexity than you and your clients really want. A bespoke solution means you can do less - employers and learners often want simpler solutions. Starting from a 'minimum viable product' and adding in complexity only when it's clear that you need it means you and your clients get a better solution. And you have more control with a bespoke solution - you can make changes when you think they will benefit your clients.


3. You can start to sell courses online and encourage learners to self enrol/book onto courses. An online course booking system can be integrated with your existing website - the solution we recently built for the Education and Training Foundation does exactly that - and you take payments online. You can develop simple CRM functionality - so enquiries can be tracked and followed up.


4. Assessments can be moved online and then marked by remote tutors. Training providers that deliver paper-based distance learning will see significant cost savings in admin and postage. Learners also get a much more responsive service when tutors mark assessments online.


5. Back office administration can be seriously streamlined if you replace spreadsheets with well designed web forms. Data capture through web forms can replace ad-hoc spreadsheets that are often filled with inaccuracies and difficult to report on. Again our experience is that there are significant cost savings to be made if spreadsheet based admin is replaced with a bespoke web application.


6. A bespoke solution can span the whole learner journey from initial enquiry to completion of learning and awarding of achievement. You've then got a wealth of data in a single central database that is much easier to report on and analyse. Better management reporting will give you insights into popular courses, opportunities to sell new courses to different employers and other important trends.

Get in touch if you're thinking about switching to a new learning management system and you want to know more about a bespoke solution. We can give you a ball-park figure for the cost (and time to develop) of a bespoke system quite quickly. We build the big end-to-end systems that support an entire business but we also develop much smaller, lightweight solutions that will get your courses online, handle bookings, take payments and track learner progress through content.