we are looking to set up online training for our staff that will train
them on or develop their skills in things like, customer service,
handling complaints, time management, managment and supervisory
skills, sales, telephone skills etc. We are a uk, telephone and
internet based mortgage and insurance broker and have about 100 staff.
we intend to grow this quickly to around 300. what uk or non uk
companies provide this type of service that would allow us to
customise online training courses to suit our business. WE WOULD
PREFER TO ONLY USE SERVICES THAT WE CAN HAVE CONTROL OVER THE LOOK AND
FEEL OF THE TRAINING SO CUSTOMISABLE TRAINING IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING
FOR

---

Request for Question Clarification by umiat-ga on 07 Jan 2004 23:51 PST

Welcome back, moneyquest!

 I am a bit confused about how you would like to customize an online
training curriculum to suit your needs. Online courses are basically
"set". Since they are pre-designed for online use and are taught
without benefit of a live teacher to customize them to a "virtual
class", they are hard to tweak for individual users.

* It seems to me that you might want to work with a consultant if you
want to have a set of online courses designed for your own
preferences.

 Is the following course offered by WorldWideLearn of any interest?
http://www.worldwidelearn.com/selling-online/customer-service-training.htm 

 If so, I will try to look around for some more online training
courses in the Customer Service area.

 If not, perhaps you could provide some further clarification as to
how you are hoping to find a pre-developed online course that can be
customized. I am not sure such an option exists, but your
clarification might help me to better understand what you are seeking.
  
 umiat

---

Clarification of Question by moneyquest-ga on 08 Jan 2004 00:24 PST

thanks for getting back so quickly. what i am really after is a web
based system or an online package for updating our existing and
creating new training. Ideally it would be something that could teach
generic type subjects, (like the ones i mentioned- time management
etc) but also allow us to make slight amendments to fit our company
style. It will also need to be flexible enough to allow us to create
some of our own existing training into a similar format. This is the
closest type of site i have found which looks like it would fit
http://www.enspire.com/ or perhaps you could visit this link they sent
me by email of a demo URL: http://www.enspire.com/demo/sales/
Username: STEVE.POLLARD@MONEYQUEST.CO.UK feel free to use my user name
(block caps required) i am online for the next 6-7 hours if you want
to get back to me and i would be happy for you to help me with this
work

---

Request for Question Clarification by umiat-ga on 08 Jan 2004 15:59 PST

Hello again, moneyquest! 

 I have spent all day searching and have not found any other companies
that offer an online demo depicting the type of online customization
that Enspire offers. There are plenty of companies that deliver
"customized" distance learning courses, but the customization refers
to the actual design of courses tailored to your company-specific
needs.

 I have found a few companies for you to consider. However, they may
not be suitable for you needs. Nevertheless, take a look and if they
are way off, let me know. Likewise, if they are at all suitable, I
will continue to search or post what I have found as an answer if you
find something you like.

 If nothing is suitable, I will hope that another researcher can find
a workable solution for you.

 Some companies require a degree of information from you that I do not
possess in order to arrange a consultation or view their courses.
Please review the following options and see if any are worth
considering.


Vergent Interactive
===================
Custom E-Learning
http://www.vergentinteractive.com/services/customelearning.htm
 "By using Macromedia and Microsoft's shared technical standards,
Vergent Interactive gives clients the flexibility to make up to the
minute revisions as desired."

Custom Content
http://www.vergentinteractive.com/gallery/customcontent.htm

Custom Templates
http://www.vergentinteractive.com/services/customtemplates.htm

Gallery of Template examples:
http://www.vergentinteractive.com/gallery/customtemplates.htm


ENO.com
========
http://www.eno.com/catalog/ecatalog.html

Custom Content Publishing
http://www.eno.com/catalog/custompublish.html
"When a customer opts for custom content publishing, it should not be
regarded as a "once-off" task. Rather, it should be seen as the start
of an ongoing process to provide employees with relevant training
material that integrates seamlessly with Eno.com-created content. The
Custom Content Creation Services Group will play a vital and ongoing
role in supporting the customer in this process."


Sensa e-learning
==================
http://www.sensalearning.com/whyelearning.cfm

Different product packages
http://www.sensalearning.com/sensa_presenter.cfm
Read questions about creation of customized courses.
http://www.sensalearning.com/faq.cfm


Digital Think
=============
http://www.digitalthink.com/dtfs/products_services/

Industries
http://www.digitalthink.com/dtfs/e-learning/


Little Planet
=============
www.littleplanet.com

 I spoke about your situation with an extremely knowledgeable and
helpful sales representative for the company named Jimmie Johnson. I
had him look at the Enspire website and it's customizable qualities
and then asked him about the options LittlePlanet provides. He
provided me with a very good understanding of what LittlePlanet can do
for you in terms of customized learning content.

 To make a long story short, they will work one on one with you to
build or customize any courses you want, including the type of company
content you would like to incorporate. He stated that the
customization options that are normally available through web-based
learning primarily consist of incorporating your own company logos,
etc. When it comes to actually adding in "learning content", the next
options is to custom-design learning programs specific to your
company.

 I told him about the range of course content you are requesting and
he assured me that they are capable of designing any type of
coursework you need. He suggested that you take a look at the
"Gallery" portion of the website and then contact him to discuss your
needs if you are interested.

Call:
Jimmie Johnson - Toll free (1-888-974-2248, ext. 35.) 
OR
email - jimie@littleplanet.com 


Certilearn
===========
http://www.certilearn.com/1000_Products.asp
 
Custom Online Course Development
http://www.certilearn.com/1020_development.asp 
 
Courses offered:
http://www.courselibrary.com/


Flex Training 
=============
http://www.flextraining.com/course_development.asp

 Allows customization of online courses for all types of industries.
Unfortunately, there is no way to evaluate whether their courses are
applicable to your needs without a consultation.

Test Drive
http://www.flextraining.com/test_drive.asp

http://www.flextraining.com/licensing.asp


Edulence 
=========
(I doubt this company offers the direct customization you would want)
I tried calling their toll-free number but simply got a message
machine. I felt it would not do much good for them to call me back as
opposed to your direct consultation)
 
Please read the following overview
http://www.edulence.com/getting_started/user_benefits.asp

Innovative Role-Based Sequential Curricula
http://www.edulence.com/main/curricula.asp


===


 Well, I may be spinning circles here. I hope not!!! Either way, look
them over and I will wait to hear back from you.

umiat

---

Request for Question Clarification by umiat-ga on 09 Jan 2004 13:14 PST

Moneyquest,

 I hope to hear from you soon regarding your interest in any of the
companies I have mentioned. I have since found a few others but will
not post them until I know your feelings concerning those I have
listed.

umiat

---

Clarification of Question by moneyquest-ga on 10 Jan 2004 23:09 PST

umiat

sorry i have not got back to you sooner. i work in the uk but i am
currently on holiday in australia so i am a bit out of whack because
of the time differences. Anyway i think some of the stuff you found is
quite good. as you say it does not offer quite as much flexibility as
the one i found but it was useful. If you can add the additional
information you mentioned in your last comments and, if possible, add
slighlty mopre then i would be happy for you to post this as an
answer. in particular is there any software that would allow me to
create the type of courses i am looking for?

thanks

steve

---

Request for Question Clarification by umiat-ga on 10 Jan 2004 23:18 PST

Thanks for your clarification, Steve. I will continue to work on this,
find what I can, including software, and post an answer when finished.
Enjoy your holiday!!!

Hello, moneyquest!

 I hope are still enjoying your holiday in Australia! I envy you! 

 I have found some more companies that offer distance learning
courseware design and customization. I have also located a fair number
of software companies that specialize in online course design without
requiring the technical skills of a specialist!

 Please take a look and let me know if any of them fit the bill. I
will be more than happy to refine my search further if you feel these
companies do not provide what you need. I again want to reiterate that
I am aware of their shortcomings next to the immediate customization
qualities offered by Enspire. I am hoping, however, that between the
course design companies and the software which will allow you to
design and create training courses specific to your needs, you will
find a workable solution.

* Rather than repost the companies I have already referenced, I will
go ahead and leave them in the previous clarification.



**********************************
COURSE DESIGN AND CUSTOMIZATION
**********************************

FACILITADOR SOLUTIONS
======================
http://www.facilitador.com/index.html

"We can either create a complete e-learning program for you, create
part of it, or we can enable your team to create it themselves. By
assisting your team with specific tools and methodologies, we help you
to create your own effective e-learning programs that improve
performance."
http://www.facilitador.com/os.ccd.htm

"Since change is part of your company?s progress, our courses are
build in modular format so they can be easily and rapidly updated or
modified either by your staff or ours."
http://www.facilitador.com/os.rm.htm



MARIS TECHNOLOGIES (UK)
=====================
http://www.maris.com/index.php3

Edugen and XML based e-learning:
http://www.maris.com/content/index.php3?id=3
"Edugen is an integrated set of modules developed and used by the
Maris development team to create cost-effective, custom-designed
e-learning courseware for our clients."

Take a tour to see what Edugen can do:
http://www.maris.com/content/index.php3?id=31



DYNAMIC BUSINESS
================
http://www.dynamicbusiness.co.uk/newwebsite/elearning/curriculum.htm

"When developing bespoke content as part of an e-learning programme
there is essentially one question that needs answering. Do we develop
in-house or outsource?"

"By developing bespoke course content for each elearning training
solution developed, we provide you with an exact fit. The course
material is structured in line with agreed learning points adding
value to your organisation. Content production however can be
constrained by the amount of resource that are assigned and the
availability of necessary online it training and development skills."

"An alternative to creating new content is to move existing course
content into an online format - often referred to as "repurposing".
Good repurposing would convert existing content into an e-learning
format through the use of elearning software which allows features to
be added unique to that environment. This would enable more content to
be produced for the same level of resource."


KNOWLEDGE POOL
=================
http://www.knowledgepool.com/elearning/custom.html

"To ensure that your e-Learning programme exactly matches your
business objectives, we offer a comprehensive custom course
development service, based on a detailed analysis of your training
needs and your organisational infrastructure."



KNOWLEDGE=POWER (UK) 
=====================
http://www.knowledge-power.com/

"Bespoke content development (Click on "What We DO" Learning Content)
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
"Our aim is to translate your organisation's requirements into an
effective, business-focused solution. Over time we have created
content for clients on, amongst others: compliance and regulatory
training, induction, product knowledge, sales skills, customer
service, and change management. We work closely with subject matter
experts (ours or yours) to design courses that match your needs. Then
we follow a clear production process which involves you at every step
of the way, to ensure we deliver the most effective course to you."



M-LINK TECHNOLOGIES
===================
http://www.mlinktech.com/

"MLink's e-learning and performance improvement services help our
clients meet their web-based training and CBT initiatives, ultimately
delivering significant benefits to their customers and employees.
Having completed over 300 client-specific programs in 13 years, our
proven processes enable us to create e-learning solutions suited to
your performance needs, timeframes and budgets. MLink offers three
services:

* Convert Your Existing Content to Interactive Web-based Training
* Develop New Custom Content for Interactive Web-based Training
* Install free SCORM-compliant Learning Management System (LMS) for
Student Log-On, Tracking and Testing



**********
SOFTWARE 
**********

NEW MEDIA MENTOR
===================
http://www.idoneast.com/newmediamentor/main2-1.htm

"NewMediaMentor is an e-learning facilitation tool; it provides
organizations with the ability to create custom web-based learning
environments at a minimal cost. Non-technical users can create
training for business or educational purposes and distribute this
material over the Internet, intranets or via CD-ROM. The focus of
NewMediaMentor is ease of use! Anyone can create dynamic e-learning
content without any programming knowledge thanks to NewMediaMentor's
template-based design."



CBT SOLUTIONS LTD. (UK)
=======================
http://www.cbt-solutions.co.uk/

CourseWriter - CBT and Multimedia the easy way
http://www.cbt-solutions.co.uk/coursewriter.htm

"If you want to create your own interactive Computer-based Training
courses or multimedia presentations for the Windows platform,
CourseWriter provides the tools you need.  CourseWriter is ideal for
translating your subject knowledge and training expertise into CBT,
and delivering that training to your students. CourseWriter allows
trainers and subject experts to create, deliver and manage training
courses quickly and simply without reference to expensive programming
expertise."

"We developed the CourseWriter system so that we could create
industrial-strength distributed training courses for our clients. Now
you can use the same tools for your own projects. You can create
courses to cover almost any topic, meet many of your training needs
and increase the effectiveness of your training, while reducing
costs."



EASY PROF
==========
http://www.easyprof.com/home/home.jsp

"This authoring software enables any normal user to produce all kinds
of web-based training materials - courses, tutorials and
presentations. Interactivity without programming, rich multimedia
incorporation, automatic test evaluation, publishing for web, in SCORM
- HTML or for CDROM."

Read more:
http://www.easyprof.com/product/product.jsp 

Questions"
http://www.easyprof.com/product/faq.jsp#purchasing

(The UK provide for EasyProf is HotLearning.com)
http://www.elearning-design.co.uk/



DISCOVRY SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL
===============================
http://www.discoverysystems.com/index.html

Products
http://www.discoverysystems.com/Pages/products.htm
"Imagine being able to create sophisticated applications by visually
linking blocks of program functions like a flowchart rather than
having to learn a programming or scripting language. Then imagine
being able to move those flowchart elements around, effortlessly
creating entirely new programs simply by changing the way the
flowchart elements are connected. Our products enable you to do just
that! onViz lets you concentrate on how you want to present your
information--without getting bogged down in the technicalities of
programming and scripting."

"The diverse group of people using DSI's products includes K-12
teachers, college and university professors, corporate trainers,
multimedia developers, consultants, sales and marketing personnel,
manufacturers, healthcare practitioners, aviators, artists, museum
curators, social workers, government agencies, and individuals
creating their own software for sale."

Interactive Corporate Training Applications:
http://www.discoverysystems.com/Pages/ICTAPPS.htm



EVEREST AUTHORING SYSTEM
===========================
http://www.insystem.com/everest/

"Everest is an authoring system you can try on your computer for free.
Everest is specifically designed to meet the special demands of CBT,
WBT and distance learning. Everest is a software tool that helps you
create those teaching materials."

"Everest employs an easily understood page and book metaphor. Authors
drag and drop content icons (image, text, multimedia, interaction,
etc.) onto pages, and link the pages into book form. It's easy with
Everest's visual authoring environment."

Free demo download
http://www.insystem.com/everest/evfree.htm



KNOWLEDGE PRESENTER
======================
http://www.knowledgepresenter.com/

"Create fully interactive SCORM compliant eLearning activities, from
software simulations, multiple choice quizzes, through to fully
synchronized multimedia presentations, with no programming, and no
plugins required."

Free downloads available.



MINDFLASH
===========
http://www.mindflash.com/pages/home.asp

How it works:
http://www.mindflash.com/pages/teaching.asp

"Mindflash automates the process of converting existing in-house
training content into online training and provides all-in-one, hosted,
learning management and content management tools, so, in only a few
hours, you can deliver and track your online training from your own
e-learning website."
http://mindflash.coursehost.com/Groups/Config/Home11.asp

* 30-day free trial

How to Select an effective online training service:
http://www.mindflash.com/pages/guidelines.asp


**************


 I truly hope you find a good solution for designing a staff training
program within these references. Again....please do not hesitate to
ask if you feel I can provide more information or redirect my search.
I will happy to do whatever I can to help you find something that
works!

Warmest Regards,

umiat

Google Search Strategy
web-based online training
corporate interactive training +online
online staff training
Customized interactive online training
distance training +customized  
bespoke online training
creating online training programs
customer service training +online
distance learning "financial"

Umiat. Thank you very much for all your help. Pleasure working with
you. I will be using this service again and based on your work here
would be delighted if you could pick up any future questions from us.
Well done ;-)

Thank you for such kind words and a wonderful rating. I would be very
happy to work with you on future questions. If you would like to
request me as a researcher, simply put "For Umiat" in the question
heading. Otherwise, if you prefer to leave the question open, we have
many wonderful researchers here at GA. Thanks again!

umiat

umiat. i am about to post another question and will makr it for you.
it is for the same purpose as my last question ie the development of
engaging training courses but is on a very different subject.