1. Should we wait until we are ready to start building courses before we start working with you?
Certainy not. We have participated in many software-selection projects over the past 20 years, and we have helped companies develop deployment methodologies, integration strategies, and data conversion plans. We can be very helpful in the early stages of an online education project.
2. So you provide the software platform and we handle everything else, right?
We understand that your focus is on running your business and not on becoming experts at managing a training system, so we offer a full-service education solution, including customization and data conversion as required, that is cost-effective for you. FlexTraining is an amazing and very unique framework, and our experience can complement the training system and make it work for you.
3. What makes FlexTraining a "Universal Learning Platform" or a "Online Training Platform"?
The FlexTraining education framework includes built-in course authoring, automated course and lesson delivery, automated testing, time logging, reporting, and activity analysis.
For a deeper look at the extensive feature set that FlexTraining provides click here.
4. I am new to online training and course-building. What can you do to help me get started?
The FlexTraining system is template-based, and built to be intuitive and easy to use. However, we are always glad to build a sample course out of your training material, which you can use as a basis for additional courses. And we are right beside you during your initial course assembly and launch, because your success is our success. We can even do most - or all - of your course-building for you, if you wish. There are many ways to utilize FlexTraining. Relax. We've got this.
5. We have a lot of classroom hand-outs, procedures, and PowerPoint material, as well as some safety videos, left over from what we have been doing up to now. Is there any way we can re-use any of this existing content in FlexTraining?
Absolutely! That is exactly what FlexTraining is all about. We don't "convert" material to some mysterious internal format. We let you load your existing material into libraries and course templates, and your courses use it as-is. Yes, you may copy a file from one place to another or possibly edit some images or documents to fit their new purpose, but you won't be starting over. Rapid course assembly depends on getting the most out of what you already have.
6. Our target learners or "students" are now using all kinds - and all sizes - of devices to access the web. That's just how the world is now. People have huge desktop monitors, small monitors, tablets, and even large phones. How could an online course which includes video and images look good on a large display and also fit on a smaller device?
The industry term for the desired behavior - where content grows or shrinks to fit your display - is "responsive". Some systems are responsive and some are not. FlexTraining was designed and developed from the ground up to be flexible and responsive. This is an important attribute to look for as the diversity of devices and displays continues to grow.
7. We are very uncertain about the whole online training concept. We don't want to spend several thousand dollars on an LMS and then find out that E-Learning is just not for us. Is there anything you can do to reduce the risk for us if we end up not going forward?
We understand this problem and we have designed a special program specifically for this purpose. It's called Start Today. It provides a complete, private, develop-and-test site with full tech support and guidance from our experts. We don't think much of the failed "Free Trial" gimmick which leaves you on your own. Instead, we believe in Start Today as the preferred risk management tool and we encourage you to register now at www.flextraining.com/starttoday.asp.
8. What does the phrase "Full Service Online Education" really mean?
It means we offer a flexible set of services and training that helps you get the most value from your training system. This includes user training, course-building services, customizations when necessary, and professional guidance and support. We have been in this industry for nearly 20 years, and we know what it takes to be successful, and to finish the job.
9. With the industry trending toward cloud-based training, can we still operate FlexTraining on our own internal server?
Yes, of course. But whenever you interact with us you can expect to hear us encourage you to take advantage of our Premium Application Hosting service (if you are still self-hosted) and our Creative Services. It’s something we strongly recommend and believe in.
10. So how much does hosting with you increase our annual costs?
It doesn’t. Yes there is a fee, but it is very unlikely that you can provide the same hosting and services that we deliver with the Premium Application Hosting program a lesser total cost. So there is a net savings to you, not a net cost increase.
11. We have already created our online courses by ourselves. Why would we need help from Creative Services?
Some customers do a fantastic job building FlexTraining courses. Others are very busy or otherwise need assistance with narration, video editing, course assembly, assessment development, etc. With our experience, we can be a valuable resource. In addition, most organizations have an online training catalog that continuously changes. Courses are added, changed, and deleted regularly. So it’s never too late to have some professional help!
Looking for a totally custom version of FlexTraining, including the data and integration that meets your unique needs? We have experienced software developers and have done extensive customizations. Just ask.
How about operating your own professional services franchise using FlexTraining and your talents to deliver online courses to clients in any industry or market? See our FlexTraining Franchise program.
Would you like to do some hands-on exploration and testing? How about quickly assembling a sample online course? We offer a groundbreaking fully-supported trial we call Start Today. We don't just toss you a zip file or a URL and say "good luck". Instead, we provide a complete, private training portal with course authoring, delivery, tracking and full tech support. If you are serious about online training, this is where you start.
We help you utilize proven techniques and practices to produce professional courses, utilizing the best content, with the least time and effort, leading to the best results possible. Most of these best practices are not directly dependent on the provided technology, but you will utilize technology to support and implement each practice.