It can be difficult to determine whether your organizations should pursue custom HR versus off-the-shelf content. 

Although there are definite benefits to custom content, this article will focus on the pros of buying off-the-shelf content. Some organizations simply don’t have the time and resources to expend on custom content and can benefit greatly from purchasing a standardized solution.

These standardized solutions are often thought of as “boxed solutions” targeted towards large audiences. Although they target a specific business need, they aren’t tailored for a specific company or industry.

Firstly, off-the-shelf content is far less expensive than custom content. Since more organizations can use this type of content, the development costs are spread out, resulting in a more affordable solution.

However, not all off-the-shelf solutions are created equal. Some have hidden fees, frequent upgrade requirements, and costly software support that adds up over time. Do your research and make sure that over time the costs of your content won’t exceed a custom solution.

Off-the-shelf content is rich is features and will likely meet most, if not all, of your business needs. Without straining your current resources, you can ensure that you are working towards meeting your organization’s objectives.

This is a perfect solution for organizations who don’t have a dedicated development team in place and eliminates the need for costly outsourcing. You will also have the peace of mind of knowing that your content has been developed and vetted by industry experts.

Finally, off-the-shelf content is ready to use, meaning your employees can start making use of the content right away. Since it is pre-built, you won’t have to worry about lengthy testing processes and revisions to uncover costly errors. The sooner your employees can start learning and using the new resources, the sooner your organization can start seeing benefits.

Post last updated: June 20, 2019.