Online program managers (OPM) help colleges and universities take their academic programs online. An OPM partnership can save costs by enabling licensing of advanced software, rather than trying to cobble solutions internally, for example. Partnering with an OPM allows your university to launch programs to a wider audience while generating quick revenue and high reviews. Here are three topics to consider when deciding if partnering with an OPM is the correct course of action.
1. Delivery
Partnering with an OPM can reduce your delivery time when it comes to online courses and training sessions. Although distance learning has been part of higher education since the mid-1800s with correspondence courses conducted by mail, there has been quite a bit of evolution in how it’s developed and delivered.
Today, an OPM not only helps to reduce delivery time but also helps to reduce production time. Based on an ATD study, 67 percent of respondents reported that the top barrier to a team creating learning products is limited resources (time, talent, and money) [1]. By outsourcing, you get back the dozens of hours you’d otherwise spend producing instructional products. When just a 25-minute virtual module requires an average of 55 hours to develop, this requires resources you may not be able to deliver in-house.
2. Scalability
Resources are a limiting factor for universities when it comes to the delivery of programs. OPMs can help fill in the gaps when it comes to production and delivery, and they can also help with scalability. If scalability is something you’re prioritizing, choosing the right partner to staff and run software projects is key.
Software is a big component of making any remote learning initiative successful. Yet, software development spending is often seen as a “black box” by C-suite executives. Companies and organizations are investing in software development, but are they seeing an improved business performance?
To improve business performance and scale operations, “Developer Velocity” is critical. Developer Velocity helps release the full potential of development talent by creating the right environment for developers to innovate and removing points of friction. Research has found that world-class tools are the primary driver of Developer Velocity. When you empower your talent with tools for planning, development, collaboration, delivery, etc., they are 65 percent more innovative [2].
3. Cost-efficiency
There are a variety of advantages to outsourcing certain elements of your program — lowering costs, increasing flexibility, and accelerating time to market (just to name a few). Universities considering an OPM partnership should not only reflect on time efficiency but also cost-efficiency. It’s costly to tie up your resources in long-term software development or program creation.
Still, many companies and organizations are tempted to handle everything in-house. Some dislike the lack of control while others aren’t sure who to trust with their tasks. Take comfort knowing that the global market size of outsourcing services is $92.5 billion [3]. Further, the IT outsourcing industry has a combined revenue of $351 billion as of 2021 [3].
Consider outsourcing to an OPM partner. This avoids the need for long-term investment in software development or programs with a long timeline for return. It also prioritizes agility and protects your access to existing skills and resources.
Are you ready to work with an OPM? Consider Amesite which delivers turnkey and easy-to-use AI-powered online systems. We deliver in 24 hours and transform the organizations we work with.
In our partnership with Wayne State University, we developed a holistic platform to provide online, on-demand courses with live instructors. Read about the results— including positive feedback, nearly 100 percent program retention, and state-of-the-art technology.
