Let’s talk about Maya Lopez, the only L&D manager at a 140-person logistics company. She has onboarding to deliver across six countries before next month. Her starting point is very basic: 1 slide deck, two policy documents and a folder of approved photos.
There’s no budget for filming. To top that off, she already knows she’ll have to update the course again in another quarter. That’s why it is more important to have long-term maintenance than the coolest video now.
With a small L&D team, feature lists aren’t that important when it comes to selecting a video workflow. The more important question is does the workflow solve the problem that causes the most issues?
In this guide, we will explore five areas that typically influence that decision: source files, updates, language needs, human credibility and LMS needs.
Your Existing Files Should Decide the Starting Point
Small L&D teams generally don’t start with a polished storyboard. They are typically started from an existing subject expert’s base. This could be a PowerPoint presentation complete with speaker notes. This may be an operations owned PDF handbook, a Word file or other.
If they have already been approved then all the work of rebuilding each lesson within another editor is extra ownership work. A document first route is best if the lesson is already in the source. It is less strong if the source is diffuse or has become obsolete. Leadde supports .pptx, .pdf, .doc, .docx and .txt formats. It’s Knowledge Base accepts up to 10 files for upload at a time.
The storage space for free-plan is 500MB. In addition, there are four subscription plans, and a free plan. Even if headings are poor and slides are duplicated, it will still lead to work to review. Another difficulty is that there is no clarity about the ownership. Maya needs a single source file which everyone agrees is up to date.
Quarterly Updates Change the Cost Equation
If the course has changed from one version to another every 3 months, then Judge version 4 and not version 1 of the course. Having a presenter that is done and nailed down can be a great idea when launching. The issue comes in at the time of the change of one policy sentence after approval. It may be necessary to re-book the presenter. This team might also require a new round of edits, captioning and re-review.
Document First production brings more maintenance back to the source. A new video version may be made and the file approved is subject to change. That can be a time saver in terms of coordination, when there is a clear owner of the source. That advantage can go out the window with the presence of shared folders packed with local copies.
If more than one approved document exists, then the Knowledge Base can be used to group the related material together, when one course makes use of several. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that where it is stored means it belongs.
Someone will have to decide which file is to be used for the next version. Before purchasing a policy, one question that should be asked by the small team is: what happens when the policy owner makes two changes of paragraphs? The first production price is hiding half cost if the answer is to rebuild the half the course.
Five Languages Need One Source of Truth
It becomes challenging when English is considered the final product and that is the case in localization. Each of the other languages then begins with a different copy. That could result in many review threads for a single little policy change for Maya’s 6 country release.
If the approved training already exists in documents, then an AI learning video generator can be a good fit for teams like Maya’s. Leadde supports 88 Languages and 175 Dialects. It’s translation process includes the script as well as the on screen text.
That second detail is important. If the learner can still read English warnings or labels, a translated voice will not be of assistance. A common source also helps to reduce the likelihood of two regions translating two versions of the same lesson. The cost is human review. Automation cannot decide whether technical terms or local examples fit a specific audience. The course owner should take care of a few matters prior to the first localized version:
- What file is the approved master file?
- The terminology in each region is approved by who?
- Which modifications cause updates to all languages?
Often it’s more valuable to add that small process than to add another translation feature later.
Sometimes the Real Person Is Worth the Trouble
Not all training courses have to be faceless! Sometimes, a senior leader must be on the front lines, when it comes to layoffs, safety or company culture. Face conveys part of the message. If so, shooting the real person will make up for the scheduling problems. When that person is no longer available for revisions, the cost shows up.
AI presenter platforms are another option when a consistent on-screen host matters. One of them is Synthesia. It’s not based on live filming but rather AI presented video. Leadde also has the ability to present and voice cloning. A clean and clear 10 to 60 second sample of the speaker’s voice is used to perform voice cloning. That can assist with holding the voice in future versions. It’s not as believable as a known leader in front of the camera.
There’s another border. Leadde’s Expressive IV Engine supports video up to 60 seconds in length. If you are a team that is looking for one performer who will go on and on, you should find another approach. If the person must be present, it is important to record the real person. If continuity is a concern but you don’t need to be there, use a generated presenter.
The LMS Can End Your Shortlist Early
Even a great video may be turned down by procurement if it’s not appropriate to the learning system. This is important if the LMS needs to receive completion, scores or other structured learning data or packaged course content.
Colossyan is a good alternative for teams that require more SCORM capabilities. It is a SCORM exportable training-video platform. That means it’s relevant when LMS packaging is a strict requirement. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best option elsewhere.
First, ask the LMS owner what does need to be moved with the course. A hosted video link is different from a packaged learning object. Requirements for writing reports and reviewing them may also vary with this option. Sometimes this requirement is found by the small teams after production has started. At that time, if you change routes, it can result in lost work. The easier answer, is to ask the LMS admin in the first place.
Where These Routes Start to Break
Each time the wrong constraint shows up, all the routes get less attractive. Document first video works if the teaching is in the approved video file. It’s less effective when the lesson requires concrete demonstration.
AI presenters help minimize scheduling issues. They are less convincing when there is actually a real leader in the lesson. Several language versions can be managed with the translation workflows. They remain to be subjected to human editing for localized terms and jargon.
Requirements of a LMS can be determining. SCORM is a specification that outlines the way the learning content would communicate with compatible learning systems. For teams that require extensive SCORM integration, there is another option. This is also the case if procurement needs a compliance certification. Leadde provides no compliance certifications.
Another obvious limit of the Expressive IV Engine is its 60 second limit. There is a different approach to production when creating longer videos that are expressive. These limits are not canceling the useful parts. They just indicate a different path is more suitable to the team’s constraint.
Test One Lesson Before Scaling
An individual L&D team doesn’t need to make a single purchase to determine their complete video method. Always tackle the most restrictive constraint first. One can make a very useful shortlist:
- Approved documents and frequent revisions are a pro-document approach
- Where personal credibility is at stake, it is best to film the real person.
- A number of regions prefer to link to a single authorized source of translation.
- Packaging requirements for strict LMS are conducive to a route that is focused on that requirement.
The quarterly policy update may be more important than the six country rollout for Maya. Create a mini learning video using one approved deck/document. Then take an actionable step to the source. Have another teammate make changes to the video without assistance from the original builder.
Point out where the handoff becomes confusing. If this is possible, try a single version of the translation. When LMS is essential, test that requirement prior to expanding into production. Right route is the route that a small team can maintain after the launch. The first completed production video is just to confirm that production works.
