Caterpillar e-learning funding sources

For a recommendation for my company for funding of e-learning, internal funds and balanced funding would be the best options available. External grants could be another form of funding considering the small window needed (12 months) and the lack of concern for continuing funds past that time making sustainability a non-concern unless used for continued use and administration of the program. The downside of this kind of funding is the lack of control of the use of these funds. In a company the size of Caterpillar, direction from outside sources is rarely acceptable. In a company the size of Caterpillar, there would be strong evidence for the rapid ROI for e-learning. Considering the efficiency and capability to use a great deal of the companies infrastructure already in place, moving funds to be allocated for this venture would be an easy sell to the upper management and shareholders. In many ways, the introduction of an e-learning initiative could allow the use of funds to be used for the e-learning program while supporting additional staffing in IT, for potential use in other areas. Bates discusses how the balance between infrastructure, administrative applications and education applications would require an audit of the relative spending in each area to ensure that these areas have a “fitness for purpose”. As he continues, this kind of funding requires an organization to be able to allow for budgetary cross-divisional allocation and distribution of funds. Caterpillar excels in this kind of budgeting and as mentioned earlier, the implementation of these kinds of programs and the resources associated with them could certainly be a win/win for all involved.