Theme Astutis

The Challenge

Supporting thousands of learners required a robust and cost-efficient e-learning platform. Previously, our approach to creating custom Moodle themes for new clients was inefficient and costly. Here’s why:

• Dependency on Third-Party Providers: We outsourced the development of each new custom theme, which not only incurred significant costs but also slowed down delivery times.
• High Expenses: Every new custom theme required separate hosting and database setups, further driving up operational costs.
• Limited Flexibility: The third-party process didn’t cater well to our specific needs, which often involved minor customisations like changing brand colours and logos for high-profile clients.
• Customer Expectations: High-profile clients such as Meta, Amazon, and RoSPA demanded custom-branded course themes for their learners, and delays or high costs in delivering these solutions could have jeopardised client satisfaction.

The Solution

To address these challenges, I developed an in-house solution: Theme Astutis. This innovative approach enabled me to:

• Eliminate Dependency on Third Parties: By creating our own custom base theme, we no longer needed external developers to build new themes for each client.
• Introduce Skin-Based Customisation: Theme Astutis used a skin-based system, allowing me to:
  • Customise brand colours and logos for new clients.
  • Avoid the need for separate hosting and database setups, significantly reducing infrastructure costs.
  • Automatically assign branded skins to learners from specific companies, while providing a default theme for others.
• Reduce Time to Enrol Learners: The new system drastically improved our ability to onboard learners quickly, enhancing the experience for both clients and their employees.
• Save Time and Money: The in-house solution allowed us to allocate resources more effectively, reducing costs per new customer and enabling faster scalability.

The Results

The implementation of Theme Astutis delivered remarkable outcomes:

• Cost Savings: Saved thousands of pounds per new customer by eliminating the need for external theme development and separate hosting setups.
• Improved Efficiency: Streamlined the process of creating branded themes, allowing for rapid deployment.
• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: High-profile clients appreciated the faster turnaround times and the ability to offer a tailored experience to their learners.
• Scalability: The new system empowered me to support a growing number of learners and clients without compromising quality or efficiency.

Client Impact

With Theme Astutis, we were able to exceed client expectations by:

• Delivering custom-branded themes for prestigious companies like Meta, Amazon, and RoSPA.
• Ensuring a seamless and branded learning experience for thousands of learners.
• Providing a cost-effective and scalable solution that set us apart from competitors.

Conclusion

By identifying inefficiencies and developing a scalable in-house solution, I transformed the approach to custom Moodle theme development. Theme Astutis not only saved time and money but also enhanced the experience for clients and their learners, cementing our reputation as a trusted innovator in e-learning.