{"id":87666,"date":"2025-12-11T21:11:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T21:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/degreed.com\/experience\/?p=87666"},"modified":"2025-12-12T20:19:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:19:47","slug":"approach-learning-content-library-like-cfo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/degreed.com\/experience\/blog\/approach-learning-content-library-like-cfo\/","title":{"rendered":"Approach Your Learning Content Library Like a CFO"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We’re seeing an explosion of content everywhere, from streaming services in our personal lives to the massive, often underutilized, learning content libraries we have access to at work. This content sprawl could represent a huge opportunity to save money, even while improving learning outcomes. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your challenge isn’t content availability<\/em>, it’s content waste<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On average, organizations spend $1,580 per employee per year on L&D<\/a>, and based on calculations by Degreed Value Engineering, approximately 80% of that investment is spent on purchasing content alone. The result is that much of this spend might go to underutilized, duplicative, or difficult-to-find resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you can uncover the saving opportunities, you can ensure your L&D budget is spent only on the highest impact efforts and initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To see the opportunities, try looking at it like your Chief Financial Officer (CFO) would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning and development is a business initiative that requires investment, and as with any business initiative, it also needs a clear Return on Investment (ROI)<\/strong>. For a CFO, the goal is optimizing the investment side of the equation while maintaining or improving learning and talent outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a CFO is Really Looking For: The ROI Equation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When L&D teams approach the CFO to discuss learning content spend and potential savings, Degreed CFO Sandeep Beotra<\/a> recommends a clear, crisp one-page ROI calculation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a finance leader, the core equation is always: ROI, or Return \/ Investment. <\/strong>There are more complex equations for figuring this (gain from investment – cost of investment \/ cost of investment x 100). But at the end of the day, Beotra notes that you should focus on the importance of two key variables: cost<\/strong> and usage<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“If you’re paying for something which barely gets used on a weighted average basis, that’s not worthwhile at all.” – Sandeep Beotra, CFO at Degreed<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The goal is to optimize the investment (the denominator) while minimizing, or even improving, employee’s consumption patterns (the numerator).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean low use calls for immediate cost-cutting. For example, Beotra suggests that while compliance or premium strategic content might have low usage, it has a high and sometimes even business-critical return. The overall picture should map a comprehensive cost and utilization strategy that advocates for what you need to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 Core Buckets of Content Waste and How to Solve Them<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The budget drain on content can typically be bucketed into three specific and measurable areas that your teams can start tackling today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Vendor overlap<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With multiple content vendors in play, you likely have multiple vendors providing strikingly similar content focused on the same core skills. This vendor overlap is common, especially in large organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n