The age of the internet has made many goals more attainable and economical for employers of all sizes. Virtual and in-office staff can come together via web software to meet, brainstorm and train. Managing a dispersed workforce is easier with smart devices that keep everyone connected.

For training organizations, e-learning tools have made it affordable to offer extra training and perks to employees that were formerly cost prohibitive. It’s no surprise that today’s employees are more capable and well-trained than ever before.

Here are five ways e-learning saves money and makes training more efficient.

1. Train without the travel costs.

In the past, it might have cost hundreds or thousands of dollars in travel costs for a single employee to attend a training course or conference. Now, employees can participate in the company training center or from their desks. The only cost the company bears is registration for the e-learning course itself.

2. Software makes some HR training needs obsolete.

The new breed of human resources software automates many of the most costly and time-intensive repetitive tasks, such as collecting time sheets, running payroll and doing the monthly bookkeeping.

Now, with HR software packages that sync internally from module to module and integrate seamlessly with third-party payroll and accounting tools, we can train HR employees on which button to click instead of what type of paper to buy and how to supervise an entire data entry staff.

3. Training materials are virtual, too.

Incorporating sustainability into the day-to-day work of running a business is a common goal. With e-learning, all elements of employee training and continuing education can be paperless – even the course materials.

Training organizations no longer need to waste paper to train the new recruits, or expose employees to harsh chemicals from hard-working office equipment. Best of all, overhead costs go down, because there is no copying, printing, binding or mailing needed.

4. Gamification and chat/messaging tools make training more fun and effective.

If there is one guaranteed way to save a company funds, it is for employees to actually pay attention and learn in training sessions. With new gamification and chat/messaging tools, e-learning can be fun and productive in the same way that playing video games can be.

With hands-on learning tools, lessons come to life, making it much easier for employees to remember and use what they have learned. With e-learning, training is not just cost-effective, but it works better too.

5. There is no need to pay an on-site contractor or full-time staff instructor.

With e-learning, the instructor comes with the program. The average company can save 25 percent or more just on what they would have paid to hire or retain a course instructor, let alone to send that instructor to various work sites to conduct in-class trainings with different groups of employees.

Furthermore, there is no impact when a trainer chooses to leave the company. With the instructor incorporated right into each e-learning module, training can be offered on schedule and as needed without delay or extra charges.

With e-learning as an option, it doesn’t matter whether the group that needs to be trained is local, scattered among offices or halfway around the world. Organizations can realize cost savings in so many areas and reinvest every penny saved in the company’s bottom line.

E-learning can be offered in micro-courses, on a self-paced basis, in an on-site classroom, on demand or in any unique configuration that makes sense for the situation. Best of all, e-learning means it is possible to offer more types and levels of training, giving employees extra skills to advance in their career and giving the company the benefit of those new skills: It’s a true win-win.