An institution's web site is an ideal instrument to promote the institution and its programmes and services. Web sites can be graphically as appealing as well-designed brochures, although their content can be cheaply and easily updated, changed and expanded. A web site gives the opportunity to include new information whenever you wish to and it allows for more direct interactivity with people interested in your institution.
Having a well designed and functional web site demonstrates commitment to business trends and innovation. In some industries, an institution that does not have its own web site even appears outdated, unprofessional or not trustworthy. More and more service providers transform their web sites into platforms with e-business facilties: they deliver services directly to their clients.
Training institutions can offer extensive course catalogues from which clients can chose courses online, fill out an online application/registration form, send it over the web site to the institution, who will receive the application in real time. The institution will process the registration and communicate the confirmation/rejection to the client over the web site. The client will then pay directly over the Internet and may even immediately download course materials from the web-site or go through an e-learning preparation session.
Furthermore, distance learning is now becoming increasingly popular. The learner takes the course directly on the Internet, where he/she can communicate with the trainer online and can even conclude the examination session directly on the Internet. An example is ITC's IPSCM LearningNet (http://www.ipscm-learningnet.net) which supports a network of institutions training towards and holding exams for International Professional Certificate and Diplomas in Purchasing & Supply Chain Management. Training institutions and trainers can exchange information and download training materials. Exam candidates can register for exams organised by their national institutions, and sit the exams online if they wish.
