Blanchard Exchange includes a credit system to provide administrators with access to distribute content. For example, if an organization orders 25 sets of materials for a program that includes a Blanchard Exchange course, 25 credits are added to the organization’s account to allow the course to be distributed to up to 25 learners.
Dedicated reports are available under the Corporate Portal’s Reports tab to allow administrators to check available credit balances, purchase history, and distribution history. Additionally, credit balances are displayed on when selecting a course during the project setup process.
Blanchard Exchange has two unique credit types to enroll users in courses: Individual Course Access Credits and Program Access Credits. In addition, Blanchard Exchange supports add-on credits, which are individual products that are added to a pre-configured course. This article covers the differences between them.
Individual Course Access Credits
Summary Information
Credit Identifier Format: "TXXXXX-BXC"
Description: A credit that covers one single course based on program, training modality, language, and session material format (when applicable).
These credits have a product identifier that starts with “T” (ex: T10042-BXC). These credits cover one specific course offering. A single course offering can represent a specific training experience.
For example, Team Leadership can be offered in different modalities, such as instructor-led virtual and in-person, along with self-paced. In can also include variations in session materials between paper and electronic, and be offered in various languages. Each combination of these categories comes together as a unique course offering.
Switching from one course experience to another requires available credits for the new course experience. Organizations can contact their Blanchard representative if credits need to be exchanged from one experience to another.
Organizations who order only Individual Course Access Credits will only see those courses on their accounts as available options when setting up new projects.
Program Access Credits
Summary Information
Credit Identifier Format: "PC-..."
Description: A credit that can be redeemed for multiple courses, allowing flexibility in distributing courses based on training modality and language under the same program offering, using a shared credit pool.
Program Access Credits cover courses with electronic session materials only. However, they can be exchanged for Individual Course Access credits (noted above) in cases where paper session materials are required by contacting your Blanchard representative.
These credits have a product identifier that starts with “PC” (ex: PC-BME). Program Access Credits are a new credit type in Blanchard Exchange that offers more flexibility in the credit system.
These credits can be purchased when organizations don’t necessarily know the breakdown between training modality (ex: virtual vs. in-person vs. asynchronous), language, or session material format (i.e., paper* vs. electronic session materials) at the time of ordering materials.
Program Access Credits enable all applicable courses that are a part of that credit.
For example, an organization who orders “PC-BME” will have all Blanchard Management Essentials® instructor-led courses enabled on their account based on the following combinations:
- Training Modality: In-person as well as virtual instructor-led training experiences
- Session Material Format: Courses that include all-electronic session materials* (i.e., the materials that learners will use in the instructor-led training)
- Course/Material Language: All available languages based on the above combinations
To determine which courses are covered by a Program Access Credit, go to the Reports tab in the Corporate Portal and select the "Program Access Credit" report (see here for more details). Click on the name of the Program Access Credit to view all redeemable courses. Alternatively, navigate to your project setup screen, select the Filters button, and use the Credits filter to refine results based on the Program Access Credit.
*NOTE: While Program Access Credits do not cover courses that assume paper session materials directly in Blanchard Exchange, organizations can still exchange their Program Access Credits for Individual Course Access Credits that would also include paper session materials by contacting their Blanchard representative when the offering includes an available option for paper materials.
Add-on Credits
Summary Information
Credit Identifier Format: "ELXXXXX"
Description: An individual electronic product/credit that is not covered by the original course credit definition.
In some cases, add-on credits are used when individual products are ordered, either in place of or in addition to a course. Add-on credits cover individual products being incorporated into courses that aren’t part of the course’s original configuration.
Usually, when organizations want to create a custom course offering made up of multiple Blanchard products, Blanchard will create it and provide Individual Course Access Credits to cover the newly built course. Add-on credits can also be used in unique scenarios. When products are ordered as add-ons, they have separate credit pools to allow those products to be assigned to learners.
Administrators don’t generally need to check their add-on credit balances when those products accompany a course, as the course credits and add-on products are ordered at the same time and distributed at the same time.