Case Study: Large Research University achieves 30% training cost reduction with OpenSesame

How OpenSesame Helped University Eliminate Rogue L&D Spending

A leading research university with 3,500 staff found its decentralized training model — where individual departments purchased overlapping content — was inflating costs per learner and creating redundant contracts, especially during the pandemic when essential staff still required targeted training. Multiple content vendors and duplicated licenses made training procurement costly and administratively heavy.

The university expanded its OpenSesame subscription campus-wide and centralized content curation, giving all departments access to the same catalog. This eliminated a redundant 4,000-license sexual harassment contract (saving about $20,000 annually), cut training cost per learner by 30%, and reduced departmental administration around vendor selection and contract management.