BPO: Some Important Things To Consider For Outsourcing Services

So you’ve decided to consider outsourcing for your business. It’s an exciting time for you and your company as you take a major step in becoming more competitive and globalized in today’s fast paced business environment. You’re looking at different providers to partner with and what services they have to offer.

Of course, there are also major challenges to consider before considering outsourcing services. No business model is a perfect one and outsourcing is certainly not without its challenges. A successful outsourcing experience not only means finding the best service provider or determining the right strategy. There are other factors involved that companies should be aware of before they make the decision to outsource. Working with a team that isn’t based locally has a unique set of hurdles and rewards.

Here are just a few things to consider when you are looking to outsource.

Quality of work
When discussing outsourcing, the quality of work produced is often immediately brought up. Many businesses today turn to outsourcing when they need skilled labor at a reduced cost. No longer just relegated to customer service roles, a wider range of roles can be outsourced that produce quality results.

Because of this, companies have seen an increase in the quality of work of functions they have outsourced. Coupled together with the affordable cost and you can see why outsourcing continues to be viable. Though some will say you “get what you pay for” with outsourcing, this can easily be remedied by collaborating with a strong service provider.

Business Expectations
On paper, outsourcing does bring plenty of benefits to your company. However, it also is not something that fixes everything at the drop of the hat. Like any good business strategy, proper implementation of an outsourcing strategy takes time. Even with the most talented people onboard with you, their abilities are limited to what you ask of them and the timetable for completion.

Communications
What has made companies consider outsourcing is the evolution of communications technologies that allow for teams all over the world to communicate in real time. The prevailing use of apps like Skype lets companies stay updated on any emerging changes going on with their outsourced team right away. Despite particular timezone differences, teams can stay updated with each other through constant communication and project management sites like Asana and Trello.

Staff morale and Engagement
One thing to always consider is how an outsourced project affects the morale of your local team. Though an effective cost-saving measure, outsourcing still means sending tasks for other teams to work on. It falls on the company to explain why particular projects are being outsourced. With a deeper understanding of your goals, local staff will see why certain decisions had to be made.

It’s true that some of these decisions may not be popular among some employees. However, it’s important they are kept in the loop and not have to learn about it from an outside source.

Daven Michaels is a New York Times Best Selling Author and CEO of premiere global outsourcing company, 123Employee. The company employs hundreds of young bright individuals on three continents. His International event, Beyond Marketing Live! inspires entrepreneurs to build & grow their business with revolutionary new theories and systems allowing them to design the business and personal lifestyle of their dreams.