With the growth of the outsourcing process, many large, small, and mid-sized outsourcing companies have been evolved. This makes it tough for business owners to select the right partner for their projects.
In such a scenario, following a smart approach to find the best-outsourced company can prove to be helpful. Here, we are going to highlight five tips to choose the right offshore or nearshore partner for your business tasks-
Get Clear On Your Goals
Remember, identifying the projects to be outsourced isn’t equivalent to defining the desired results. Further, the benefits of outsourcing include saving time to focus on core competencies, coping with workflow fluctuation, increasing efficiency, and lowering the costs. The organizations that don’t understand the difference between the two, focus only on cost & scope, are likely to end up being unhappy with outsourcing.
If you want outsourcing to be effective, first define the goals clearly. The vague objectives like, “Create something new our customers will love’, without any guidance or direction, are not going to benefit your business! Keep realistic goals, and make sure that your outsourcing partner understands them.
Assess Their Expertise
Once you’ve defined the scope and objectives, the next step is to assess the expertise of the outsourcing partner. Whether you are going to hire an offshore or nearshore development partner, they should have experience in delivering the services your business needs.
He / She should be able to explain the methodology they use to manage the projects, track results, and resolve issues. Find out more about their work-quality, the number of projects they have completed, customers they have provided services for, etc.
If you are entering into a large or long-term contract, it is advised to interact with the team members before signing the deal.
Seek Client References And Samples
To understand what your prospective outsourcing partner offers to the customers, it is essential to go through his/her background. You can ask for references and request feedback from clients regarding the service quality, timely deliveries, turnaround period, and customer support.
You can also seek the samples of the work done by the vendor to get an idea of the output. But, please note that it may not be possible for them to share the actual work delivered, owing to the confidentiality agreements. So, you should respect their constraints and ask for the samples they’ve prepared for the marketing purposes.
Ensure They Have Good Communication Skills And Client Management System
Communication, being an integral part of business practices, can make or break the outsourced relationships. So, it is necessary to facilitate effective communication with your partner. Some of the things you need to check out are:
- Does your outsourcing partner operate in the same time zone as you? If no, what is the degree of overlap in the working hours? Ensure the minimum overlap to minimize the communication gap.
- Is the entire team available on standard communication channels such as phone, skype, email, etc.?
- Which member of the outsourced team will be the point of contact for all your queries, feedback, or concerns?
Ascertain Intellectual Property Ownership And Infrastructure
For any work being done for you as a client such as KPO work or IT development, the IP address should belong to you. On the other hand, for lower-end work such as BPO or ITO services, the IP address can belong to either the vendor or client. Regardless of the case, it is better to clarify at the outset.
Further, in the case of large outsourcing relationships, the use of the best IT infrastructure and data security is essential. For example, if the work requires you to share confidential customer information, ensuring data security is essential.
BCP or Business Continuity Plans are equally important to ensure uninterrupted services. Besides this, check if your service provider has accreditation with ISO certificates, Microsoft competencies, CMMi, etc.
Conclusion
Irrespective of the type of outsourcing partner you choose for your projects, it is essential to conduct some research beforehand. Incorporate the above tips in your research to fund the right outsourcing partner for your upcoming task.
