Outsourcing Offshore: Are You Ready?

So you’ve heard about outsourcing offshore, but haven’t moved any business functions, have hired a staff member or are still sitting on the fence about it. That’s perfectly understandable however we thought we would share some insights below to help as you continue your business journey.

1. You are already outsourcing

Outsourcing simply means getting someone else, a specialist usually, to perform tasks that otherwise you’d have to learn and become an expert on. Essentially, you have been outsourcing all your life and have saved on time, energy and money from not having to do everything yourself. For example, changing the oil on your own car…. By outsourcing, you’ve been able to focus on what you’re good at or what you like doing.

The same goes for your business. By moving your non-core functions, you can focus on what you do best and be more competitive.

2. Your process is unique, but so is everyone else’s

Passing on a process that you developed for your business, especially to someone whose last name you can’t even pronounce, can be daunting. Add to that the fact that your process would have been tweaked over the years to accommodate a system limitation, some suppliers’ or customers’ way of doing things, or an owner’s preferences.

And it is understandable if this is stopping you from making the move.

Offshore outsource service providers are trained for this. We understand that what works for one business doesn’t necessarily work for others, so you’re not unique in that regard.

Understanding your business, the process-to-be moved and your offshoring goals are key. If you can describe it, we can document and execute it.

3. Business Process Outsourcing is not for everyone

The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has enabled thousands of businesses, large and small, to reduce costs, improve product offerings, and ultimately grow faster. It has also benefited the economy of the Philippines and the lives of millions and their families.

Here are a few questions to gauge your offshore-readiness. This is not about your business, just yourself. If you answer yes to all, then you are ready.

• Can you describe your business, your process, and your offshoring objectives?
• Can you acknowledge that, while you’re the expert of your business, you aren’t necessarily an offshoring expert and will need help to make it work?
• Are you ready to have conversations with your staff about changes that may need to happen within your organisation to make offshoring work?

Ultimately, it’s you, the decision-maker or influencer, who has to be ready for your organisation to eventually become ready.

“With a focus on cost, the difficulty in finding the right people onshore, and the removal of remote work barriers, offshoring work is becoming more and more attractive – but that doesn’t have to be at the expense of building your internal capacity. “The shortage of workers locally, along with rising wages and overhead costs has been a handbrake on businesses who want to expand, innovate, and boost productivity – building teams offshore helps solve this. In fact, it should support it” – Nick Hastings, CEO, hammerjack

If you aren’t sure about offshoring or are just interested to know more, feel free to reach out or, alternatively, meet with our Australia-based team.

We love talking about outsourcing.