When starting your outsourcing adventure, there are plenty of factors to look out for. Even though it is impossible to cover them all, there are some aspects that always require attention!
Despite all the misunderstandings and negative perceptions about outsourcing, mentioned in our last two articles (Outsourcing. Debunking the myths– Part I & Part II ), the plain truth is that there are some common success indicators which manage to stand out.
Basic success indicators with outsourcing projects
Start small
It’s very important to start your partnership with a small project, especially if you are new to outsourcing. This is recommended because you need to figure out what works best for you.
Understand the collaboration, be aware of your strengths and the weaknesses that might occur, and make sure you will be able to solve all the problems. Only then, when you are sure you have a solid foundation, ramp up!
At the beginning, keep the resources invested (time and money) at a lower level! Meanwhile, get a good feel of the future, to be able to visualize how the project will run from here on!
Define your skills and set up your goals!
It’s crucial to have a great understanding of your current situation and to be able to translate that into requirements for your partner.
You need to be capable to set up your project goals and processes, allocate project resources, as well as having complete job descriptions for the key people you want to have in your team!
A clear perspective will save you a lot of hassle along the way!
Keep in mind that ambiguous ideas and insufficient perspective represent the main reasons to cause a project delay.
Choosing the best outsourcing partner
Choosing the best outsourcing team for collaboration isn’t like choosing products at the grocery store. It takes knowledge, time and careful thought about the How’s and Why’s of outsourcing.
Avoid making a mistake by choosing your partner solely based on pricing! You might more important elements such as choosing a partner with a well-defined IT service delivery model and proven strategies.
You need to get the service standard right, at a cost that’s sustainable for your business! From our own experience, we can tell that quality IT services can be affordable even for small business.
It is well known that in some cases low quality services and also cultural differences will end up costing you more than a suitable vendor would have!
So don’t jump in until you have explored all the options and you are confident you’ve got the best of both worlds!
Keep your focus on the team
Keep productivity high! Actually, your success can often be measured by the morale of your team. Keep your team happy, productive and motivated.
Demonstrate your people that you have faith in their abilities to get the job done on time. You can also send them cards on Christmas or gift cards from time to time – there are so many things you can do to make sure your outsourcing team is always motivated and inspired.
It is vital to work with a team that is well integrated and understands your company’s vision and culture. This will be achieved only with the right attitude and proper communication.
Invest in your team and you will give it a reason to stick around!
Understand the culture of the people you are working with!
Be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your partner! This will make a huge difference in case you will have to deal with the flood of unanticipated issues that might occur in your projects.
When you make the decision to outsource, you should not ignore the cultural differences! Keep in mind that these can vary, from minor, if you near shore, for example to Romania, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, to major, if you decide to outsource to a further location, like India or China.
Even though until now India was the most popular destination for outsourcing, lately there has been a slight change in the corporate view of outsourcing. It has evolved from being just a method of reducing costs to more of a strategic move!
Make sure that the company you are dealing with is capable to overcome the cultural barriers as well as organizational ones.
If the outsourcing company and the provider company don’t walk and talk the same cultural language, it’s best to consider taking your business someplace else.