What You Should Be Looking For When Outsourcing

In this blog, OrangeIQ will tell you about what you should be looking for when outsourcing. As a business owner that is looking to outsource, how do you differentiate between all the service providers out there? What exactly should you be looking for? What are the key attributes you need to consider? How do you know that a potential service provider is the one for you? To help you decide, here is a list of what you should be looking for when outsourcing:

• People

Your staff is the bloodline of your business, and outsourced service providers are no exception. Retaining team members is as crucial as getting clients. To do this, it is essential to keep members engaged and feeling valued. This can be achieved through activities such as company outings, team activities, and other interest-oriented events. That is to say, part of retention is also providing a clear career growth path through training and development. Remember: people don’t want to remain stagnant career-wise. Equip them now, or else watch them walk out of the door. In addition, performance checks must be kept in place too, with measurable outcomes, so members know what is expected and how to improve.

• Process

Each service provider has its own set of processes, but what you really need to look out for is the efficiency, reliability, and cost of these processes. These are some of the questions that you need to ask when wondering what you should be looking for when outsourcing:

• Can your service provider eliminate redundancies?

• Do they have enough experience to take on your business and come up with a tailor-fitted solution?

• How much can you save?

• Can they add more value to your customers?

• How much involvement can you have in the development and management of the processes?

That is to say, if they fit the bill here, you are on the right track.

• Technology

Almost nothing in life is untouched by technology, and that includes your business. If your outsourced service provider has the capability for innovation and harnesses technology to produce smarter solutions, then you are in good hands. Automation has made it possible to accomplish tasks quickly and collaborate easily among members.

Become A More Efficient Workplace With Outsourcing

Now that you know what you should be looking for when outsourcing, let us tell you how to become a more efficient workplace with outsourcing. That is to say, running a business is not always easy. Making mistakes is common, and while some can be relatively easy to fix, others demand much more time and effort. Whatever the case may be, all these errors impact your business in significant ways. In addition, lack of efficiency is one of the biggest mistakes you can possibly commit in business, and the repercussions can be felt long-term. We understand that keeping your business running efficiently and ongoing is an extremely difficult thing to do, as it is easy to fall into old habits. So check if you are making any of these common mistakes:

• Wasting Time On Non-Business Related Functions

Not focusing on what you do best is the quickest way to get your business into trouble. We know how easy it is to get caught up in back-office processes, etc., and how much of a time killer that can be. You spend so much time and energy behind the scenes, away from your core focus of selling and servicing your clients.

• Resisting Change In Tools

Technology is growing old faster than ever before. You need to be constantly updated to keep your business on the right track. Some business owners refuse to invest in better tools because they are already using the old ones. The thing is, new versions help you a whole lot more than the old ones. That is to say, putting them off all the time could slow down the growth of your business.

• Bad Processes, Transitions And Integration

If your business processes aren’t systematic and are inconsistent, you are not operating at your optimal level. Many business owners don’t realise that some of their processes could be deemed redundant and unnecessary. Many also underestimate the time and effort required to complete these processes. In addition, these processes can cost you money, especially when you look at the errors made whilst completing them and they add no value to your business.

• Avoiding Periodical Assessment

Mistakes in business may be big or small, but both warrant an assessment from you. Try to overlook these mistakes as simply “just the way things go” so you can properly evaluate what went wrong and ensure it doesn’t happen again. Don’t allow your business to be like a boat waiting for the big or small waves to come. Take charge.

Putting out fires takes time and effort. In addition, it can be a real distraction within your business. Outsourcing to the experts means having someone or a team of people prevent these mistakes from happening in the first place. That is to say, outsourcing frees up your time to do what you love within your business and grow it without stumbling blocks.