Essential Checklist When You Outsource the First Time

Outsourcing Checklist for First Timers

So you finally decided to outsource your services. That is some good decision making there, but what’s next then? How should we move on from this? Don’t worry! We got your back! We have a neat outsourcing checklist that you can check below!

But before that, let’s explore further what does it mean to outsource. What are you getting into and what should you understand first.

Getting Started with Outsourcing

Let us first define “outsourcing” and what it means for your company.

Arizona State University defines “outsourcing” as the practice to hire a third party to complete work services. Most common ways are hiring outside of [the] country rather than residing [in the] country.

There are technically 4 types of outsourcing:

• Professional Outsourcing – It’s any kind of specialized work like outsourced due diligence, content moderation, law, accounting, customer service and more. Hiring people outside of your firm gives you an opportunity to get global access to talent.
• IT Outsourcing – This one is for you if you’re planning, managing, or developing an application, software, or other kind of technology, and you need additional support. What you basically get here is a team of highly qualified individuals that has the resources to start working right away.
• Manufacturing Outsourcing – It means hiring a company outside of your home country to make goods for you. Businesses do this because it costs less money.
• Project Outsourcing – If companies need help with specific projects, but don’t need full-time help. It is much cheaper and higher in quality of output. 

So if you’re looking to partner with an outsourcing company, better setup an outsourcing plan first. Assess every aspect in your business like your immediate need and budget.

Furthermore, once you’ve identified what all these it is time to shop for a BPO firm.

Outsourcing Checklist: What You Need to Check?

There’s a lot of things you can look for in a BPO company. You can look at their security, accessibility, technology and more. All of these are valid criteria for a legit outsourcing firm. But we’ve simplified them into 4.

• Experiences
• Competency
• Reliability
• Historical company tenure

Let’s explore them one by one.

Experience

Here’s a question, what is more important? Knowledge or Experience?

Our answer is none. Because both are equally important.

You can read, study, get degrees, and learn as much as you want. But if you lack real-world experience, your knowledge is all just theory.

On the other hand, experience implies learning from errors. You may have made many errors you might have avoided if you knew more, but the “education” you acquired from them is more beneficial in the real world than classroom learning. In essence, your errors make you stronger.

In business, both matters and both need to go hand in hand. A BPO company that is constantly developing their process and is able to learn from their mistakes, is a company that you should affiliate yourself with. Why? Because that means adaptability, growth and innovation is at the forefront of their operation. It is also a testament to the management’s dedication and ability to lead and innovate.

Competency

Competence is an advantage. The more and better the services you can provide, the higher the possibility of you having loyal customers.

Services are what differentiate BPOs from one another. Some BPOs are able thrive in outsourced due diligence. Some are okay with just the basic customer service.

So make it a point to ask them what is unique about them and what more can they offer. Do they just offer seat leasing? Or seat leasing with employment of the staff? Can they do oversight management? Run through their outsourcing requirements, one by one. These are questions you can ask your prospective partner and usually the answer will make or break your views about them.

Furthermore, it is encouraged for any businesses to develop their core competencies as it can help them define their brand. If your company’s key strength is customer service, you can utilize it to sell your brand. Or you can outsource it to strengthen them.

Competencies in BPO also means that they should have stable outsourcing procedure, processes, technologies, systems, and expertise. Having a stability in all these means that they know how to effectively implement an account, timely and efficiently.

Reliability

For most organizations, the word “reliability” is frequently associated with maintenance or the condition of physical assets. But according to the educational publishing company, The McGraw-Hill Company, reliability means to perform the promised services dependably and accurately. So it measures how long a business service fulfills its intended purpose, not its operability.

In the topic about reliability, it intersects the most with marketing. Most companies fell for BPO traps and sweet talks (we actually made an article about all this here). BPOs will highlight their cost value proposition and feed you the idea that they’re cheap yet high quality. Some speak superlatives about them like they are the best and the fastest. This is a trap. Because in the industry, you get what you pay.

In looking for a BPO partner, you have to research if they constantly keep their promises. Read testaments, blogs, and reviews! If they don’t keep their word, your clients may turn to a rival company.

Moreover, identifying your prospective success measures (KPI) is also crucial. Instead of just focusing on reducing costs, you should also consider the company’s reliability in decreasing their risk of failure. Check their controls and ability to try to understand your business.

Tenure

Tenurity is a sign of resiliency and trust. In a highly competitive BPO industry, only few can survive 10 to 15 years and longer. So if you have your own outsourcing requirements, tenurity should be one of the criteria you should look for.

Tenurity is an organization’s capacity to swiftly adjust to changes. All the while protecting people, assets, and brand value. Nowadays, corporate tenurity is also a testament to their post-disaster solutions to prevent expensive downtime, shore up weaknesses, and preserve business operations in the face of fresh, unanticipated breaches.

A BPO that is able to stand the test of time also means that it has top-notch security.  Every business must confront the three major workplace security issues – staff safety, asset security, and the protection of data and other valuable information. These security issues require a robust workplace security system to avoid any risk to a business, which may be physical damage, robbery, theft, or system hacking.

So in shopping for a reliable partner, consider adding tenurity to your outsourcing checklist. 

Need More Help with your Outsourcing Checklist?

Talk to us about your outsourcing plan!

Magellan Solutions is the leading SME-focused BPO in the industry.

With over 18 years of industry experience, we offer high-quality customer service support and call center services. On top of that, we are a certified ISO 27001:2013 and HIPAA-compliant company.

At Magellan Solutions, we combine technology such as ACD, CRM, and IVR with agent skills. We make sure that our agents have all the necessary tools, equipment, and knowledge to serve customers. 

Also, we believe that progress shouldn’t break your bank, so our services remain flexible and competitive.

We will be happy to discuss with you our outsourcing procedure and how we can help your business succeed. Complete the contact form below and talk to us for free!

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Contact us today for more information.