7 Outsourcing Best Practices

With the nature of business today, it is virtually impossible for an organization to do everything in-house for a budget friendly price. Sometimes there is even a problem with the quality of the work that can be done in-house. After all, if you don’t have any accounting experience, how good will the budget look every year? Outsourcing in every department has become a best practice.

These outsourcing best practices will help to make sure that your business isn’t taken by surprise by a quality of work that is inferior. Follow these today and you’ll be taking another step toward success.

1. Authenticate the Experience.

Outsourcing specialists can claim a lot of experience. They might even promote their experience in their marketing materials. “We’ve got 80 years of accounting experience….” You’ve heard the pitch. What proves this experience are examples of their work. Of course no one is perfect, but as an outsourcing best practice, ask for references or a portfolio sample. This way you’ll have a better idea of what to expect.

2. Don’t be Satisfied.

Because no one is perfect, the individual or agency that receives your contracts should have a focus on being a little bit better every day. Don’t ever be satisfied with the quality of an outsourcing relationship. If you can save money and get a better product, then jump ship immediately. The practice of hiring slow and firing quickly definitely applies to this field.

3. Look for Something Unique.

Skills can be taught to anyone. What is unique within the human race is that there are people who have particular talents that can be combined with those skills. This is why there are average writers and spectacular writers. There good salespeople and there are salespeople who always earn the most commissions in their industry every year. Whatever your outsourcing need may be, as a best practice it is important to look for talent first and skill second.
Great talent can develop skills over time. Great skills will always reach a peak of productivity. Sometimes finding the talent and sticking with them can bring some growing pains, but it will always pay off in the end.

4. Sometimes the Grass is Greener on this Side of the Fence.

Outsourcing is ultimately about saving money, right? For this reason, many brands look to foreign providers for their needs because the costs are so low. Sometimes this can provide great success, but at other times, it actually costs more to outsource because the work received is of an unacceptable quality and must be repaired. If you have a specific need that requires local expertise, a telecommuter or freelancer in your own community can be a better investment. It might cost a little more than shopping overseas, but the value of not needing to repair delivered work can’t be overstated.

5. It’s All About the Relationship.

Outsourcing only stays effective if both sides are willing to put up or shut up when it comes to the relationship. There must be a component of relationship building that occurs because both brands are tied up together in each assigned project.

That’s right – companies that solicit for outsourced work have a brand reputation just like you do. When a contract is signed, each reputation becomes part of the other.

6. Keep the Smartphone Charged.

Open lines of communication are absolutely necessary for modern outsourcing to work. Although you don’t usually need to have daily updates about an assignment, it is important to know where your work stands and how it will be completed. Regular updates help to make that happen. If this isn’t being received, then it is time to look for a new place to meet your outsourcing needs.

7. Keep the Best Talent Around.

Once you find someone with the talent, skills, and consistency that you need, it is important to keep that person or organization hanging around. The nature of the outsourcing world is that those who accept this type of work follow the money. If someone makes a better offer than you, then your work will be dropped like a rock. If you make the relationship valuable and treat people right, you’ll be able to keep them around. Sometimes that means paying them more or giving them more time to complete a project.

At other times, it just means you take time to send a simple “thank you” email. Maintain the relationship at all times and you’ll have learned the best outsourcing practice of all.