10 steps for successful outsourcing

Imagine flying a plane through stormy weather without plotting a course. The chances of getting lost are high, and it could easily end in disaster. Outsourcing your business without a clear plan is much the same.

Outsourcing can be a great way to drive your business forward in a more effective and faster manner. It allows you to use your company resources for more profitable ventures. It isn’t, however, a one size fits all magic solution.

Every business has different requirements and reasons for outsourcing, but one common factor that we see time and time again at Cloudstaff is that businesses get the most value and productivity out of their outsourcing operations when they have mapped out clear goals and developed a plan to achieve them.

To help get you started, we have come up with 10 steps to developing an outsourcing plan that delivers results and moves you closer to success.

10 steps to outsource your business

1. Set your goals

To outsource the business is not an easy decision to make. It’s certainly not a decision made by one person, but rather, the whole team. Every member of the team has different ideas on how or where to start. They may even have different motivations, but you need to think about your overall goal first. Do you want to reduce company expenses? Are you aiming to improve efficiency? Defining these goals will allow everyone to be on the same page and give them direction.

2.  Assess your infrastructure and processes

When you’re outsourcing, it’s important that your business is ready to handle the changes in your processes. This might mean some upgrades to your infrastructure are needed. Take some time to evaluate your costs, capabilities and processes to identify what areas of your business will benefit the most from outsourcing. With this information in hand, you’ll be able to see if you can actually meet the demands, and identify the tools that you need to make it happen.

3. Consider your offshore management team

Together with your managers and team, you need to be ready to take on the responsibility for the training and daily management of your offshore team. How are you going to help them understand your business and culture? Who is going to take care of your people? It’s important to invest time in this and to assign a manager for your offshore team to achieve great outcomes. Having a dedicated person to manage the team helps with communication and will be able to get your offshore team set up and delivered at a much faster rate.

4. Identify advantages, obstacles, and challenges

Figure out the things that could help you move your business functions offshore or what could stop you from doing so. Is it government support or labour laws? Do you need to find solutions when it comes to technology or company guidelines? It helps to do some research to learn how outsourcing can give you a competitive edge rather than putting you in an unfavourable position. This way, you wouldn’t waste time and money without getting good results.

5. Use data to measure your processes

What’s your current data and your expected data? Compare the two and evaluate. These measurements can help you decide whether your business can really grow from outsourcing. Look at your existing model data and assess the objectives and needs of your future outsourcing model. Let the findings guide you on the right approaches to take.

6. Know the different outsourcing models

Learn about the outsourcing market by getting to know the different outsourcing models. You have to choose which will best suit your business needs before you look for an outsourcing partner. Once you’ve decided on what model fits your business, ask a service provider for help. But remember to check their track record and service bids as well.

7. Look at every possible scenario

A big plan is made up of several smaller plans. If you’re looking to outsource, a part of your strategy should be to look at every single business plot. What could go wrong? What great things could happen? Afterwards, think about your systems and processes and how you should implement them.

8. Evaluate the risks

Analyze the possible issues that outsourcing could bring to your company. There might be some legal risks, environmental concerns, or technological problems. Once you have identified the possibilities, talk to your team and outsourcing provider. Try to find ways how you can create opportunities out of these potential risks.

9. Create a business plan

Once you’ve decided to outsource, it doesn’t mean that everything just ends there. You need to gather as much information as you can get. Once you’ve collected enough data, create and present a business plan. Document every step you’ll take. Include all business structures, costs and profits, workloads, goals, and timelines. Come up with a business strategy that will allow your business to grow further.

10. Develop an action blueprint

With an excellent business plan, you can now create your blueprint. Set a deadline for the implementation of your systems and processes. Allot a proper budget to turn your plan into a reality. What deals do you need to make? What kind of relationships do you need to build to make your business thrive?

Take the right step with Cloudstaff

Why do you need to offshore or outsource your business functions? When and how will you execute your outsourcing plans? It can feel a bit overwhelming, but breaking it down and seeing the long-term benefits can make it attainable.

At Cloudstaff, we believe that having structured implementation frameworks is the key. We can help you come up with structured training plans to help transition your business knowledge to your offshore team.

We build and scale dedicated and high-performing teams. They will help you meet and exceed your customers’ expectations. The Cloudstaff platform enables you to maximize the effectiveness of your remote teams.

Cloudstaff’s outsourcing solutions provide a mechanism for rapid deployment and process management. You can have access to custom tools and software, as well as our partner network.

Successful outsourcing is not just about moving jobs offshore. It’s actually about moving the time-consuming, repetitive tasks that stop your core business from focusing on what you do best. That’s really the key to outsourcing.

Finding new ways to grow your business? Outsourcing could be your best option. Learn more on how you can achieve your business goals by sending us a message at [email protected].