A Guide on How to Evaluate an Outsourcing Provider

Savings, time, flexibility. These are the three big rewards of outsourcing. However, you’ll only experience the full benefits if you choose your outsourcing provider correctly. Choosing poorly can spell a massive headache for your business. To ensure that outsourcing improves your operations instead of causing a backlash, you have to start it right.

Here’s how you should evaluate outsourcing providers:

Do Your Research
Before even reaching out to the outsourcing provider you have your eye on, research first. Learn as much as you can about them on your own.

Go through their website. Know about the scope of the services they offer. Pay special attention on how they present themselves as a business. Also, don’t skip their social media accounts. Get a feel of their online presence. A strong one often indicates authority in their field.

Knowing who they are will give you insights and help you figure out the questions you should ask once you meet up with them face to face.

Ask the Hard Questions
Keep this in mind: Outsourcing providers, just like any business you try to work with, will “sell” themselves to you. They’ll tell you all the ‘good stuff’. But what you need are straightforward answers regarding their framework. Don’t skirt around topics such as:

– Their access to technology and the infrastructure they have in place
– Your control over the outsourcing team you’ll have if you decide to work with them
– Communication flow and process
– Measures for data security and risk management
– Management and support approach
– Costs

Play Out What-If Scenarios
In an ideal world, all ventures go according to plan. In reality, it’s not often the case.

Anticipate issues you think you might encounter and play out it with the outsourcing provider. Questions like ‘What if you’ll need more people?’, ‘What if you decide to terminate the service?’,’What if your outsourced team need re-training?’. Based on their responses, you’ll be able to gauge if they are the right partner for you.

Look into their Track Record and Experience
Take the time to go through their case studies and ask for referrals. Get to know the outsourcing provider through their past and present clients. Pick up on how they deal with clients and the quality of solutions they provide.

Test them Out
When you buy a car, you do a test drive, right?

Like buying a car, outsourcing is also an investment. Testing the waters before fully immersing yourself is a wise decision. If possible, engage the outsourcing provider on a “trial period.” Test them out with a few tasks and evaluate their response and work quality. It will give you a glimpse of how they are in action.

Choose an outsourcing partner that’s worth your investment. They should be able to provide efficient solutions to the needs of your business. But more importantly, they should embody the values you also stand for.

If you’ve been searching for an outsourcing partner but couldn’t seem to find the right fit, give Straightsource a chance. Our commitment is 100% all the time.

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