For a long time, outsourcing was considered as a recourse based entirely on cost reduction, at the expense of quality. However, far from being comparable to offshoring, outsourcing has become a real business strategy, to be integrated into the company’s operations. The advantages are numerous and there are now millions of companies around the world that have turned to this solution; even more so since the world has begun its digitalization transformation while skills are becoming increasingly scarce.

Given this context, it is important to properly plan your outsourcing. We have identified 10 essential rules to respect in order to succeed. Here they are!

Study the company’s operations to determine the tasks to be outsourced

A company’s competencies are based on a unique set of skills, knowledge and expertise. These skills allow the company to stay competitive and provide value to each customer. By taking a close look at the functioning of the company, of each department, but also of each product and project, it is much easier to find the time-consuming, low-value-added, but essential tasks that require external intervention, which is possible thanks to outsourcing.

The range of ProContact’s offers is wide enough to help you implement your outsourcing project:

• Telephone reception
• Remote secretary services
• Polls, surveys, satisfaction studies
• Remote marketing and prospecting (appointment setting, prospecting, etc.)
• Qualification of files
• Management and enrichment of databases
• Customer loyalty
• Technical assistance (hotline, webhelp, technical support)
• After-sales service, customer service
• B2B / B2C prospecting;
• Customer relations;
• CRM tool and software;
• Satisfaction surveys;
• Human resources;
• Digital.

Creating a central outsourcing management team

It is impossible to entrust the management of an outsourced service to employees based on their free time. It is therefore essential to create a central management team whose mission will be to generate the right internal conditions to facilitate outsourcing. This team will also need to ensure that your provider delivers the expected quality in a secure and well-managed environment. This same team will need to work not only before the contract is signed, but also after that as well!

The importance of KPIs as a management tool

KPIs (key performance indicators) are indicators designed to measure performance. Particularly present in the field of marketing, they allow you to measure the impact of marketing campaigns and actions, especially digital ones. They are an excellent monitoring tool to stay on track and allow the service provider to demonstrate progress. Aspects such as quality, timeliness and respect of deadlines can become motivational goals if the KPIs are managed correctly.

The right infrastructure and tools

In offshore outsourcing, communication tools should be leveraged to their fullest extent, whether it’s Trello, Slack, Zoom, etc., they should become a given.

Creating a unique team

It is not uncommon for internal and external teams to differentiate themselves on a daily basis, perhaps even more so during challenging times. Work to erase the boundaries that may separate internal company employees from talent elsewhere. This can be done through occasional meetings between the two teams, creating a common communication channel, etc.

A transparent and clear business case

In order to find a provider who can quickly and accurately understand the company’s needs, the company must present realistic projections for the project. It must also take into account aspects such as infrastructure costs, internal support, travel, etc.

Expertise gained from elsewhere

A good outsourcing provider sees more than a financial contract between itself and its clients! As a specialist in many fields, like ProContact, he must be proactive in sharing his knowledge and expertise. When he is well established in his sector, his experience allows him to share the lessons learned from his past experiences. As a sponsor, take advantage of this!

Prepare the transition thoroughly

The initial phase of transitioning from a traditional model to outsourcing is undoubtedly the most critical. Make sure you have a documented plan and that all stakeholders, including those within the company, have a clear understanding of the issues involved in such a strategy. Make sure the provider understands the tasks assigned to them.

Agile methods for successful outsourcing

In software engineering, agile practices emphasize collaboration between self-organized, multidisciplinary teams and their clients. They rely on the use of a light but sufficient methodological framework focused on people and communication. They advocate adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery and continuous improvement, and encourage flexible responses to change. (Wikipedia)

As explored, these methods facilitate daily communication, timely delivery of results, planning and meetings. Agile methods are extremely powerful tools to promote successful cooperation in an outsourcing context and are far from being a passing trend.

Create a relationship of trust

As with any professional and commercial relationship, in order for it to produce the expected results, outsourcing must take place in an environment of trust!

ProContact, your offshore outsourcing partner!

Outsourcing simplifies the development of the company, which gains in agility, skills and quality, without having to invest huge sums!

Present in Mauritius for more than 18 years, ProContact has become a reference in the contact centre sector. Today, the company uses state-of-the-art techniques in the field of outsourcing and offshore call centres (telephone call centres). Thanks to trained, qualified, hand-picked and multilingual agents, we enable the companies that choose us to maintain their credibility and above all to satisfy their customers. To find out more about our services, for a quality partnership, click on our contact form, send us an e-mail or call us on (+33) 1 77 75 04 50.